Prachatai English

The Constitutional Court will deliver its verdict on 28 September in a case concerning ballot barcodes in the 8 February general election, which allegedly revealed voter identities and how they voted. If it rules that the barcodes and QR codes violated the Constitution, the 8 February election could be declared void.

The Supreme Court today (26 August) ruled to uphold an Appeal Court verdict sentencing Prasong Khotsongkhram, 31, to 2 years and 12 months, or almost 3 years, in prison on a royal defamation charge filed against him over a number of Facebook posts, said Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR).

This report examines the Thai military’s operations on the digital battlefield during the two rounds of heavy fighting through web-scraped data collected from social media communications and hashtag usage. The analysis covers 6,404 posts published between July 12, 2025 and January 2026 by the official Facebook pages of the Royal Thai Army, the Royal Thai Navy, and the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters—the three military institutions that were most active during the clashes.—as well as a number of unofficial pages.

It has become clear that the Thailand-Cambodia maritime demarcation dispute will be subject to an international mechanism as Cambodia has recently invoked UN-backed compulsory conciliation in response to Thailand’s unilateral cancellation of a 25-year-old maritime MoU. Here’s all you need to know about the long-standing maritime dispute and the compulsory conciliation process.

Military conscription law in Cambodia has once again come under global media attention after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet stated that the Cabinet had approved a draft conscription law at the Peace Palace on 23 April 2026. All Cambodian citizens aged 18–25 will be required to serve in the military, while women may be recruited on a voluntary basis under the new law. A Thai activist calls it a threat to democracy.

Thailand’s gun-control measures have been under scrutiny following two deadly shootings within a week. As the government has moved to tighten control measures, the incidents highlight how the country with the highest number of privately owned firearms in Southeast Asia regulates access to guns.

The crisis over Thailand’s Senate election collusion has entered a critical phase after Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and eight other high-profile figures have threatened to file defamation lawsuits against the iLaw director for linking them and the ruling Bhumjaithai Party (BJT) to the scheme. As the legal battle intensifies, the Election Commission (EC) faces public scrutiny over whether it will refer this high-profile case for prosecution.

As Thailand prepares for its next Universal Periodic Review (UPR) before the United Nations Human Rights Council in November 2026, human rights advocates warn that the country continues to rely on legal ambiguities and weak enforcement mechanisms that leave refugees vulnerable to arbitrary detention, torture, and forced return despite existing legal safeguards.

On 11 May 2026, the physical gates of Klong Prem Central Prison opened for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. For many activists and critics of Thailand's justice system, however, his release highlighted what they see as a stark contrast between the treatment of political elites and that of pro-democracy campaigners facing lengthy prison sentences.

Royal Thai Army Chief of Staff Gen Chaiyapruek Duangprapat, did not mince words. Visiting Narathiwat the day after six Barisan Revolusi Nasional Melayu Patani (BRN) combatants gunned down five Paramilitary Rangers at close range, he warned: “Those who provide hiding places, and any country that provides hiding places, should know that we will pursue them to the ends of the earth.” He told the perpetrators to watch their backs when they eat, sleep, or walk. “The time has come for you to become the hunted.”

Two developments on opposite sides of the world, in Thailand and the United States, underscore a troubling reality: some governments continue to embrace the death penalty regardless of the global movement to abolish state-sanctioned killings.

Since the launch of its first internet connection in 1987, Thailand has significantly expanded its digital infrastructure, which now includes the rollout of a 5G network nationwide. Its public digital infrastructure now includes the Government Data Center and Cloud Service (GDCC), Digital ID platforms, e-government service portals, online tax systems, and digital welfare registration mechanisms.However, access remains difficult for many citizens, particularly in remote areas and among the elderly.

The Thai authorities should immediately take effective measures to protect the prominent members of parliament Angkhana Neelapaijit and Romadon Panjor and the human rights defender Anchana Heemmina, all of whom have been facing online death threats and attacks, Human Rights Watch said on Friday (31 July).

59 civil society organizations have signed a joint statement calling on the Thai authorities to refrain from forcibly returning Chinese journalist Bai Zhaodong to China, where he would face a risk of political persecution, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture, and other serious human rights violations.