Chairith Yonpiam
Assistant news editor
Chairith Yonpiam is assistant news editor, Bangkok Post.
Sweeping powers may be PM's undoing
If Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha cannot curb the latest domestic wave of Covid-19 quickly, public confidence in his administration could wane to the point of crisis.
Officials must boost public trust in jabs
A delay in the Covid-19 vaccine purchase plan has unforgivably crippled Thailand's efforts in handling the third wave of coronavirus outbreak that hit the country early this month.
Saksayam must come clean on Covid
It appears the third wave of Covid-19 in Thailand, with top entertainment venues in the Thong Lor area as its epicentre, is more severe than the previous two rounds. Virologists have detected the UK strain of the virus, which spreads 1.7 times faster than the variants this country has previously coped with. This is alarming.
Referendum bill delay a perilous game
As the charter amendment bill was shot down in parliament earlier this month, it is apparent that the process -- a crucial factor for national reconciliation -- will not be completed during the tenure of the Prayut Chan-o-cha government. The failure of the amendment push came as no surprise as it was the aspiration of Meechai Ruchupan, the head of the charter drafting committee, to make changes an uphill task.
Charter change must get back on track
The terse and vague ruling by the Constitutional Court over the legality of the charter amendment process has given an opportunity for the Prayut Chan-o-cha government and the Senate to interpret it in a way that fits their hidden agenda, extending the process further.
PDRC jailings reveal Ratsadorn's fate
On the one hand, the Criminal Court's verdict on Wednesday, which threw core figures of the now-defunct People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) in jail for their role in the 2013-2014 protests, means a cabinet reshuffle is on the way. Particularly for the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), the ruling is a political windfall for the faction led by Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon who can now tighten his grip on the ruling party.
In our politics, time really can stand still
A number of political developments, ie the waning pro-reform movement and the major loss of the Move Forward Party in local elections, may have given the Prayut Chan-o-cha government and the Palang Pracharath Party such a false sense of confidence that they feel they can now move to delay the process of rewriting the constitution.
How this censure might differ from last
All eyes are on opposition parties as another motion of no-confidence in the government draws near. The debate, tentatively scheduled for Feb 16-19, will be a test to see whether the bloc can make a difference, unlike in the previous attempt.
PM's words ring hollow over scandals
Scandals involving gambling dens and migrant labour smuggling, which have been blamed for the latest coronavirus outbreak, are a test of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's leadership.
Maybe pause for reflection is needed?
The temporary break in the political rallies announced by firebrand protest leader Parit "Penguin" Chiwarak may give the impression that the pro-reform Khana Ratsadon movement is waning.
