Crisis Chronology

THAILAND

08/21/2023

Pheu Thai creates coalition of ten parties, including two allied with the military, to nominate a prime minister, Sretta Thavisin, a wealthy real estate owner. Thaksin Shinawatra said to be returning after a fifteen-year self-imposed exile.

08/03/2023

Parliament postpones a vote for the next prime minister because the Constitutional Court is reviewing parliament’s refusal to allow the Move Forward Party to form a government even though it won the most votes in the election 5/14. The court said it needs more time to review the case and will consider it on 8/16. The alliance controlled 312 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives but was unable to form a government because of resistance from conservative opponents and the 250 members of a Senate appointed during military rule.

07/18/2023

Constitutional Court suspends Pita from parliament pending its ruling on whether he broke election law.

07/13/2023

Limjaroenrat fails to gain enough votes in parliament to become prime minister.

07/12/2023

Outgoing foreign minister Don Pramudwinai travels to Myanmar in secret, holding a meeting with internationally ostracized coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and visiting jailed elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, just days before a regional summit focused on the turmoil in the country.

07/12/2023

Thailand’s electoral authority has asked the country’s Constitutional Court to disqualify Pita Limjaroenrat of the Move Forward Party, a day before Thailand’s bicameral parliament is scheduled to vote on the 42-year-old businessman’s bid to become the next prime minister of the country. Pita has the backing of eight parties in an alliance seeking to form a new government. The commission has been investigating whether Pita was unfit to register as a parliamentary candidate and was aware of it because of his ownership of shares in a media firm, which is prohibited under election rules. Pita argues that the shares in the firm, iTV, have since been transferred and the company was not an active media organization. He faces disqualification, up to 10 years in jail and a 20-year ban from politics if found to have broken the rules.

05/14/2023

In early results of legislative elections, the Move Forward Party wins the largest share of votes and about 150 seats. The Pheu Thai party is at about 140 seats of 500 seats in the lower house. Pheu Thai says it has agreed to join Move Forward and four smaller opposition parties in a coalition that would have more than 60% of seats in the new parliament.

05/10/2023

In campaign for elections on 5/14, the Peu Thai Party, led by Paetongtarn Shinawatra (known as Ung Ing), seems likely to remain the most popular, but it faces a challenge, even in its strongholds in the north, from the progressive Move Forward Party, led by Pita Limjaroenrat.

04/04/2023

Former president Donald Trump is indicted on 34 felony counts of financial fraud in New York State. The New York District attorney asserts that some of the fraudulent statements were an attempt to affect the outcome of the 2016 election, which is also a felony in New York.

03/20/2023

King Vajiralongkorn has endorsed a decree to dissolve parliament. Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam says elections would likely be held on May 14. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter Of Yingluck Shinawatra and niece of Thaksin Shinawatra, is the frontrunner in polls, with 38.2 %. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha polled in third place with 15.65 percent. The military government manipulated parliament to prevent a Shinawatra return, appointing 250 senators believed to remain loyal to the military government. Under the military-drafted constitution, however, the senators can still vote one more time on the choice of the next prime minister. With their support, the two generals could still form a government even if Pheu Thai does win a majority. But the senators cannot vote for laws or budgets, and any administration which depends on their backing cannot function. If Pheu Thai gets more than 200 out of the 500 seats being contested, it will be difficult or even impossible to exclude them from the next government.

01/27/2023

Increasing intensity in runup to the 5/23 election. Thaksin Shinawatra’s daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra is far ahead of the current prime minister Chan-Ocha in polls, but the military’s hatred of the elder Shinawatra generates suspicion that the army might again step in if Paetontarn wins an election.

11/18/2022

Anti-monarchy movement losing support as authorities crack down and public interest wanes.

08/24/2022

The Constitutional Court of Thailand temporarily suspends Prayut Chan-o-cha's premiership due to a case filed by Pheu Thai Party lawmakers over whether the eight-year term limit for premiership should also include Prayut's time as the leader of National Council for Peace and Order. Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan will take over while the case is being heard.

04/24/2022

Pheu Thai party congress. The leader of the party, Chonlanan Srikaew, says the party must win at least 250 seats to form a government. Under the current Constitution, there are 500 House seats, divided into 400 constituency seats and 100 party-list seats and 250 Senate seats. To be able to form a government, the winning party must have at least 376 seats, which means it must have the support of the senators. A landslide victory is necessary so that the party can amend the constitution to remove this restriction. A new election is expected to be called after the Pan-Asia conference in May. The opposition parties are mounting yet another attempt to censure Chan-Ocha, by June. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the youngest daughter of deposed former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra and a party official, gained significant attention, since she is said to be considering running for prime minister. If she should win, most believe that Thaksin would be the de facto head of the country. The Pheu Thai party is the third iteration of the Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai Party, which was dissolved in 2007 over electoral law violations. It regrouped briefly as the People's Power Party before becoming Pheu Thai.

10/31/2021

Substantial protests in Bangkok calling for reform of the government, especially the law that criminalizes criticism of the king.

08/09/2021

Protests continue. Police respond with water cannon and rubber bullets.

08/07/2021

Violent clashes between anti-government protestors and security forces. The protestors are demanding Chan-Ocha’s resignation and the redirection of money for the monarchy and the military to the fight against COVID-19. A surge in cases of the virus in recent weeks has stimulated the protests.

02/20/2021

Chan-Ocha survives second no-confidence vote over his handling of the economy and the COVID-19 pandemic.

02/01/2021

Weeks of arrests of democracy advocates violations of the lèse majesté law that imposes severe sentences for insulting the royal family. Thanathorn Jungroongruangkit is accused of multiple violations as have hundreds of others.

12/20/2020

First local elections since 2014. There is a surge in COVID-19 cases and some student protests.

11/19/2020

Two different structures for constitutional reform committee are passed. One would have all members elected, the other a mix of elected and appointed members.

11/18/2020

Voting on constitutional reforms relating to the government. None involved changes to the constitution. Most legislators either abstained or voted against the changes.

11/17/2020

Continued protests, but police fire water cannons at protestors and there are fights between supporters of the royal family and the protestors. Legislators are debating constitutional reforms.

11/15/2020

Fifteen Asia-Pacific nations sign the world's largest free-trade agreement, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership in Vietnam. It replaces the Trans-Pacific Partnership, from which the US withdrew the United States in early 2017. The countries are: Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.

10/26/2020

Special session of parliament convened to discuss protests.

10/25/2020

Protests continue.

10/22/2020

Government rescinds state of emergency but protests continue.

10/15/2020

Government declares an emergency and cracks down on protests.

09/23/2020

A special session of parliament convenes to discuss changes to the constitution. Protestors reject any change that would leave the power of the king intact. Royalist protestors march to object to any change to the monarchy.

09/20/2020

Massive demonstrations advocating democracy. The protestors are demanding the constitution be changed in a nationwide referendum to reduce the power of the king, an extraordinary request in Thailand.

08/16/2020

More than ten thousand protest demanding the government’s resignation and a restriction of royal power.

08/04/2020

Protests about demands to reform the constitution, dissolution of parliament, new elections and a reform of the monarchy grow.

02/21/2020

Constitutional court orders that the Future Forward Party be disbanded and imposes a ten-year ban on electoral office by its executive board members, because it violated an election law by accepting a contribution from its leader.

01/21/2020

Constitutional court rules that the Future Forward Party did not attempt to overthrow the government. There are other court cases pending against the party.

01/12/2020

Large protest against government in the “Run against Dictatorship,” where many held up the three-finger salute of The Hunger Games.

12/14/2019

Largest demonstrations since the coup protests the banning of the Future Forward party, created by Thanathorn Juangroongruangki. The police do not attempt to stop the protest. The election commission has asked the Constitutional Court to outlaw the party because it accepted loans from Juangroongruangkhi. Last month the Constitutional Court found him guilty of holding shares in a media company on the date he registered to run in the parliamentary election, which makes his election invalid. He has disputed the ruling.

11/06/2019

With government cracking down on his party, Sam Rainsy says he will return home, where he faces arrest. However, Thai PM Prayuth Chan-ocha, citing the ASEAN agreement, says he will not allow Rainsy to enter the country in transit to Cambodia. Two other opposition members were arrested in Malaysia, but the Malaysian government withdrew an order to deport them to Cambodia after an appeal.

11/06/2019

Fifteen village security police are killed in the south. The Malay-Muslim separatist group Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) is suspected.

11/05/2019

Very strong baht may force the Bank of Thailand to cut interest rates, as the economy slows and inflation stays low.

10/31/2019

More courtiers are dismissed for “evil conduct,” as the king consolidates power.

10/21/2019

King strips consort Sineenat Bilaskalayani of her titles and military rank for trying to replace the queen, and other disrespectful behavior.

07/31/2019

Six explosions across Bangkok as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attends a security conference.

06/05/2019

Chan-Ocha elected prime minister

Chan-Ocha is elected prime minister with the unanimous support of the Senate. There are charges of substantia bribes offered to members of the House of Representatives if they support Chan-Ocha. The democracy movement nominated Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, leader of the Future Forward Party, who was elected to parliament but was suspended from his seat by the Constitutional Court.

05/28/2019

The court decision on Juangroongruangkit is delayed for a second time and is now expected to be issued by 6/28.

05/22/2019

Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, leader of the Future Forward Party, is barred from taking his seat in the House of Representatives by the Constitutional Court because his holding in a media company would violate an election law. Juangroongruangkit says he transferred his shares to his mother in January.

05/09/2019

Palang Pracharat party discussing coalition with other parties with the aim of retaining military chief Chan-Ocha as prime minister. Palang Pracharat has 115 of the 126 seats needed to form a government and is talking with the centrist Democrat Party (52 seats) and the Bhumjaithai party (51 seats), the generally populist party led by Newin Chidchob that advocates legalization of marijuana.

03/28/2019

Election commission publishes final vote count, giving Palang Pracha Rath 8.4 million votes and Pheu Thai 7.9 million. However, no official winner is announced and there are problems with the consistency of the results. Final results are due 5/9.

03/27/2019

Seven opposition parties form an alliance, claiming victory in the lower house voting and demanding to be allowed to form a government. However, the military majority in the Senate will prevent the group from electing a prime minister. Final results of the voting are not yet available.

03/25/2019

Pro-military Pralang Pracharat party takes lead in further results with 7.6 million votes, which may not be enough for a majority. Pheu Thai wins 7.2 million votes. Official results are due 4/1.

03/25/2019

Election results delayed as both major parties claim the right to form a governing coalition. Thaksin Shinawatra writes that there were irregularities in the voting. Some observers agree.

03/24/2019

Election for House of Representatives. In early results, votes are surprisingly close between the military-backed party and Pheu Thai. Future Forward is third.

03/17/2019

3/17/19. Elections for legislature, the first under the new constitution. In the lower house, 350 candidates will be elected directly and another 150 based on party voting. The 250-seat upper house will be appointed by the military. The major parties are the pro-military Palang Pracharat and the opposition parties Pheu Thai, whose PM candidate is Sudarat Keyuraphan, and Future Forward, a new party led by wealthy businessman Thanthorn Juangroongruangkit, who faces charges for criticizing the military. Pheu Thai’s strength is in rural areas.

02/11/2019

Court rules that the princess’s candidacy is illegal because the monarchy must remain above politics. The princess had previously rescinded her candidacy, but by election law, her name must remain on the ballot unless the Election Commission removes it.

02/08/2019

Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Barnavadi, the sister of Thailand's current King Maha Vajiralongkorn, announces her candidacy Friday for prime minister with the Thai Raksa Chart Party, allied with the Shinawatras, in the upcoming elections on 3/24. Thai Raksa has in the past been seen as insufficiently loyal to the monarchy, so the move would strengthen the party overall. There are hopes that this election will end military rule. No member of royalty has run for office before, and the king criticizes the move. Paiboon Nititawan, leader of the People's Reform Party, allied with the military junta, says the candidacy may be against the law, which prohibits political parties from using the monarchy for campaigning.

01/16/2019

Election officials quoted as saying that election will have to be delayed from the 2/24 date, probably until March. The military has said the February date clashes with preparation for the coronation of the kind in May.

12/17/2018

Government says it will allow Thai political parties to campaign in general election 11/18.

12/11/2018

Military government announces elections on 2/24/19 and allows political parties to campaign for offices.

12/11/2018

Fourteen of the 92 legislators who signed the impeachment motion take their names off the list, and the motion fails.

01/25/2018

Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand agree to share information about terrorism, an unusual sign of mutual cooperation, in a program named “Our Eyes.”

11/21/2017

Government seeking to prosecute Thaksin Shinawatra in absentia for graft in his telecom company. Previous suits had to be suspended while he was in exile, but a law passed in 9/17 allows politicians to be prosecuted even when not in the country.

10/10/2017

PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says that elections will be held in late 2018.

09/27/2017

Yingluck Shinawatra is sentenced to five years in prison and barred from political life by the Thai Supreme Court. She is in exile, perhaps in Dubai, where her brother and former PM Thaksin Shinawatra owns a home. If she fails to appeal the sentence within thirty days, her exile could become permanent until she turns herself in.

08/31/2017

Court dismisses charges against former PM Abhisit about deaths during crackdown on protests in early 2010.

08/25/2017

Yingluck Shinawatra reported to have left Thailand ahead of a court verdict.

07/21/2017

Court sets 8/25 for verdict on Yingluck Shinawatra corruption case.

07/17/2017

Thai king is given full control of the agency that manages the crown’s properties.

07/04/2017

Government suspends new labor law regulating foreign workers intended to fight human trafficking after tens of thousands flee the country.

04/06/2017

King Vajiralongkorn endorses new constitution, which will initiate new elections in 8/2018 or 9/2018. The upper house will be appointed by the ruling junta and elect the prime minister.

03/28/2017

Thai military government proposes bill that would give it more control over Buddhist governing body, the Sangha Supreme Council. The king had already been given the power to pick the chief monk, and the Buddhist establishment has been accused of corruption and embezzlement.

03/16/2017

Government again delays elections, to perhaps the second half of 2018.

03/02/2017

Despite government talks with some groups, rebels continue fighting in southern Thailand.