Opposition leader: The cog of Thai democracy that has shuddered to a halt

16 Sept 03:53 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand currently lacks an opposition leader, a crucial democratic role, due to legal challenges and leadership issues affecting the largest opposition parties.
The 2017 Constitution stipulates strict eligibility, requiring the leader of the largest opposition party to have no MPs holding government, House speaker, or deputy speaker positions.
The Move Forward Party is ineligible because one of its MPs is a deputy House speaker and its party leader faces suspension; the second-largest Democrat Party is currently leaderless.
The opposition leader's powers have expanded beyond scrutiny, now including the ability to request closed-door meetings on national security and participate in selecting Constitutional Court judges.

Nationwide crackdown launched on illegal nominee shareholders and land holdings

Yesterday 15:20 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul initiated a nationwide crackdown on illegal Thai nominee shareholders in foreign-run businesses and land holdings to safeguard national interests.
The government will integrate efforts across all relevant agencies to target illicit foreign operations, forced sales of illegally acquired property, and high-risk land ownership schemes.
Key strategies include auditing suspect land and building holdings, establishing a long-term monitoring system, and cross-referencing data from various authorities to trace ultimate beneficial owners.
Prime Minister Anutin emphasized that no influential figures or corrupt officials are above the law, promising straightforward prosecution, asset seizures, and protection for enforcing officers.
Beyond land ownership, the integrated crackdown will also extend to tackle transnational crimes, including drug and human trafficking.