Focus on the BIG picture.
Tuesday, Aug 11, 2026

A summary of the latest 10 most important news from Thailand, May 15, 2023

Thai opposition crushes military parties in election; UTN thanks Southern voters for poll support; Polish man arrested for murder of Ukrainian girlfriend; Singapore eases egg-freezing rules as births hit record low; 'Dark horse' wins 2 seats in Ubon Ratchathani; Cambodia poll body disqualifies sole opposition party from July election; Baht gains as Move Forward leads vote, tycoon-linked stocks drop; Senators want pro-monarchy Prime Minister; Thai economy grows 2.7% in first quarter; World Bank cuts Thailand's growth forecast.


1. Thai opposition crushes military parties in election.

The opposition Pheu Thai Party and its allies won a landslide victory in Thailand's general election, ousting the ruling Palang Pracharath Party. Pheu Thai won 258 seats in the 500-seat House of Representatives, while Palang Pracharath won only 92 seats. The results are a major setback for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who came to power in a 2014 coup.

2. UTN thanks Southern voters for poll support.

The United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), or "Red Shirts," won 12 seats in the election, all of them in the southern provinces. The UDD is a populist movement that has been critical of the military government. In a statement, UDD leader Jatuporn Promphan thanked voters in the south for their support.

3. Polish man arrested for murder of Ukrainian girlfriend.

A Polish man has been arrested in Thailand for the murder of his Ukrainian girlfriend. The man, who has not been named, allegedly strangled his girlfriend to death in their hotel room in Bangkok. The body was found by hotel staff on May 14.

4. Singapore eases egg-freezing rules as births hit record low.

Singapore has eased its rules on egg freezing, in a move to help women who want to delay having children. The new rules allow women to freeze their eggs up to the age of 45, and to store them for up to 10 years. The move comes as Singapore's birth rate has hit a record low.

5. 'Dark horse' wins 2 seats in Ubon Ratchathani.

An independent candidate has won two seats in the Thai election, in a surprise upset. The candidate, who has not been named, is a former soldier who ran on a platform of anti-corruption and reform. His victory is seen as a sign of growing public dissatisfaction with the political establishment.

6. Cambodia poll body disqualifies sole opposition party from July election.

The Cambodian National Election Committee has disqualified the sole opposition party from the July 2023 election. The Committee said that the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) had failed to meet the requirements for registration. The CNRP has accused the government of rigging the election.

7. Baht gains as Move Forward leads vote, tycoon-linked stocks drop.

The Thai baht has gained against the US dollar after the opposition Move Forward Party led the vote in the general election. The baht was trading at 33.60 to the dollar on May 15, up from 33.70 on May 14. Shares of tycoon-linked companies have fallen in the wake of the election results.

8. Senators want pro-monarchy Prime Minister.

A group of senators has called for a pro-monarchy prime minister to be appointed after the general election. The senators said that the next prime minister should be someone who will "uphold the monarchy and the constitution." The call comes amid concerns about the future of the monarchy after the election results.

9. Thai economy grows 2.7% in first quarter.

Thailand's economy grew 2.7% in the first quarter of 2023, up from 1.8% in the fourth quarter of 2022. The growth was driven by strong exports and tourism. The government is forecasting growth of 3.5% for the full year.

10. World Bank cuts Thailand's growth forecast.

The World Bank has cut its growth forecast for Thailand in 2023 to 3.2%, from 3.8% previously. The Bank said that the cut was due to the war in Ukraine and the rising cost of living. The Bank also warned that Thailand's economy could be hit by a slowdown in China.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US House Leaves Washington for August Recess With Major Funding Bills Unfinished
Oil Prices Rise Above $84 as Iran Links Strait of Hormuz Reopening to Sanctions Relief
Trump Administration Imposes New Tariffs on Polysilicon Imports
Trump Appoints Will Scharf as White House Counsel Ahead of Expected Legal Battles
US Unveils Multi-Billion-Dollar Investment Package to Expand Domestic Mining
Netanyahu Rejects White House Gaza Peace Framework as Hamas Backs Second Phase
Senate Passes Russia and Iran Sanctions Bill With Tariff Powers of Up to 100%
US Central Command Escalates Naval Blockade of Iran as Strait of Hormuz Dispute Deepens
Federal Reserve Independence Faces Renewed Pressure as White House Targets Governor Lisa Cook
Trump Administration Moves to Restrict Birthright Citizenship and Ban Birth Tourism
VA Watchdog Finds 142,000 Veterans With Positive Brain Injury Screens Missed Required Follow-Up
Federal Appeals Court Halts $400 Million National Capital Building Project Over Congressional Authorization
US Immigration Agency Orders Body Cameras for All Field Officers by End of August
US Central Command Expands Blockade Enforcement Against Iran as Oil Prices Rise
Israel Rejects Trump Administration Gaza Peace Framework as Disagreements Deepen
US Senate Passes Russia and Iran Sanctions Bill With Tariff Powers of Up to 100%
Trump Administration Names Will Scharf as White House Counsel Ahead of Congressional Investigations
U.S. Naval Blockade of Iran Drives Oil Prices Higher as Tehran Demands Concessions
Netanyahu Rejects U.S. Gaza Roadmap as Hamas Reaffirms Support for Second Ceasefire Phase
Houthi Attacks Kill Seven in Yemen as Group Claims Strike on Saudi Aramco Refinery
Ukrainian Drone Strike on Russian Oil Facilities in Tatarstan Kills 12
U.S. Jobs Report Shows Unexpected Employment Contraction, Boosting Rate-Cut Expectations
Typhoon Dolphin Forces More Than One Million Evacuations Across Eastern China
North Korea-Linked Hackers Turn to Artificial Intelligence to Accelerate Cyberattacks
Russia’s A7 Builds a State-Linked Payments Network Beyond Western Sanctions
Netanyahu Rejects US-Backed Gaza Peace Plan as Israel Demands Hamas Disarmament
US Senate Confirms Todd Blanche as Attorney General in Polarized Vote
TSMC Raises US Investment Commitment to Two Hundred Sixty-Five Billion Dollars
Google Reorganizes Artificial Intelligence Division as DeepMind Leadership Changes
Trump Pauses Iran Strikes as Washington and Tehran Explore Talks Over Strait of Hormuz
Trump Issues New Birthright Citizenship Orders After Supreme Court Rejects Earlier Attempt
S&P 500 Hits Record High as Weak Jobs Data Boosts September Fed Rate-Cut Bets
Hyper-Realistic Reborn Dolls Draw Collectors Seeking Comfort and Craft
Abdul El-Sayed Wins Michigan Democratic Senate Primary in Test of Party’s Progressive Wing
Trump Campaigns in California and Nevada to Support Vulnerable Republican House Candidates
Federal Judge Upholds End of Temporary Protected Status for South Sudanese Migrants
Federal Judge Orders Pentagon to Resume National Security Reviews of Wind Projects
Trump Administration Presses Congress to Ban Nationwide Mail-In Voting Ahead of Midterms
Senior Senate Democrats Prepare for AI-Driven Election Disruption and Federal Intervention Scenarios
Trump Renews Effort to Remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook in Fight Over Central Bank Independence
Senate Republicans Seek Defense Spending Deal as Interest Costs Complicate Reconciliation Plans
US Trade Representative Prepares Targeted Tariffs on Sixty Economies to Replace Global Baseline Duties
Trump Calls Off Planned Iran Strikes as Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan Agree on Mutual Defense Pact
Federal Appeals Court Blocks Construction of Trump’s Four Hundred Million Dollar White House Ballroom
Trump Administration Imposes Fifteen Percent Tariff on Polysilicon Imports to Protect Strategic Supply Chains
Senate Narrowly Confirms Todd Blanche as Attorney General After Bitter Justice Department Battle
Gen Z Cuts Back on Dating as a Night Out Nears $200
Cyprus Plans to Begin Natural Gas Deliveries to European Markets by 2028
Syria to Take Civilian Control of Key Russian Military Bases on Mediterranean Coast
Iran Demands Full United States Naval Withdrawal Before Reopening Strait of Hormuz
×