Asia Pacific / Politics Feb 20, 2021
Thai prime minister survives no-confidence vote as protest looms
by Randy Thanthong-Knight
The no-confidence motion against the premier was rejected by 272 lawmakers, while 206 voted supported it.
Asia Pacific / Politics Feb 16, 2021
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha is set to face a no-confidence vote this week as opposition lawmakers target his government for its alleged mismanagement of the COVID-19 outbreak amid a renewed push by pro-democracy activists for the premier’s ouster and monarchy reforms. The opposition began ...
Asia Pacific Jan 20, 2021
As Thailand’s troubles grow, the king moves to bolster his image
by Philip J. Heijmans
Looming over myriad crises is the months of rallies where protesters have openly criticized the monarchy, Thailand’s most powerful institution.
Asia Pacific Dec 25, 2020
'Like water eroding rocks': Thai protesters prepare for long fight
by Patpicha Tanakasempipat, Chayut Setboonsarng and Matthew Tostevin
As they paraded through a Bangkok shopping mall in crop tops to mock Thailand's king, protesters made an incongruous sight among the festive decorations. They brought stares, smiles and some muted cheers, but the few dozen activists were far short of the tens of thousands ...
Asia Pacific Dec 2, 2020
Signs of dissent within Thai military as protests grow
by Chayut Setboonsarng and Matthew Tostevin
Social media is exposing discontent among some soldiers, police and civil servants after months of protests against Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha and the monarchy.
Asia Pacific / Politics Dec 2, 2020
Thai court ruling could see prime minister ousted amid protests
by Randy Thanthong-Knight
Thailand’s Constitutional Court is set to decide on Wednesday whether Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha should be disqualified for breaking ethical rules, a move that would see him ousted even after he’s repeatedly rejected calls by pro-democracy groups to resign. The court will deliver its verdict ...
Asia Pacific Nov 26, 2020
Amid Thailand’s protests, a feared tool to protect the monarchy returns
by Hannah Beech and Muktita Suhartono
Thailand has transformed from a country where criticism of the monarchy was only whispered to a place where protesters have spray-painted "the king is dead” on Bangkok streets.
Asia Pacific / Politics Nov 23, 2020
LGBTQ support brings a new flavor to Thailand politics amid protests
In demonstrations where the vibe can turn from festive to tense in just a matter of minutes, LGBT people dressed in eye-catching outfits have stood alongside black-clad protesters.
Asia Pacific Nov 19, 2020
Thailand’s protests shatter taboos but so far produce little change
by Hannah Beech and Ryn Jirenuwat
In unison, anti-government protesters Wednesday called the King of Thailand a giant monitor lizard, one of the worst things that can be said of anyone in Thai, and spray-painted bus stops and pavement in the capital’s central business district with graffiti describing his sexual ...
Asia Pacific Nov 15, 2020
Thai women use pro-democracy protests to challenge sexism
by Nanchanok Wongsamuth
Napawn Somsak took to the stage in her school uniform, her hair in pigtails, to denounce sexism in Thai society and question the treatment of a royal princess — an act unthinkable before the protests that have roiled the country in recent months. Before a ...
Asia Pacific Nov 3, 2020
Almost like clockwork, talk of a military coup follows Thai protests
by Hannah Beech
For the protesters, the military’s enduring power in a country that markets itself as a modern democracy is as alarming as it is anachronistic.
Asia Pacific Oct 31, 2020
Some students at Thailand's Thammasat University posed with cardboard cutouts of well-known critics of the monarchy on Saturday in a protest as King Maha Vajiralongkorn was to present degrees amid growing calls for royal reform. Youth and student-led demonstrations that began in July by demanding ...