The politics of Thailand are conducted within the framework of a constitutional monarchy, whereby the prime minister is the head of government and a hereditary monarch is head of state. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislative branches.
The Democrat Party is a Thai political party. The oldest party in Thailand, it was founded as a royalist party; it now upholds a conservative and pro-market position.
Apirak Kosayodhin is a former Thai business executive and former governor of Bangkok. In the gubernatorial elections on August 29, 2004 he won with 40% of the votes. He was re-elected on October 6, 2008, in the gubernatorial elections with 45% of the vote, but he resigned a month later after being indicted on charges of corruption.
The People's Alliance for Democracy was a Thai reactionary, monarchist political movement and pressure group. It was originally a coalition of protesters against Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand.
General elections were held in Thailand on 23 December 2007. They were the first elections after the Council for National Security, a military junta, had overthrown Thailand's elected government and abrogated the constitution on 19 September 2006. The junta had canceled general elections scheduled for October 2006 and promised new elections within 12 months. The Constitutional Tribunal then outlawed the Thai Rak Thai party, the largest political party in Thailand, and banned TRT executives from contesting in the elections for five years. After their political party had been dissolved, the former TRT members regrouped under the band of People's Power Party (PPP) led by Samak Sundaravej, a seasoned politician. Following its formation, the junta issued a classified order to suppress the activities of the PPP and to frame it for lèse majesté. The order was leaked to the public, leading to a complaint towards the Election Commission from the PPP. However, the Election Commission dismissed the complaint on the grounds that the Council for National Security (CNS) had granted itself immunity in the 2007 Constitution of Thailand.
The seventh gubernatorial election for the city of Bangkok, Thailand was held on August 29, 2004, to determine the governor of Bangkok. The Democrat Party's candidate, Apirak Kosayodhin, won 36.86 percent of the vote. Of a total of 3,955,855 voters, 2,472,486 people voted, a turnout rate of 62.50 percent. Samak Sundaravej, the incumbent governor, did not seek to run for a second term and ran instead in the 2006 Thai Senate election.
The People's Power Party was a Thai political party. The party leader was Somchai Wongsawat, the Party Secretary General was Surapong Suebwonglee, and the Party Spokesperson was Kuthep Saikrajarng. Most MPs of the party originally hailed from the Thai Rak Thai Party and thus the party was its de facto reincarnation with former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra as its "leader." The PPP had a populist platform and was strong in the North, Central, and Northeastern regions of Thailand. The party became the leader of the coalition government after the junta-government supported 2007 general election. PAD, the leading anti-Thaksin movement, vowed to oppose it after the party decided to launch the amendment of the 2007 Constitution.
Samak Sundaravej was a Thai politician who briefly served as the Prime Minister of Thailand and Minister of Defense in 2008, as well as the leader of the People's Power Party in 2008.
Beginning in 2008, there was worsening conflict between the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and the People's Power Party (PPP) governments of Prime Ministers Samak Sundaravej and Somchai Wongsawat. It was a continuation of the 2005–2006 political crisis, when PAD protested against the Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. PAD followers usually dressed in yellow, yellow being the royal color of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, and were called "yellow shirts". National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) followers, known as supporters of the deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, dressed in red and were widely called "red shirts".
The ninth gubernatorial election for the city of Bangkok, Thailand was held on 11 January 2009. The election came about after the resignation of Apirak Kosayothin on 13 November 2008, the incumbent who was only just re-elected a little more than a month. the resignation stemmed from an indictment by the National Counter Corruption Commission or NCCC, in which Apirak was indicted for the controversial 6.6 billion Baht fire-engine procurement contract. The former Prime Minister and former Bangkok Governor Samak Sundaravej was also found guilty in the same verdict. On 13 November Apirak announced his resignation saying: "Like the Democrat Party, I support a move that will perpetuate politics-for-people" at the same time maintaining his innocence and stating that his resignation should become an example of a change in Thai politics, his resignation triggered an automatic by-election. By the end of the 11 January 2009, Sukhumband was declared the winner of the race, becoming the 15th Governor of Bangkok.
The Friends of Newin Group was a faction of MPs in the People's Power Party led by Newin Chidchob, former Thai Rak Thai cabinet minister, in the House of Representatives of Thailand. After the 2008 political crisis and Constitutional Court decision, these MPs defected from the People's Power Party (PPP) to the Bhumjai Thai Party.
Chalerm Yubamrung is a Thai politician. He was a Member of Parliament representing the Pheu Thai Party, and was one of the Deputy Prime Ministers of Yingluck Shinawatra from 2011 to 2013. His past political appointments include floor leader of the Pheu Thai Party, brief terms as Health Minister under Somchai Wongsawat, Interior Minister under Samak Sundaravej, Justice Minister under Banharn Silpa-archa, and Leader of the Opposition from 2009 to 2011.
Early general elections were held in Thailand on Sunday, 2 February 2014, after Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra asked King Bhumibol Adulyadej to dissolve parliament more than a year early owing to Thailand's political crisis. Voters elected a new House of Representatives, the lower house of the National Assembly. Voting was disrupted in 69 of 375 constituencies by the opposition that had called for a boycott. This made a re-run in several stages necessary, depending on the security situation in the affected districts. The first re-run date was on 2 March. Results were expected to be announced after voting had taken place in all parts of the country.
The history of Thailand since 2001 has been dominated by the politics surrounding the rise and fall from power of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and subsequent conflicts, first between his supporters and opponents, then over the rising military influence in politics. Thaksin and his Thai Rak Thai Party came to power in 2001 and became very popular among the electorate, especially rural voters. Opponents, however, criticized his authoritarian style and accused him of corruption. Thaksin was deposed in a coup d'état in 2006, and Thailand became embroiled in continuing rounds of political crisis involving elections won by Thaksin's supporters, massive anti-government protests by multiple factions, removals of prime ministers and disbanding of political parties by the judiciary, and two military coups.
The year 2008 was the 227th year of the Rattanakosin Kingdom of Thailand. It was the 63rd year in the reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, and is reckoned as year 2551 in the Buddhist Era. Much of the year was spent under the 2008 Thai political crisis, which saw political protests leading to the dissolution of the ruling People's Power Party by the Constitutional Court.
General elections were held in Thailand on 14 May 2023 to elect 500 members of the House of Representatives. The Move Forward Party, led by Pita Limjaroenrat, surprised analysts by winning the most seats, followed by fellow opposition party Pheu Thai who had won the most seats in the 2011 and 2019 elections. Turnout was a record 75.22%.
Chadchart Sittipunt is a Thai politician, engineer, and professor who is the incumbent Governor of Bangkok. He previously was Minister of Transport from 2012 to 2014.
Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn is a Thai politician who has served as a party-list member of Thai House of Representatives since 2019. He was also the Move Forward Party's candidate for the Bangkok gubernatorial election in 2022. He also served as the former spokesperson of the Move Forward Party.
Following is a list of events and scheduled events in the year 2023 in Thailand. The year 2023 is reckoned as the year 2566 in Buddhist Era, the Thai calendar.
Thammanoon Thien-ngern was a Thai politician who served as the 5th appointed and 1st elected governor of Bangkok from 1975 to 1977. His governorship, which was one year and 262 days, was the shortest time of any elected governor. He was the uncle of the 25th Prime-minister of Thailand, Samak Sundaravej.
