2023 Thai General Election: Democracy at a Crossroads

Download the full report here: “2023 Thai General Election: Democracy at a Crossroads” The 2023 Thai General Election showed accountability, transparency and inclusiveness, the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) said in their final election observation report released Tuesday, 15 August 2023. The election, held 14 May 2023, saw over 39 million

Thailand’s Military-Appointed Senators Must Vote Responsibly on Second PM Vote on 19 July — BERSIH

Press Release14 July 2023 BERSIH expresses our deep concern and disappointment that Mr Pita Limjaroenrat, whose coalition parties received more than 60% of party-list votes, is blocked by military-appointed Senators from becoming Prime Minister in the first vote. Such affront to the voice of the Thai people is irresponsible and is destabilising

ANFREL holds Training of Trainers Workshop for National Election Monitoring Groups in Thailand

The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) organized a training of trainers workshop for national election monitoring groups in Thailand on 25-26 March 2023. Ahead of the upcoming general election, ANFREL gathered in Bangkok, Thailand about 40 leaders of election observer groups in Thailand to mentor them on training their members about

2023 Elections: Policy Advocacy for LGBTQIA+, Women, and Children or Just an Election-Campaign Scheme?

Story by Attachai Had-anCover illustration by Kittiya On-in In preparation for the upcoming election on May 7, 2023, “The Opener” has studied the spread of misinformation and how it might impair the quest for a free and fair election in Thailand. Lessons from the 2019 election campaign until now indicate that while

Joint Letter to President Biden Re: Thailand’s Abusive Draft Law on Not-For-Profit Organizations

May 12, 2022 President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.The White HouseWashington, DC Re: Thailand’s abusive draft law on not-for-profit organizations Dear President Biden, We, the undersigned non-profit organizations, are writing to express our serious concerns regarding Thailand’s Draft Act on the Operations of Not-for-Profit Organizations, which the Thai Cabinet approved in principle on

Thailand: Why do we have so few women in Parliament?

First published on workpointTODAY on 17 February 2022, "Thailand: Why do we have so few women in Parliament?" was produced under the ANFREL Southeast Asia Media Fellowship on Election Reporting. By Wasinee Pabuprapap Women have held leadership positions in different sectors of society in Thailand, even in public office but they remain

ANFREL Statement: Thai local elections successful, but procedural changes would be welcome

Bangkok, 30 November 2021 Thailand held on Sunday 28 November 2021 its first tambon/sub-district administration organization (TAO) elections since the 2014 coup. This followed on provincial elections and municipal elections held in December 2020 and March 2021, respectively. ANFREL welcomes this long-overdue return to local democracy, congratulates the voters, the Election Commission

Call for Applications: ANFREL SEA Media Fellowship on Election Reporting

The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), the leading election monitoring group in Asia, is proud to launch its pilot media fellowship on election reporting for Southeast Asian journalists. The fellowship program seeks to equip journalists from independent news outlets and freelance journalists in empowering the electorate through crucial reporting of underrepresented

Thailand: Immediately repeal emergency regulation that threatens online freedoms

Seventeen international human rights organizations today denounced the Thai government’s newly announced Regulation No. 29, which empowers the authorities to censor online expression, and investigate and prosecute individuals responsible for communications that may “instigate fear”. The Regulation is the government’s latest attack on the right to freedom of expression and information in

2021 Gwangju Democracy Forum: Democracy under Restrictive Environment

The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) hosted a session in the 2021 Gwangju Democracy Forum about “Democracy under Restrictive Environment” on 19 May 2021. The session discussed the state of democracy, challenges and threats in the Asian countries that saw democratic regression in Hong Kong, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar. Panelists of

Joint Submission to the 3rd UPR of Thailand

Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) and ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) have made a joint submission to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Thailand that will take place in October 2021. The submission was done based on ANFREL's findings in its international election observation mission to the 2019 Thai general

ANFREL Observes Thai PAO Elections, 20 December 2020

Four observers teams of the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) were deployed in the provinces of Surin, Samut Prakan, Nakhon Pathom, and Nonthaburi to monitor the Thai provincial elections held on 20 December 2020. These were the first local elections conducted since the civilian government was toppled by a military coup

ANFREL Hosts Webinar on Thai Local Elections

The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) is hosting a webinar about the Thai local elections looking into the opportunities and obstacles for decentralization in Thailand on Tuesday, 15 December 2020, at 4 p.m. (Bangkok Time). Local elections in Thailand are scheduled for 20 December 2020. ANFREL invited Dr. Orathai Kokpol, deputy

STATEMENT: Respect, protect and fulfill right to peaceful protest in Thailand

Statement by International NGOs on Pro-Democracy Protests on November 17 and 25, 2020 We, the undersigned organizations, condemn the Thai police’s unnecessary and excessive use of force against peaceful protesters marching to the national parliament in Bangkok on November 17, 2020. We are concerned that authorities could employ similar measures when facing

ANFREL observes Thai by-election, 9 August 2020

See more photos here: "By-Election in Samut Prakan, Thailand" The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) observed a by-election in Thailand’s Samut Prakan province on 9 August 2020. It was the second time a by-election took place in the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic, under the “new normal election” policy devised by

ANFREL launches election monitoring handbook for Thai CSOs

The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) launched its first election monitoring handbook for civil society organizations in Thailand. Tailor-fitted to address the needs of emerging domestic election watchdog organizations in the country, the Election Monitoring Handbook for CSOs in Thailand aims to help election monitors in pursuing significant initiatives on their

Election Monitoring for Thai CSOs training, 18-19 December 2019

[rev_slider alias="2019-12-19"]   The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) organized a two-day training on election monitoring for civil society organizations and media in Thailand from 18 to 19 December 2019. The participants learned the legal framework of elections in Thailand, international standards of democratic governance, and key principles of election monitoring,

Thailand: Legal measures concerning the rights of persons with disabilities to participate in the election under the Organic Act on the Election of Members of Parliament B.E. 2561 (2018)

Full Research (Thai): วิจัยกฎหมาย_ฉบับสมบูรณ์_ Executive Summary (English): Executive Summary Joint Statement by ANFREL and PWD Network in Thailand: Joint Statement_ANFREL_PWD Network.2 Aug.2019 Abstract The election is one of the most critical procedures that undergird the foundation of liberal democracy as it enables citizens to express their collective political wills by electing their representatives according to

The 2019 Thai General Election: A Missed Opportunity for Democracy

Full Report (English): ANFREL 2019 Thailand Mission Report Full Report (Thai): ANFREL 2019 Thailand Mission Report in Thai Executive Summary (English): Executive Summary Executive Summary (Thai): Executive Summary, thai EXECUTIVE SUMMARY To say that the Thai general election which took place on 24 March 2019 was long-awaited would be an understatement. After five years

From Hope to Ballot: Thailand’s Advance Vote on March 17, 2019

For immediate release Bangkok, Thailand In a remarkable expression of their faith in democracy, eighty-seven percent of Thai voters registered for advance voting turned out to vote. Advance Voting Day remained peaceful and orderly but punctuated by instances of mismanagement, inconsistencies in the application of electoral rules by polling staff, and complaints

THAILAND CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM 2016

A Brief Assessment Report BACKGROUND Thailand democratic rule has been forcedly retaken by military through successful coup d'état that happened on May 22nd 2014 led by General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Commander of the Royal Thai Army (RTA), against the caretaker government of Thailand, following six months of the crisis in the country. The

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