February 10, 2026 Economic News Capital Markets in Thailand welcomed the political stability with heavy buying from foreign investors and with heavy trading value on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) reaching 103 billion Baht. SET Index crossed the 1,400 points and foreign investors were net buyers of 16.54 billion Baht, one of the highest net buying by foreign investors in a single day in many years.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has unanimously ruled that 44 former Move Forward Party (MFP) MPs committed a serious violation of ethical standards over their joint proposal to amend Section 112 of the Criminal Code, Thailand’s lèse-majesté law, and has referred the case to the Supreme Court, where lifetime political bans are among the possible penalties. NACC Secretary-General and spokesperson Surapong Intharathaworn said the commission found sufficient grounds to proceed against all 44 former lawmakers, led by former party leader Pita Limjaroenrat, for proposing draft legislation that it said conflicted with the Constitution and violated ethical standards under Section 219 of the Constitution and Section 28(1) of the 2018 Organic Act on Anti-Corruption.

Warning that Thailand risks economic growth of below 2% in 2026 amid weak domestic purchasing power, high debt and mounting global uncertainty, business groups and exporters are urging the incoming government to urgently prioritise economic recovery, cost-of-living relief and policy continuity, while delivering clear, data-driven and consistent policies. The private sector said the new administration does not need to be “perfect,” but must listen to the real economy, move quickly to restore confidence, and address structural weaknesses undermining competitiveness and investment.

February 9, 2026 Political News Election Surprise Bhumjai Thai party, led by caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, has seen a surprise victory and as of this morning with nearly 93% of the votes counted, Bhumjai Thai party was set to get 194 seats in the newly elected parliament. Another surprise was the rise of Kla Tham party which has managed to get up to 57 MPs with 55 of them being constituency MP.

The Bhumjaithai Party has won Thailand’s 2026 general election, clearing the way for party leader Anutin Charnvirakul to become the country’s 33rd prime minister, as voters also delivered a strong mandate to rewrite the 2017 junta-drafted constitution in a nationwide referendum. With around 89% of ballots counted, unofficial results showed Bhumjaithai securing approximately 200 of the 500 seats in total, making it the largest party in the House of Representatives but still short of the 251 seats required to form a government on its own.

The People’s Party on Sunday conceded it was heading for defeat, as early unofficial results showed Bhumjaithai taking a commanding lead in the general election. After 31% of ballots had been counted, unofficial results posted on the Election Commission’s website at 8:49 p.m. showed Bhumjaithai leading the constituency races with 178 seats, followed by the People’s Party with 70 and Pheu Thai with 67.

If the phrase “junta-drafted constitution” is not reason enough for you to vote “yes” to rewriting the 2017 Constitution when you enter the polling station tomorrow, here are several others. A constitution is the supreme law of the country. If that law is distorted, nothing built upon it can be fair. Thailand’s current constitution is exactly that—distorted. The 2017 charter is a direct legacy of the 2014 military coup.

As the general election approaches on Friday, here are key facts and figures to help paint a clearer picture ahead of voting, along with the Thailand Development Research Institute’s (TDRI) assessment of policy proposals from the three major parties: the People’s Party, Pheu Thai Party, and Bhumjaithai Party. Key statistics Eligible voters nationwide: 52.92 million - (25.28 million men and 27.64 million women)

International human rights organizations have warned that Thailand’s human rights framework continues to suffer from a widening gap between constitutional guarantees and lived reality. In its latest assessment, Human Rights Watch (HRW) cautioned that Thailand’s human rights challenges are no longer isolated incidents but systemic features of governance. HRW describes a persistent disconnect between rights enshrined in law and their real-world application, driven by expansive security legislation, weak accountability mechanisms, and selective enforcement.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Thailand’s human rights situation continued to decline in 2025 amid political instability, entrenched repression, and a lack of accountability. In its World Report 2026, released this week, HRW said efforts to strengthen democratic governance after years of military rule were disrupted by renewed political turmoil and weak political will to address past and ongoing violations.

Former Transport Minister and Pheu Thai prime ministerial candidate Suriya Jungrungreangkit defended his purchase of a Gulfstream G550 private jet, insisting the transaction was lawful and rejecting allegations that the aircraft was used for election-related activities. Suriya said he bought the aircraft from Benjamin Mauerberger, also known as Ben Smith, after learning the jet was being offered for sale, leading to a deal in early August 2024.

February 6, 2026 Political News Today is the final rally for most political parties, with each holding their main rallies at various venues around Bangkok. People’s Party The party will hold its rally at Thai Japanese Youth Center in Din Daeng under the concept “The People Change the Country,” led by party leader Natthapong Ruengpanyawut and the party’s key figures. Meanwhile The ‘orange parade caravan’ of the People's Party, led by Thanathorn, will arrive to showcase their vehicles.

The Pheu Thai Party on Wednesday filed a formal complaint with the Election Commission (EC), seeking an investigation into a leaked audio recording that it says violated election law and damaged its campaign in Kanchanaburi province ahead of the Feb. 8 general election. Norrawit Larlaeng, a Pheu Thai party-list MP candidate, submitted the petition to the EC on Feb. 5 following a press conference at party headquarters earlier that morning, where senior party figures and individuals involved in the recording publicly addressed the controversy.

Thailand’s headline inflation fell 0.66% year-on-year in January 2026, while the Commerce Ministry maintained its full-year 2026 inflation forecast at 0.0–1.0%, with a midpoint of 0.5%, citing lower energy prices and ongoing cost-of-living measures. The headline Consumer Price Index (CPI) stood at 99.91 in January 2026, down from 100.57 in January 2025, according to Nattiya Sujinda, deputy director-general of the Trade Policy and Strategy Office.

February 5, 2026 Political News Today Pheu Thai party is set to hold a press conference that would have more details of the so called ‘fake’ voice clip in which caretaker Deputy Interior Minister and Bhumjai Thai party’s Kanchanaburi MP candidate Sakda Wichiensilp, is heard talking about a possible coup if People’s Party takes the lead in forming the government and that ‘Naai Jaai’ does not like Pheu Thai party.

The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) on Feb 4 warned that Thailand’s economy in 2026 risks growing below 2%, citing heightened global geopolitical tensions, uncertainty over new US tariff measures, and delays in domestic public investment. The warning was delivered at a JSCCIB press briefing chaired by Kriengkrai Thiennukul, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries, alongside Poj Aramwattananont, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, and Payong Srivanich, chairman of the Thai Bankers’ Association, at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center.

February 4, 2026 Economic News Thailand grabs the title of ‘Sick Man of Asia’ from the Philippines Financial Times, one of the leading media houses read by investors and fund managers across the globe has officially names Thailand as ‘Sick Man of Asia’. The media house said that this was the result of a severe slowdown in consumption, production, and tourism, directly impacting people's livelihoods and the country's stability.

A lawyer on Tuesday submitted documentary evidence to the Election Commission (EC), requesting an investigation into a leaked recording that has sparked political controversy after allegedly capturing behind-the-scenes discussions about government formation ahead of the Feb 8 general election. Phattarapong Supakson, also known as “Lawyer Aun Buriram,” said he filed the submission after releasing the clip on social media on the evening of Jan 31, where it quickly drew widespread public criticism.

Hat Yai remains slow to recover more than two months after severe flooding hit southern Thailand, with tourism activity still subdued, hotel bookings for the Chinese New Year holiday below 50 percent, and broader economic damage continuing to weigh on the city, even as the caretaker government seeks fresh approval for additional flood relief funding. Large parts of Hat Yai district in Songkhla province, particularly the inner city, were badly affected by flooding in late November 2025.

February 3, 2026 Political News A viral social media phenomenon occurred when people shared a post from iLaw (Internet Law Reform Dialogue), an organization working on internet law and civil rights. The post, published at 12:56 PM on February 1, nearly five hours after the advance voting began, warned voters to carefully check their ballot numbers to prevent "ballot discrepancies" or ballots that might be miscounted due to incorrect codes.

Thailand’s Army intelligence chief led foreign military attachés from 20 countries and officers from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on an inspection of military units and alleged scam hubs near the Thai–Cambodian border on Feb 2, as authorities highlighted the scale of organised transnational cybercrime operating in the region. Lt Gen Teeranan Nandhakwang, Director-General of the Royal Thai Army’s Directorate of Intelligence, said the visit took place at the Chong Chom border crossing in Surin province, opposite O'Smach in Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province.

The Supreme Court’s decision to disqualify a Pheu Thai Party candidate over a 37-baht shareholding has reignited debate over whether strict legal compliance should outweigh intent, after the court ruled that even a single share in a media company violates election law regardless of its value or capacity to influence. Among the cases considered, the court ordered the removal of Chayanan Jindajia, a Pheu Thai candidate in Ratchaburi Constituency 3, after finding she held 220 shares in RS Plc, a media-related company, at the time of candidate registration.

February 2, 2026 Political News A leaked audio clip circulating on social media since Jan 31 has sparked political controversy after allegedly capturing a discussion about government formation ahead of the Feb 8 general election, prompting Sakda Wichiensilp, an acting deputy interior minister and a Bhumjaithai Party candidate for Kanchanaburi’s Constituency 5, to file a police complaint denying that the voice in the recording is his.

Thai authorities have cancelled a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Singapore-based Prime Opportunity Fund VCC and launched a special investigation into a nationwide iris-scanning scheme linked to the Worldcoin cryptocurrency project, citing legal irregularities, misuse of sensitive personal data and potential threats to national security. At a joint press briefing on January 30, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) said more than 1.2 million people may have had their iris data collected after being induced to participate in exchange for Worldcoin (WLD) tokens, without fully understanding that they were consenting to the collection of highly sensitive biometric information.

A network of students from 19 organisations has called on the public to vote “yes” in the upcoming referendum, arguing that approving the process to draft a new constitution is the key to resolving Thailand’s long-standing political, economic and social problems. The call was made during the fourth week of the “Yes We Run” campaign, held with just 11 days remaining before the election and referendum.