As Thailand’s 2026 general election approaches, the country is confronting a familiar, unresolved problem—vote buying. Deep-rooted in Thai politics, the practice has resurfaced aggressively, highlighting a systemic failure of the nation’s democratic safeguards. While the practice has long been illegal, weak enforcement and lack of proactive oversight have allowed vote-buying to flourish over and over again. Here is how vote-buying operates in Thailand and why enforcement measures continue to fall short.

Thai voters now have less than a week to go before they go to the polls to vote in a historic constitutional reform referendum which asks whether they want a new constitution. For political parties and civil society groups campaigning for a vote in favour of a new constitution, the stakes are high. If the majority does not vote in favour, there is no way of amending the Constitution. Meanwhile, conservatives are campaigning against a new constitution, and while people have the freedom to believe what they believe, many reasons cited by these groups can be considered misinformation, even verging on fearmongering and fake news.

Overseas Thais were the first group of voters to cast their votes in the 2026 general election and referendum. Some have found the process easy and trustworthy, while some haved face difficulties making their voices count.

In the Dieng Plateau, a highland region in Java, Indonesia, local communities and a state-owned enterprise clashes over a geothermal energy project.

In Chiang Mai’s Santitham district, known as a budget-friendly red-light district, a Shan man worked as a sex worker in host bars, drinking with customers and going out with them. But just before the New Year, he lost his job after contracting a sexually transmitted disease. It was not HIV, but it meant he became unemployed.

42 Thai soldiers died during the two waves of border conflict in June and December 2025. The dead were all non-commissioned officers, the highest rank among them being staff sergeant. Their families were paid twelve million baht in compensation. If sovereignty is “priceless", why is the compensation assigned to those who die in its defence so low?

As the border conflict with Cambodia fuelled a surge of nationalism, the military was cast as a national hero. Yet calls for reform persists. The prolonged tensions have laid bare weaknesses in combat readiness linked to inefficient procurement and the need for reform of the budget procedure, which is the focus of the last instalment of the series. This raise the question whether blind increases in weapons procurement budgets are truly cost-effective.

Even as a border conflict with Cambodia has fuelled an unprecedented surge of nationalism, restoring the military’s public reverence ahead of the 2026 election, Thailand continues to face mounting long-term pressure to modernise its armed forces. Efforts to downsize the military are already under way, with even some senior officers acknowledging the need for reform despite persistent internal resistance. Calls to reform the military recruitment system have likewise not disappeared, as the structural causes driving discontent remain unresolved.

Military reform was a central issue in Thailand's 2023 general election, with the People's Party emerging at the most prominent advocate of change. In 2026, however, the border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia has fueled an unprecedented surge of nationalism, raising questions whether reform remains possible. This first instalment of three-part series on the military reform examines one foundational question: can the Thai military realistically be downsized?

When Thai voters go to the polls on 8 February, they will receive three ballots: two for the general election, and one for a referendum which will ask them whether they want a new constitution. It will be a watershed moment for Thai politics: a vote in favour means opening the door to a new constitution, while a vote against would make it likely that future amendments become impossible. Here is all you need to know about the 8 February 2026 referendum.

Under the 2026 budget bill, while there has been no significant change in direct spending allocated to the monarchy, indirect expenditures in the 2026 budget are 4,123 billion baht higher than last year, making the monarchy-related budget the highest in seven years. Meanwhile, questions relating to monarchy budget is met with restraint.