Chairith Yonpiam
Assistant news editor
Chairith Yonpiam is assistant news editor, Bangkok Post.
MFP victory one for the history books
The phenomenal victory of the Move Forward Party (MFP) has stunned its political opponents.
Will MFP rain on Pheu Thai's parade?
Now that the final countdown to the national election has started, numerous opinion polls suggest strongly that while Pheu Thai is still in the lead, its aim for a landslide could be just a pipe dream given the sharp rise in popularity of the Move Forward Party (MFP) which over the past few weeks has gone from strength to strength.
Pheu Thai may need a risky alliance
With the election approaching, Pheu Thai has experienced a setback. Despite its massive populist scheme -- a pledge of 10,000-baht digital wallets -- a number of pre-election opinion poll results show stagnating, if not declining, support for the party while its friend-turned-foe Move Forward Party is doing better by the day.
Prayut's future increasingly unclear
As the May 14 election countdown has begun, Pheu Thai continues to take a healthy lead, with a strong chance of winning a landslide or even an avalanche -- if it gets over 310 out of 500 seats.
Next poll brings old guard new priorities
Now that the country is heading towards an election, which is to take place on May 14, it seems the dictator vs democracy dichotomy has largely faded as most political parties are forced to focus on measures to tackle economic problems in order to boost their chance of winning in the polls.
Politicians must check their promises
As political parties step up their election campaigns, with each of them rolling out a plethora of populist policies, concerns have arisen over the long-term budget burden if the poll winners translate these policies into practice.
Are the stars aligning for Pheu Thai?
As all politicians are rolling up their sleeves for the next election, it's clear Pheu Thai is in the lead. There is speculation that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will dissolve parliament next month, probably on March 15, so that the country can head to the polls scheduled for May 7 by the Election Commission (EC).
Police reform an unmitigated failure
Bribery, extortion, graft, abuse of power, a hand in illegal businesses — you name it, these are just a few of the sins committed by numerous bad cops. And quite a few of the offenders rank in the upper echelons of the police force, which is stripping public confidence and trust in the Royal Thai Police (RTP).
Prawit manoeuvres for his political life
Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon, in his capacity as leader of the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), has rebranded the ruling party from being conservative right-winged to more liberal, using reconciliation and an end to colour-coded conflict discourse as a selling point.
Clock ticks for Prayut and his new party
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha finally broke his silence over his political future when he signed up with Ruam Thai Sang Chart, known as the United Thai Nation (UTN) Party, on Monday.
