Thailand

List of Thailand articles

Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat waves to supporters during a victory parade in Bangkok.
Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat waves to supporters during a victory parade in Bangkok.

Thailand’s Military Has No Good Options

The generals could subvert last week’s opposition victory, but it would guarantee a political crisis.

Pita Limjaroenrat points up as he poses for the media.
Pita Limjaroenrat points up as he poses for the media.

Thai Vote Spells Danger for Junta and Monarchy

A landslide opposition victory signals an irrepressible urge for change.

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha stands in front of Thai and U.S. flags with a hand on his hair as he waits to meet U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris at the Government House in Bangkok, on Nov. 19, 2022.
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha stands in front of Thai and U.S. flags with a hand on his hair as he waits to meet U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris at the Government House in Bangkok, on Nov. 19, 2022.

U.S.-Thai Relations Have An Alliance Problem

Regardless of election results, Bangkok will keep leaning toward China.

A large crowd of Pheu Thai Party supporters, dressed in red, sit in chairs as they attend a rally in Bangkok on April 5. In the foreground, three smiling women wave picket signs showing photos of party candidates.
A large crowd of Pheu Thai Party supporters, dressed in red, sit in chairs as they attend a rally in Bangkok on April 5. In the foreground, three smiling women wave picket signs showing photos of party candidates.

Can Thailand’s Opposition Prevail?

Political scion Paetongtarn Shinawatra aims for a landslide victory on May 14—if the conservative establishment will accept it.

A Thai sex worker voices disapproval for being detained while waiting to be taken to the police station in Pattaya, Thailand.
A Thai sex worker voices disapproval for being detained while waiting to be taken to the police station in Pattaya, Thailand.

Thailand Is a Global Capital of (Illegal) Sex Work

The country is struggling to legalize an industry at the center of its economy but the margins of its society.

An illustration of the Thai word kuan teen
An illustration of the Thai word kuan teen

How Thai Activists Troll the Monarchy

Protesters have adopted humor and wit to critique the country’s politics.

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha gestures to U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha gestures to U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Washington Worries China Is Winning Over Thailand

One of the United States’ oldest security partners in Asia is increasingly marching to Beijing’s music.

Members of the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force run during training at their base camp in a forest in Myanmar's eastern Kayah state.
Members of the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force run during training at their base camp in a forest in Myanmar's eastern Kayah state.

Myanmar Military Carries Out Atrocities in the East, Too

A distracted international community hasn’t been watching.

Thai protesters in front of the German Embassy in Bangkok
Thai protesters in front of the German Embassy in Bangkok

Reform Is Becoming Treason in Thailand

Government courts accuse students of attempting to overthrow the monarchy.

A tear-gassed protester in Thailand
A tear-gassed protester in Thailand

Thailand’s Protests Are Turning Dangerously Violent

Brutal police responses have prompted a shift in once-peaceful movements.

A protester scolds riot police in Thailand.
A protester scolds riot police in Thailand.

As COVID-19 Spikes, Thailand Goes After the Press

The pandemic has become an excuse for expanding authoritarianism.

A wildlife keeper checks a pangolin enclosure.
A wildlife keeper checks a pangolin enclosure.

Endangered Species Are Paying the Price of COVID-19

Diminishing tourism has created new incentives for the illegal wildlife trade.

A Thai Buddhist monk gets a shot of Sinovac vaccine
A Thai Buddhist monk gets a shot of Sinovac vaccine

Southeast Asia Had COVID-19 Under Control. What Went Wrong?

Mutant viruses, rich Chinese tourists, and a military government no one trusts are among the reasons cases are surging.

Riot police in Bangkok
Riot police in Bangkok

Thailand’s Military Is Getting Ready for Another Crackdown

The Biden administration must prepare to stand up for protesters.

Rap Against Dictatorship performs during a demonstration at the October 14th Memorial in Bangkok on Aug. 27.
Rap Against Dictatorship performs during a demonstration at the October 14th Memorial in Bangkok on Aug. 27.

Rap Against Dictatorship Turns Thai Protests Into Video Hits

Facing a military-backed government, Thai protesters find musical inspiration.

U.S. President Donald Trump, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, and moderator, NBC News anchor Kristen Welker, participate in the final presidential debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, on Oct. 22.
U.S. President Donald Trump, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, and moderator, NBC News anchor Kristen Welker, participate in the final presidential debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, on Oct. 22.

Trump and Biden Are Both Touting Foreign-Policy Failures as Achievements

With the world on fire from Thailand to Nigeria, there wasn’t much talk of international affairs in the final debate of the 2020 campaign—and when there was, both candidates defended flawed approaches to North Korea.

A protester gives the three-finger salute at a rally outside Nonthaburi police station in Bangkok on Oct. 19.
A protester gives the three-finger salute at a rally outside Nonthaburi police station in Bangkok on Oct. 19.

Thai Protesters Claim a Temporary Victory

Both the government and demonstrators are borrowing tactics from Hong Kong.

Protesters attend a rally  in Bangkok on Oct 15.
Protesters attend a rally in Bangkok on Oct 15.

Thai Protesters Defy New State of Emergency

After a confrontation with the royal motorcade, the government is cracking down.

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