2019 general election
17 Feb 2020
2019 is counted as the year when the arc of Thai politics was most striking since it was a time of transition from the ‘dark era’ under almost 5 years of the NCPO to the ‘hazy era’ after the election (which had been postponed 6 times) under the 2017 Constitution whose complicated design locked politics into a multilayered parliamentary system, and the Future Forward Party emerged to strongly challenge the old system.
7 Jun 2019
On the night of 5 June, as MPs and senators were called up one by one to cast their vote to choose a Prime Minister, Bhumjaithai’s Sisaket MP Siripong Angkasakulkiat chose to abstain from voting rather than following his party whip and vote for Gen Prayut.
6 Jun 2019
After 12 hours of parliamentary debate, a majority of the combined House of Representatives and Senate voted 500-244 to appoint Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha as Prime Minister of Thailand. 3 MPs abstained.
The result is not unexpected. 249 out of 250 unelected senators voted for Prayut Chan-o-cha. The only abstention was Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, Speaker of the Senate and Deputy Speaker of Parliament.
5 Jun 2019
Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha
Ahead of the parliamentary meeting to vote for a Prime Minister, all 4 undecided parties have announced they are joining Phalang Pracharat’s coalition. Combining their MPs, the Prayut coalition appears to have secured a majority in the House of Representatives.
5 Jun 2019
A number of Future Forward MPs revealed in a press conference today that they have been offered 30 – 120 million baht each to vote for Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha as Prime Minister.
30 May 2019
The Future Forward Party has now gained one additional seat in parliament following a re-election in Chiang Mai’s Constituency 8, after FFP candidate Srinuan Boonlue won in a landslide. But due to the ECT's method of calculation, PPRP and Democrat also gained a seat each.
29 May 2019
Both the Democrat Party and the Bhumjaithai Party have now taken a step back from joining a government led by Phalang Pracharat.
16 May 2019
The Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) has requested the Constitutional Court to suspend Future Forward party leader Thanathorn Juangroonruangkit from parliament, after accusing him of holding shares in a media company.
15 May 2019
The calculation of party-list MPs by Election Commission favours pro-junta parties as it slices down the opposition. Here’s how it works step-by-step.
13 May 2019
Ekkachai Hongkangwan, a well-known political activist, has been assaulted for the 7th time in front of the court.
A political activist, with bruises on his face, shows his right hand splinted at Paolo Hospital. Source: Ekkachai Hongkangwan's Facebook Page
28 Apr 2019
Friedrich Hegel, the German philosopher, once said “the only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history”. With regard to Thai political history, I cannot deny that this quotation expresses one of the “all-time” brutal truths. It is clearly true that most Thai people have never learned any political lessons in Thai history. They have not only made no democratic progress but have also strengthened the authoritarian rhetoric peace-making to repeatedly disrupt democracy by undertaking a series of coups.
17 Apr 2019
With growing suspicion and anger over the Election Commission’s handling of the March poll, Thais have expressed their displeasure in a variety of ways: netizens have mocked and criticised the commission online, a demonstration against the agency at Victory Monument attracted around a hundred people, and student groups from twelve different universities have organised a petition calling for the commissioners to be impeached.
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