Four years after the beginning of the student-led pro-democracy protests in 2020, many activists and protesters are still facing charge resulting from their participations in the protests, especially royal defamation charges. As the number of those detained pending trial or appeal for charges relating to political expression continue to rise, some young activists have chosen to seek asylum overseas.

Thailand’s Labour Protection Act currently allows 98 days maternity leave, with several groups pushing for an expansion to 180 days to align with global standards and to support working-class parents.

On the morning of 14 May 2024, monarchy reform advocate Netiporn Sanesangkhom was pronounced dead after over 2 months of hunger strike demanding judicial reform and an end to the detention of political dissidents. She reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest while detained at the Corrections Hospital, but the circumstances of her death remains unclear and an inquest is scheduled for next Monday (13 January) at the Thanyaburi Provincial Court. For 2024, Prachatai has named Netiporn our Person of the Year.

As the number of political prisoners continue to increase, the civil society has been pushing for an amnesty bill. Although several amnesty bills have been proposed, the royal defamation law, or Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code, remains the most contentious issue in the debate as several parties oppose granting amnesty to royal defamation defendants. But the report from the Special Committee studying approaches to an amnesty law present an option: conditional amnesty.

Of the 3.48 trillion baht national budget, the government had allocated 36.19 billion baht for expenditures relating to the monarchy. Though its share of the overall budget decreased slightly from 2023, total expenditure rose by 1.5 billion baht to 36.2 billion, the second highest in five years. Meanwhile, some projects previously associated with the monarchy by name or purpose have lost any linkage, a development which the opposition saw as progress. There is also a rise in the budget for public relations.

Communities along the railway tracks in Ayutthaya are raising alarms over the proposed high-speed train station, citing its potential to disrupt their livelihoods and threaten the historic city’s status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while critics argue that, without meticulous planning and reassessment, the project risks irreparably altering a site of global cultural significance.

A year ago, the Myanmar military ordered an air strike on a displaced persons camp located near the Thai border. Four young boys who survived that bombing recalled events from that night – the fear in their hearts amidst the darkness, a life of sleeping outside safety shelters, the air strike that night that almost pushed a boy into becoming a sniper, and humanitarian aid during days in which the Thai authorities did not allow them to cross the border for safety.

The return of the RTC Chiang Mai City Bus and the Light Rail Transit have sparked some hope for Chiang Mai's public transport system. However, these efforts continue to be hampered by concerns over practicality, insufficient government support, and lax regulation of private transport providers.

Red songthaew, once a Chiang Mai icon, may soon vanish from the city’s streets, outpaced by the rise of ride-hailing apps. Some critics blame the operators' failure to adapt, but the challenges they face are also rooted in failing government policies.

Local governance in Thailand is often perceived as a breeding ground for corruption, but the statistics tell a different story. Instead, Thai local governments have made progress in combating corruption, and instead of interfering with local policies, the Bangkok government should prioritize strengthening oversight mechanism.

Two decades after a government initiative to promote fairer access to education, only 2% of schools have been transferred to Local Administrative Organizations (LAOs). Yet small groups of local school administrators are proving the policy’s potential.

Thai textile artist Jakkai Siributr seeks to amplify unheard voices in his new exhibition "There's no Place," running between 15 - 16 November at The Whitworth’s Project Space in Manchester, UK, featuring pieces about marginalised groups from stateless Shan people and the Malay Muslims of Thailand's Deep South to workers who lost their livelihoods during the Covid-19 pandemic.