Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD

Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD

Get unlimited access to 10,000+ magazines, newspapers and Premium stories for just

$149.99
 
$74.99/Year

Try GOLD - Free

Bad for democracy

Bangkok Post

|

September 04, 2025

House dissolution is meant to be a democratic coup de grace — a final option when governments can no longer govern and lawmakers cannot form a new coalition or find a leader to continue running the country.

Once the House is dissolved, the nation must quickly hold a new general election.

Since 1938, Thai governments have dissolved the House 14 times. Ten of these came after defeats in parliamentary votes or budget bills. Three followed mass political uprisings.

The most recent was on March 20, 2023, when former prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha dissolved the House, giving MPs time to switch parties before his cabinet’s tenure expired.

This week's dissolution, initiated by the Pheu Thai Party, is different. It is less about national interest and more about political survival.

MORE STORIES FROM Bangkok Post

Bangkok Post

Bangkok Post

Golf legend Ballesteros' missing statue found chopped in pieces

A statue of the late golfer Seve Ballesteros, which had vanished from his hometown of Pedrena in northern Spain’s Cantabria region, was found chopped into pieces as the alleged thief prepared to sell it for its bronze, police said on Friday.

time to read

1 min

February 01, 2026

Bangkok Post

Bangkok Post

MYANMAR MONK BACKS VOTE

WIRATHU HOPES THE MILITARY, EMBOLDENED BY THE POLL, WILL HELP PROMOTE HIS HARDLINE BUDDHIST NATIONALISM

time to read

3 mins

February 01, 2026

Bangkok Post

Bangkok Post

Djokovic and Alcaraz on the verge of historic feat

History is on the line in the Australian Open men's final today with tennis gladiators Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz each vowing no surrender.

time to read

2 mins

February 01, 2026

Bangkok Post

Bangkok Post

Venezuela pushes for mass amnesty

Venezuela's acting president announced on Friday a proposal for mass amnesty in the country, in her latest major reform since the US toppling of Nicolas Maduro just weeks ago.

time to read

1 min

February 01, 2026

Bangkok Post

Bangkok Post

Jokic lifts Nuggets over Clippers in injury return, Doncic stars in Lakers' win

Denver superstar Nikola Jokic returned from a 16-game injury absence to post a 31-point, 12-rebound double-double on Friday and propel the Nuggets to a 122-109 NBA victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

time to read

2 mins

February 01, 2026

Bangkok Post

Progressives under fire over SSO board plan

>>The Progressive Social Security group has come under renewed scrutiny after members of the People's Party (PP) denied backing a policy that would allow migrants to sit on the Social Security Office (SSO) board, despite evidence suggesting the proposal had previously featured in the group's campaign platform.

time to read

1 min

February 01, 2026

Bangkok Post

Hedgehoppers in search of good news

Being the very first day of February it would have been nice if there was some good news worth celebrating, but unfortunately nothing immediately springs to mind.

time to read

3 mins

February 01, 2026

Bangkok Post

Little Women musical premieres in London after three-decade wait

Decades after three Californian youth theatre students decided to write a musical based on Louisa May Alcott’s coming-of-age classic Little Women, they have achieved a sellout world premiere at London’s Theatre Royal.

time to read

1 mins

February 01, 2026

Bangkok Post

Bangkok Post

Potus cheers Canada oil hub's separatist bid

On a frigid night in Canada's oil capital, Jordan Fritz joined a rally of thousands for a separatist movement once considered a sideshow, but which is now drawing interest from US President Donald Trump's administration.

time to read

3 mins

February 01, 2026

Bangkok Post

Jabs against pneumococcus seen as 'sound investment'

>>Thailand's leading paediatric organisations have urged the National Health Security Office (NHSO) to include the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in the universal health care scheme, saying protection against severe but preventable childhood diseases is a sound public investment.

time to read

1 mins

February 01, 2026

Listen

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size