The Pheu Thai-led government of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is a Frankenstein’s monster cobbled together from some 10 political parties, and includes ministers from six parties. The fact that junior coalition partners Bhumjaithai, Palang Pracharath, and Thai Raksa Chart managed to get 16 of the 36 total ministerial portfolios, including the interior, agriculture, energy, and … Read more
Photo Essays | Politics | Southeast Asia Hundreds of the party’s supporters voiced their excitement, and disappointment, as Parliament voted against the MFP leader and prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat. Demonstrators wait in anticipation as parliamentary voting began for Thailand’s 30th prime minister in Bangkok, Thailand, July 13, 2023. Credit: Cory Wright On July 13, 2023, roads to the … Read more
Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat (center) and Paetongtarn Shinawatra of the Pheu Thai Party (second from right) take part in Bangkok’s annual Pride Parade on June 4, 2023. Credit: Facebook/Ing Shinawatra Advertisement At first glance, the Thai election winner Move Forward Party (MFP) and the runner-up Pheu Thai Party (PTP) appear to be getting … Read more
ASEAN Beat | Politics | Southeast Asia The announcement paves the way for parliament to convene in early July, after which it will vote to select the country’s next prime minister. Pita Limjaroenrat, the leader of Thailand’s Move Forward Party, greets supporters in Chonburi, Thailand, May 21, 2023. Credit: Twitter/MFPThailand Advertisement Thailand’s Election Commission has verified the results of … Read more
Advertisement While the opposition victory in last month’s general election in Thailand was largely due to broad disaffection with the role of the military and the crown in politics, the results were also influenced by changes to the rules by which the election was run. Many of the changes to the voting rules in the … Read more
Pita Limjaroenrat, the leader of Thailand’s Move Forward Party, greets supporters in Chonburi, Thailand, May 21, 2023. Credit: Facebook/Pita Limjaroenrat – พิธา ลิ้มเจริญรัตน์ Advertisement The leader of Thailand’s progressive Move Forward Party (MFP) announced earlier this week that he has off-loaded his shares in a defunct media company in an effort to surmount conservative petitions … Read more
ASEAN Beat | Politics | Southeast Asia Even if it puts off amending the royal defamation law for now, change is probably inevitable given shifts in public attitudes toward the monarchy. A billboard of Thailand’s King Vajiralongkorn in Krabi, southern Thailand, November 24, 2019. Credit: Depositphotos Advertisement Whether or not the Move Forward Party (MFP) is denied the chance … Read more
Supporters of Thailand’s Move Forward Party attend a post-election rally in Nonthaburi, Thailand, May 18, 2023. Credit: Twitter/MFPThailand Advertisement On May 14, Thai voters delivered a surprise victory to the progressive Move Forward Party (MFP), despite expectations that Pheu Thai, another pro-democratic party, would win by a landslide. The MFP victory seems to have undermined … Read more
Advertisement The victory of the anti-military Move Forward Party (MFP) in Thailand’s general election on May 14 came as a surprise to many analysts. While pre-election polls had shown that the conservative and military-aligned parties of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha (the United Thai Nation Party) and Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan (the Palang Pracharath Party) … Read more
Advertisement One of many questions to emerge from the stunning opposition victory at Thailand’s general election on May 14 is the possible impact on the country’s policy toward Myanmar. The progressive Move Forward Party (MFP), which won the most seats in the House of Representatives, is also the one major party that has flagged a … Read more