Politics in Thailand

2024: Billionaire's 37-year-old daughter becomes Thai prime minister

In mid-August 2024, Patongtarn Shinawat, daughter of Thailand's former billionaire leader Thaksin Shinawat, won the parliamentary vote to become the country's new prime minister. Read more here.

2023: Ex-head of the country's largest development company becomes Thailand's new prime minister

On September 5, 2023, Thai Prime Minister Sretta Thavisin and members of the country's new government pledged allegiance to King Rama X (Maha Vachiralongkorn). The ceremony was held at the royal palace in Bangkok. Read more here.

2001-2012

Thaksin Shinawat headed the Thai government from 2001 to 2006, after which he was removed from power during a military coup.

In 2008, Shinawat, who returned to Thailand from abroad, was charged with corruption and abuse of power. The former premier was arrested but managed to secure bail. Then Shinawat, who attended the opening of the Beijing Olympics, did not return to his homeland, fleeing to the UK.

On June 1, 2012, opposition activists of the People's Alliance for Democracy, known as "yellow shirts," blocked the Thai parliament.

Picketers oppose the adoption of a "reconciliation law" - this document should be considered by parliament on June 1. According to the opposition, the law would effectively be an amnesty for former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawat, who fled the country in 2008.

The Yellow Shirts began the protest at around 7am local time, with other opposition activists - the so-called "multicolored shirts" - joining them closer to midday. More than a thousand people gathered near the parliament building in Bangkok.

Due to the fact that the opposition blocked the entrance to the parliament building, Speaker Somsak Kiartsuranon was forced to postpone the discussion of the bill to a later time.

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