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Investors are awaiting more tangible outcomes of Sunday's general election, after preliminary results showed the country's pro-democracy parties secured a strong majority. A calculation by Reuters based on data from the country' Election Commission suggests the anti-military Move Forward party, led by Thai businessman Pita Limjaroenrat, would win the most seats, followed by the Pheu Thai party. If confirmed, this would represent a resounding rejection of pro-military parties led by former prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, ending nine years of pro-military rule. The Pheu Thai party has put forward Paetongtarn Shinawatra — the daughter of former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra — as its candidate for prime minister, while Reuters reported that Limjaroenrat also has "set his sights set on being prime minister." First quarter GDPSeparately, Thailand's gross domestic product for the first quarter grew 2.7%% year-on-year, beating expectations of a 2.3% rise.

☆ Thailand Pro-Democracy Candidates Push to Break Military Grip in Election
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Feliz Solomon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A Pheu Thai party supporter wearing a cap with a photo of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Photo: rungroj yongrit/EPA/ShutterstockMillions of Thais are set to vote in nationwide elections Sunday that pit the country’s pro-military establishment, which has kept a grip on power for almost a decade, against pro-democracy opposition forces seeking to retake control. Thailand has for years weathered political turmoil, becoming a symbol of democratic decline, according to foes of the government. After leading a 2014 coup, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan -ocha, a former army leader, oversaw the writing of a new constitution that was widely seen as a tool to give the military electoral legitimacy. It paved the way for Mr. Prayuth to become the country’s elected prime minister after the last national vote in 2019.

☆ Thai prime ministerial candidates cast their votes
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsThai prime ministerial candidates cast their votesPostedThai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and two of his rival candidates, Pita Limjaroenrat and Paetongtarn Shinawatra, cast their votes in Bangkok.

☆ Thai election: Opposition parties deliver surprise challenge to military leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Kocha Olarn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Bangkok, Thailand CNN —Thai voters have dealt a surprise blow to the ruling military-backed government in the country’s general election, throwing their support behind progressive anti-establishment parties that could change the course of the kingdom’s politics after years of military rule. Before counting paused, the Bhumjai Thai party was in third position, projected to win around 70 seats, while Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s party potentially would grab about 12 seats. Thai Prime Minister and United Thai Nation Party's candidate Prayut Chan-o-Cha leaves after casting his ballot at a polling station in Bangkok on May 14, 2023. Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP/Getty ImagesPrayut’s rise from military coup leader to prime minister has been marred with controversy, growing authoritarianism and widening inequality. It’s the party of the billionaire Shinawatra family – a controversial political dynasty headed by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

☆ Vietnam and Laos record hottest temperatures ever as heat wave grips Southeast Asia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Tara Subramaniam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —Temperature records tumbled across Southeast Asia over the weekend as the region swelters under a weekslong heat wave that has brought misery to millions. Scientists have long warned that heat waves are set to get worse as the impacts of the human-caused climate crisis accelerate. In neighboring Laos, the city of Luang Prabang hit 43.5 degrees Celsius (110.3 Fahrenheit) on Saturday, breaking the national record of 42.7 degrees Celsius (108.9 Fahrenheit) that was only set last month, Herrera said. The Laotian capital Vientiane also broke its all-time record this weekend with a temperature of 42.5 degrees Celsius (108.5 Fahrenheit). Meanwhile in Thailand, Saturday saw the hottest ever temperature recorded in Bangkok – 41 degrees Celsius (105.8 Fahrenheit).

☆ Thai prime minister candidate gives birth two weeks before election
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Thailand's leading prime ministerial candidate, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, gave birth on Monday to a baby boy two weeks before elections in which she hopes to return to power the populist movement her father and aunt led before army coups ousted them. Paetongtarn, 36, announced the birth on her official Facebook and Instagram accounts with a photo of the newborn. Paetongtarn, who goes by the nickname Ung Ing, has been first or second in polls for voters' favorite prime ministerial candidate throughout the campaign for the May 14 election, trading places with Pita Limjaroenrat of the progressive opposition Move Forward Party. The imminent arrival of Paetongtarn's second child had not kept her from the campaign trail until very recently. Her family's name recognition and her party's enduring popularity that has brought it a string of election victories could again bring it back to power.

In Southeast Asia, some countries posted their highest ever recorded temperatures this week, while searing heat in the Indian subcontinent has killed more than a dozen people. Neighboring Myanmar set an April temperature record on Monday as Kalewa, in central Sagaing region, reached 44°C (111°F), Herrera tweeted. April and May are typically the hottest months of the year for South and Southeast Asia as temperatures rise before monsoon rains begin and bring some relief. On Monday, more than 100 weather stations in 12 provinces broke their April temperature record, according to climatologist Jim Yang. Extremely hot temperatures across South and Southeast Asia are expected to continue.

☆ Pollution choking Thailand's north hits tourism, worries public
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CHIANG MAI, Thailand, April 10 (Reuters) - High pollution levels in Thailand's northern city of Chiang Mai and surrounding provinces are keeping tourists away and alarming locals, with the government on Monday urging residents to avoid outdoor activities. For several weeks last month the city was at the top of air quality information platform IQAir's global chart on poor air quality, ahead of Lahore and New Delhi. That is far short of the 80% to 90% expected ahead of this week's Thai New Year holidays, known as Songkran. Addressing the deteriorating air quality in the north, Thailand's health ministry urged the public on Monday to avoid outdoor activities and wear masks that can filter particles. Chiang Mai resident Pathsharasakon Po, 36, said she was concerned about allergies, or even cancer.

☆ Thai PM slips in opinion poll, rival pulls ahead as election looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha speaks to members of media at the Government House in Bangkok, Thailand, March 20, 2023. Thailand is expected to hold an election in May, which will continue a long-running political battle between the Shinawatra family and conservative pro-military establishment. "Poll is a poll. Paetongtarn, 36, better known locally by her nickname "Ung Ing" is one of the nominees for prime minister for the Pheu Thai party, which together with its previous incarnations has won every Thai election since 2001. The NIDA Poll, which surveyed 2,000 voters across Thailand in March, also showed that nearly 50% of respondents said they would back parliamentary candidates from Pheu Thai.

☆ Thailand prepares to dissolve parliament ahead of election
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BANGKOK, March 17 (Reuters) - Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Friday he had prepared a decree seeking to dissolve parliament ahead of an election, an expected step as his government heads into the last week of its four-year term. The decree would require approval of Thailand's monarch and would take effect once published in the Royal Gazette. We have to wait for the announcement in the Royal Gazette," Prayuth told reporters in the northern city of Chiang Mai. He will be up against Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra and Yingluck's niece. Paetongtarn, 36, has led Prayuth in opinion polls for months as the top choice for Thailand's next prime minister.

☆ Thai PM walks out of news conference over question on ex-leader Thaksin
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha campaigns as the PM candidate for the United Thai Nation Party (Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party) ahead of a general election this year in Bangkok, Thailand, January 9, 2023. REUTERS/Chalinee ThirasupaBANGKOK, Jan 26 (Reuters) - The mere mention of Thailand's ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra prompted Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha to walk out of a news conference this week, irked by talk of the exiled political heavyweight's long-touted return. I don't like it," Prayuth said on Wednesday cutting off a reporter's question about Thaksin, before walking away from the podium and out of the venue. Paetongtarn, 36, last week declared her readiness to be prime minister with the Pheu Thai Party, which won most seats in the 2019 election but not enough to form a government. Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Kanupriya KapoorOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Long-serving Thai PM hints at re-election bid under new party
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha unveils as Prime Minister candidate for the United Thai Nation Party (Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party) ahead of a general election this year in Bangkok, Thailand, January 9, 2023. REUTERS/Chalinee ThirasupaBANGKOK, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Thailand's long-serving leader Prayuth Chan-ocha vowed to continue his work running the country under a new political party on Monday, hinting at a bid to remain prime minister after an election this year. "Many things have to continue, and more needs to be done for the country to forge ahead," Prayuth told about 10,000 people at the launch of the new United Thai Nation Party, which he has joined. The new party, led by figures from the country's conservative establishment, has yet to declare its candidate for prime minister. The Constitutional Court last year ruled his first three years in charge did not count towards the maximum eight years a prime minister can serve.

☆ Xi Jinping: Saudi's MBS rolls out the red carpet for China's president, in a not too subtle message to Biden
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Tamara Qiblawi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Saudi leaders will infuse the trip with a dose of spectacle. The Saudi king – or his powerful Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman – may bestow the Chinese leader with some honors and medals. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman fist bumps US President Joe Biden upon his arrival at Al Salman Palace, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on July 15. Today, the US consumes only a fraction of that Saudi oil, and China is Saudi Arabia’s biggest client and trading partner. Over the last year, Gulf Arab countries appear to have ramped up their independent-minded policy.

☆ APEC pledges to boost trade as geopolitical rifts hijack regional summits
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The Apec 2022 summit will take place at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok from November 18-19,2022. At the G20 meeting in Indonesia, members unanimously adopted a declaration that said most members condemned the Ukraine war but also acknowledged some countries saw the conflict differently. The APEC leaders echoed the G20 declaration as they referred to U.N. resolutions that deplore Russia's aggression and demand its complete and unconditional withdrawal from Ukraine, but also noted a variety of opinions. Recognising that APEC is not the forum to resolve security issues, we acknowledge that security issues can have significant consequences for the global economy," the bloc said. Russia is a member of both G20 and APEC but President Vladimir Putin has stayed away from the summits.

Separately, police fired rubber bullets to disperse anti-government protesters in Bangkok as the host of the Asia-Paciﬁc Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, opened the conference. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris called an emergency gathering of leaders from Australia, Japan, South Korea, Canada and New Zealand on the sidelines of the summit after North Korea carried out the missile test. "This conduct by North Korea most recently is a brazen violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions," she said. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is in Bangkok for the APEC meeting, told reporters North Korea had "repeated its provocations with unprecedented frequency". First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov is representing him at APEC.

☆ Thai police use rubber bullets to disperse protest over APEC summit
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Police officers holding shields stand guard during a protest against the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit 2022, near the Democracy Monument in Bangkok, Thailand November 18, 2022. REUTERS/Chalinee ThirasupaBANGKOK, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Thai police on Friday fired rubber bullets to disperse a protest against the APEC summit in Bangkok, a police official in charge of the event's security taskforce said. About 350 protesters had gathered and clashed with police, Ashyan Kraithong said, about 10 km (6 miles) from the venue where leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group are meeting. Youth activist Patsaravalee 'Mind' Tanakitvibulpon, who was at the demonstration, said people were protesting against the APEC summit and Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha. They are using rubber bullets on us and tried to stop us many times," he told Reuters.

☆ Geopolitics to stay in focus at APEC summit in Thailand
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] Delegates walk inside the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center where the APEC summit will be held, in Bangkok, Thailand, November 14, 2022. On the sidelines, Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to have bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida later in the day. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese are among those also attending the main meeting. Host Indonesia said the Ukraine war had been the most contentious issue at the summit in Bali. He was represented by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the G20 and First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov will stand in for him at APEC.

☆ Thai PM orders tighter gun control, drugs crackdown after mass killing
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BANGKOK, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on Monday ordered law enforcement agencies to tighten gun ownership rules and crack down on drug use following a mass killing by an ex-policeman at a daycare centre that left has the nation in shock. Thai authorities plan to recall guns from officials and police officers who have misused their firearms or have behaved aggressively on duty. Regular mental health checks will also be required for gun license applicants and holder, Police Chief Police General Damrongsak Kittprapas told reporters. Gun ownership is high in Thailand compared with some other countries in Southeast Asia. Illegal weapons, many brought in from strife-torn countries, are common.

☆ Daughter of Thailand's exiled ex-PM Thaksin leads opinion poll
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterOusted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed in a bloodless 2006 coup, poses with his daughter Paetongtarn during her graduation day at a Bangkok university July 10, 2008. REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom (THAILAND)/File PhotoBANGKOK, Sept 26 (Reuters) - The daughter of Thailand's ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup and lives in self-imposed exile, has emerged as a leading candidate for premier in a preliminary opinion poll ahead of elections due next year. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) poll surveyed 2,500 people nation-wide from Sept. 15 to 21. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, known by the nickname "Ung Ing", is an executive in the pro-Thaksin Pheu Thai party and began appearing at party rallies earlier this year. Pheu Thai topped the opinion poll as the favourite party of 34.4% of respondents, followed by "no party" at 24% and the youth-oriented opposition Move Forward party with 13.6%.

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