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New Straits Times
14 hours ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Thailand braces for crisis as trials and protests loom
BANGKOK: Thailand's controversial ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra goes on trial for lese-majeste next week with the kingdom teetering on the brink of political chaos, as his daughter faces being sacked as prime minister and activists threaten mass protests. Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy looks set for a new round of the turmoil that has periodically gripped it over the last two decades as conservative forces renew their long-running tussle with the Shinawatra dynasty. The coming weeks will see a series of court hearings that could terminate Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's brief political career and send her 75-year-old billionaire father to jail. Thaksin goes on trial from Tuesday accused of insulting the monarchy, which under Thailand's strict royal defamation laws could bring a maximum 15-year jail sentence. The allegations stem from an interview he gave in 2015 to a South Korean newspaper, with the trial set to last three weeks. A verdict is not expected for at least a month after that. The lese-majeste laws shield King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his close family from insult or abuse, but critics say the laws are abused to stifle legitimate comment and debate. The drama comes as the tourist-dependent kingdom seeks to reinvigorate its economy while heading off US President Donald Trump's damaging threatened trade tariffs. Thailand is also grappling with a festering border row with Cambodia. Paetongtarn's government hangs by a thread. Its ruling coalition was slashed to a tiny majority by the departure last week of the conservative Bhumjaithai party in a row over a leaked phone call between the prime minister and former Cambodian leader Hun Sen. In the audio of the call about the border dispute, Paetongtarn makes disparaging reference to a Thai army commander and addresses Hun Sen as "uncle." Critics slammed the 38-year-old for insulting the military – a powerful force in Thai politics – and for being too deferential, calling for her to quit. She apologised last week and managed to shore up her coalition, but now a group of conservative senators has submitted a petition to the Constitutional Court calling for her to be sacked. The court may decide on Tuesday whether to accept the case, but its president, Nakharin Mektrairat, told reporters this week that it would be up to the nine judges to decide the timeframe. If the court accepts the case, it may suspend her from office while it considers it, with a ruling expected to take several months. Paetongtarn's case and her father's trial are the latest round in a bitter 25-year arm wrestle between Thailand's traditional conservative, pro-military, pro-royalist elite and parties linked to Thaksin. Thaksin was twice elected prime minister in the early 2000s and is still loved by many of the rural voters whose lives were changed by his policies. But the establishment has long despised him as corrupt, nepotistic and a threat to the kingdom's long-established social order. Thaksin was ousted in a coup in 2006, his sister Yingluck Shinawatra suffered the same fate in 2014 and other prime ministers from their political movement have been sacked by court rulings. After 15 years abroad, Thaksin returned to Thailand in August 2023. He was immediately ordered to serve an eight-year jail term for historic graft and abuse of power charges, but was taken to hospital on health grounds and later pardoned by the king. That sequence of events has prompted a separate judicial probe into whether he got special treatment, and Thaksin's regular public appearances seem to have riled his old foes. "His enemies never disappear – they are still there, while new enemies have emerged and friends become enemies," Paradorn Pattanatabut, a former secretary general of the National Security Council, told AFP. In a country which has seen a dozen coups since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932, the latest crisis has sparked speculation about another possible military intervention to oust Paetongtarn. Tub-thumping posts on military-affiliated Facebook pages voicing vehement support for the army after Paetongtarn's leaked call have added fuel to the fire. But a security source told AFP that a conventional tanks-in-the-street coup was both difficult and unnecessary, given the potential to stage a "silent coup" through the courts or other bodies such as the election commission. Wanwichit Boonprong from Rangsit University agreed, saying this kind of "stealth authoritarianism" was more effective. To add further spice to the mix, on Saturday a group of political activists involved in huge demonstrations that helped sink previous governments has pledged to hold a major rally calling for Paetongtarn to quit.
Boston Globe
21 hours ago
- Health
- Boston Globe
Thailand starts banning the sale of cannabis without a prescription
Sellers that violate the new order could face a maximum one-year jail term and a 20,000-baht ($614) fine. The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, in charge of enforcing regulations related to cannabis, held an online meeting Friday with officials across the country to prepare them for the change. Officials said during the meeting that shops that are currently licensed can continue to operate but they must get their products only from pharmaceutical-grade farms that are certified by the department, and must declare sources of their products to authorities every month. Those farms must also acquire a license for selling cannabis. The order says shops can only sell a limited amount of cannabis to those with a prescription, enough for personal use in 30 days. They also said the department is setting up clear guidelines for the prescription of cannabis and enforcement of the new regulations. They said they will give time for the shops to adjust, but did not say exactly how long that timeframe would be. Advertisement Chokwan 'Kitty' Chopaka, a cannabis advocate who used to own a dispensary in Bangkok, said there is still a lot confusion about the new rules, with some officials themselves apparently unsure what to do. Advertisement 'Owners are freaking out, a lot of them are scared,' she said. The move to decriminalize in 2022 had boosted Thailand's tourism and farming industries, and spawned thousands of shops. But the country has faced public backlash over allegations that a lack of regulation made the drug available to children and caused addiction. Treechada Srithada, spokesperson for the Health Ministry, said in a statement Thursday that cannabis use in Thailand would become 'fully for medical purposes.' She said shops that violate the order will be closed and the ministry will also tighten requirements for approval of a new license in the future. She said there are curently about 18,000 shops that hold a license to sell cannabis. Chokwan argued that the rules were already in place, but what was lacking was the enforcement. She also said the abrupt change was politically motivated. 'We know we need regulation. We need control. The existing rule that is in the announcement previously needs to be enforced. Can we enforce that first? Before we move on to something that is harder and people don't understand what's going on,' she said. The ruling Pheu Thai Party previously promised to criminalize the drug again, but faced strong resistance from its former partner in the coalition government, the Bhumjaithai Party, which supported decriminalization. A worker tended to cannabis plants at a farm in Kanchanaburi province, west of Bangkok, Thailand. Sakchai Lalit/Associated Press Bhumjaithai quit the coalition last week over a leaked phone call between Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and former Cambodian leader Hun Sen. Health Minister Somsak signed the new order just days after Bhumjaithai left the government. The move to restrict cannabis sales came after officials last month revealed that cannabis smuggling cases involving tourists had soared in recent months. Somsak told reporters Tuesday he would like to relist cannabis as a narcotic in the future. Advertisement Thailand's Office of the Narcotics Control Board said a study conducted by the agency last year found the number of people addicted to cannabis had spiked significantly after it was decriminalized. A group of cannabis advocates said they will rally at the Health Ministry next month to oppose the change and any attempt to make it a criminal offense again to consume or sell cannabis.
The Star
a day ago
- Politics
- The Star
Thailand braces for crisis as trials and protests loom
FILE PHOTO: Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra greets his supporters with his youngest daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra (R) after landing at Bangkok's Don Mueang airport on August 22, 2023. Thailand's controversial ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra goes on trial for lese-majeste next week with the kingdom teetering on the brink of political chaos, as his daughter faces being sacked as prime minister and activists threaten mass protests. - AFP BANGKOK: Thailand's controversial ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra goes on trial for lese-majeste next week with the kingdom teetering on the brink of political chaos, as his daughter faces being sacked as prime minister and activists threaten mass protests. South-East Asia's second-biggest economy looks set for a new round of the turmoil that has periodically gripped it over the last two decades as conservative forces renew their long-running tussle with the Shinawatra dynasty. The coming weeks will see a series of court hearings that could terminate Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's brief political career and send her 75-year-old billionaire father to jail. Thaksin goes on trial from Tuesday (July 1) accused of insulting the monarchy, which under Thailand's strict royal defamation laws could bring a maximum 15-year jail sentence. The allegations stem from an interview he gave in 2015 to a South Korean newspaper, with the trial set to last three weeks. A verdict is not expected for at least a month after that. The lese-majeste laws shield King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his close family from insult or abuse, but critics say the laws are abused to stifle legitimate comment and debate. The drama comes as the tourist-dependent kingdom seeks to reinvigorate its economy while heading off US President Donald Trump's damaging threatened trade tariffs. Thailand is also grappling with a festering border row with Cambodia. Paetongtarn's government hangs by a thread. Its ruling coalition was slashed to a tiny majority by the departure last week of the conservative Bhumjaithai party in a row over a leaked phone call between the prime minister and former Cambodian leader Hun Sen. In the audio of the call about the border dispute, Paetongtarn makes disparaging reference to a Thai army commander and addresses Hun Sen as "uncle". Critics slammed the 38-year-old for insulting the military - a powerful force in Thai politics - and for being too deferential, calling for her to quit. She apologised last week and managed to shore up her coalition, but now a group of conservative senators has submitted a petition to the Constitutional Court calling for her to be sacked. The court may decide on Tuesday whether to accept the case, but its president, Nakharin Mektrairat, told reporters this week that it would be up to the nine judges to decide the timeframe. If the court accepts the case, it may suspend her from office while it considers the case, with a ruling expected to take several months. Paetongtarn's case and her father's trial are the latest round in a bitter 25-year arm wrestle between Thailand's traditional conservative, pro-military, pro-royalist elite and parties linked to Thaksin. Thaksin was twice elected prime minister in the early 2000s and is still loved by many of the rural voters whose lives were changed by his policies. But the establishment has long despised him as corrupt, nepotistic and a threat to the kingdom's long-established social order. Thaksin was ousted in a coup in 2006, his sister Yingluck Shinawatra suffered the same fate in 2014 and other prime ministers from their political movement have been sacked by court rulings. After 15 years abroad, Thaksin returned to Thailand in August 2023. He was immediately ordered to serve an eight-year jail term for historic graft and abuse of power charges, but was taken to hospital on health grounds and later pardoned by the king. That sequence of events has prompted a separate judicial probe into whether he got special treatment, and Thaksin's regular public appearances seem to have riled his old foes. "His enemies never disappear - they are still there, while new enemies have emerged and friends become enemies," Paradorn Pattanatabut, a former secretary general of the National Security Council, told AFP. In a country which has seen a dozen coups since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932, the latest crisis has sparked speculation about another possible military intervention to oust Paetongtarn. Tub-thumping posts on military-affiliated Facebook pages voicing vehement support for the army after Paetongtarn's leaked call have added fuel to the fire. But a security source told AFP that a conventional tanks-in-the-street coup was both difficult and unnecessary, given the potential to stage a "silent coup" through the courts or other bodies such as the election commission. Wanwichit Boonprong from Rangsit University agreed, saying this kind of "stealth authoritarianism" was more effective. To add further spice to the mix, on Saturday a group of political activists involved in huge demonstrations that helped sink previous governments has pledged to hold a major rally calling for Paetongtarn to quit. - AFP
Straits Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Thailand braces for crisis as trials and protests loom
Mr Thaksin Shinawatra goes on trial from July 1, and is accused of insulting the monarchy. PHOTO: REUTERS BANGKOK - Thailand's controversial ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra goes on trial for lese-majeste next week with the kingdom teetering on the brink of political chaos, as his daughter faces being sacked as prime minister and activists threaten mass protests. South-east Asia's second-biggest economy looks set for a new round of the turmoil that has periodically gripped it over the last two decades as conservative forces renew their long-running tussle with the Shinawatra dynasty. The coming weeks will see a series of court hearings that could terminate Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's brief political career and send her 75-year-old billionaire father to jail. Mr Thaksin goes on trial from July 1, and is accused of insulting the monarchy, which under Thailand's strict royal defamation laws could bring a maximum 15-year jail sentence. The allegations stem from an interview he gave in 2015 to a South Korean newspaper, with the trial set to last three weeks. A verdict is not expected for at least a month after that. The lese-majeste laws shield King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his close family from insult or abuse, but critics say the laws are abused to stifle legitimate comment and debate. The drama comes as the tourist-dependent kingdom seeks to reinvigorate its economy while heading off US President Donald Trump's damaging threatened trade tariffs. Thailand is also grappling with a festering border row with Cambodia. Phone call crisis Ms Paetongtarn's government hangs by a thread. Its ruling coalition was slashed to a tiny majority by the departure last week of the conservative Bhumjaithai party in a row over a leaked phone call between the prime minister and former Cambodian leader Hun Sen. In the audio of the call about the border dispute, Ms Paetongtarn makes disparaging reference to a Thai army commander and addresses Hun Sen as 'uncle'. Critics slammed the 38-year-old for insulting the military – a powerful force in Thai politics – and for being too deferential, calling for her to quit. She apologised last week and managed to shore up her coalition, but now a group of conservative senators has submitted a petition to the Constitutional Court calling for her to be sacked. The court may decide on July 1 whether to accept the case, but its president, Dr Nakharin Mektrairat, told reporters this week that it would be up to the nine judges to decide the timeframe. If the court accepts the case, it may suspend her from office while it considers it, with a ruling expected to take several months. A 25-year battle Ms Paetongtarn's case and her father's trial are the latest round in a bitter 25-year arm wrestle between Thailand's traditional conservative, pro-military, pro-royalist elite and parties linked to Mr Thaksin. Mr Thaksin was twice elected prime minister in the early 2000s and is still loved by many of the rural voters whose lives were changed by his policies. But the establishment has long despised him as corrupt, nepotistic and a threat to the kingdom's long-established social order. Mr Thaksin was ousted in a coup in 2006, his sister Yingluck Shinawatra suffered the same fate in 2014 and other prime ministers from their political movement have been sacked by court rulings. After 15 years abroad, Mr Thaksin returned to Thailand in August 2023. He was immediately ordered to serve an eight-year jail term for historic graft and abuse of power charges, but was taken to hospital on health grounds and later pardoned by the king. That sequence of events has prompted a separate judicial probe into whether he got special treatment, and Thaksin's regular public appearances seem to have riled his old foes. 'His enemies never disappear – they are still there, while new enemies have emerged and friends become enemies,' Mr Paradorn Pattanatabut, a former secretary-general of the National Security Council, told AFP. In a country which has seen a dozen coups since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932, the latest crisis has sparked speculation about another possible military intervention to oust Ms Paetongtarn. Tub-thumping posts on military-affiliated Facebook pages voicing vehement support for the army after Ms Paetongtarn's leaked call have added fuel to the fire. But a security source told AFP that a conventional tanks-in-the-street coup was both difficult and unnecessary, given the potential to stage a 'silent coup' through the courts or other bodies such as the election commission. Dr Wanwichit Boonprong from Rangsit University agreed, saying this kind of 'stealth authoritarianism' was more effective. To add further spice to the mix, on June 21 a group of political activists involved in huge demonstrations that helped sink previous governments has pledged to hold a major rally calling for Paetongtarn to quit. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Gulf Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Thai army assures it will not intervene in the crisis
Thailand's army has said that it had no intention to carry out a coup even as the country has plunged into a political crisis. Bhumjaithai, partner of Pheu Thai Party, withdrew from the coalition, leaving Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra government in a minority. The crisis broke out when a recorded private conversation between Paetongtarn Shinawatra and former Cambodian president Hun Sen was made public, in which the Thai prime minister made a partisan reference to a Thai general in the outbreak of hostility on the Thai-Cambodia border. Bhumjaithai saw the reference to serving Thai commander as 'opponent' by Paetongtarn as an insult to the army. Paetongtarn has since apologized, but the crisis shows no signs of going away. The Thai army's assuring statement that it would confine itself to the task of defending the country's sovereignty and that the country would remain a democracy with the king as the constitutional head. Thailand's opposition leader of People's Party, Natthaphong Ruengpanyawat, demanded that Paetongtarn should step down, dissolve the parliament and go for fresh election. The government took office two years ago. Natthaphong is clear that the Paetongtarn had failed to govern the country. He said, 'Over the past two years, the government has failed to deliver on its pledges. It has also failed to address other major problems, including constitutional reform, military bureaucracy restructuring, and the economic problems of the country. The hope that the ruling party's economic expertise would prevail has been a total flop.' Thailand is no stranger to political turmoil. But it has come out of each one of them through a democratic solution, elections would be held, and thepeople would choose a popular leader. For example, Paetongtarn's father Thaksin Shinawatra was a popular prime minister. He faced problems because he refused to be led by the army, and he was keen that the sedition law which made any statement against the king as traitorous. But the army intervened and threw out the Shinawatra government, and the army remained in the vanguard. But soon, the army had to find a democratic alternative, and elections had to be held. Thaksin remained prime minister between 2001 and 2006. His sister, Yingluck Shinawatra served as prime minister between 2011 and 2014. Both Thaksin and Yingluck were pushed out by the government on charges that the Shinawatras are corrupt. But the Shinawatras are hugely popular with the poorer sections of the Thais. This time round, the Thai army has decided not to go through the cycle of political intervention and the restoration of democracy. The neutrality of the army can best be ensured by the compromises and adjustments that the political parties are willing to make. If they refuse to pull back and restore democratic functioning, it will become a compelling reason for the army to get back into political decision-making. Thailand is an important polity in the south-east Asian region. It has built its economy on market economics with a fair amount of speculation. The 1997 Asian financial crisis started out with the meltdown of the baht. The Asian economic crisis spread to other parts of the free market world, and it took about four or five years to recover from the setback. The Thais are known for their fierce commitment to democracy, and it is this which forces the Pheu Party to find a way to a democratic end. The Thais' commitment to democracy derives mostly from their easy life-style and their sense of freedom. So, it is a struggle between the different parties which are committed to their own political ambition, and they are not disinclined to support the army in direct and indirect ways.
