On 24 August, Thailand's 'Promoting a Peaceful Society Act’ entered into force after being published in the Royal Gazette. Intended to promote national reconciliation, the law grants amnesty for eligible offences connected to political demonstrations and expressions committed between 1 January 2005 and 15 July 2025. These include sedition, rebellion, cybercrime offenses and breaches of emergency regulations. The law provides for the release of eligible prisoners, the dismissal of pending cases, the termination of investigations and prosecutions, and the removal of criminal records. Parliament estimated that around 6,000 people could benefit from the measure. However, offences involving corruption, serious violence and lèse-majesté under Section 112 are excluded. Rights advocates welcomed relief for many politically prosecuted individuals but heavily criticized the exclusion of Section 112 offences, which leaves many pro-democracy activists ineligible. 

Sources: The Bangkok Post, The Associated Press, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights

On 8 February, Thailand held a snap election for all 500 seats in the House of Representatives alongside a constitutional referendum. The ruling Bhumjaithai Party won the largest number of seats, securing 192, followed by the main opposition People’s Party with 120 and Pheu Thai, which had led the previous government until September 2025, with 74. No party obtained a majority, and Bhumjaithai subsequently formed a governing coalition. Voter turnout was 71.4 per cent, down from 75.6 per cent in the 2023 election. Women won  99 seats (19.8 per cent), up  from 96 (19.2 per cent) seats in the outgoing House.  In the referendum, 60.2 per cent supported beginning the process of drafting a new constitution to replace the 2017 military-era charter, with overall turnout at 69.7 per cent. Election observers found election-day voting peaceful, orderly and generally transparent but later raised concerns about results reporting and whether unique ballot codes could compromise ballot secrecy.

Sources: ANFREL, IPU praline, The Election Commission of Thailand

On 29 August, Thailand’s Constitutional Court dismissed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra after ruling that she had violated ethical standards in connection with a leaked phone call with former Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen. The decision makes her the fourth affiliated-member of the Shinawatra family to see their term cut short by either a military coup or court ruling. Shinawatra’s removal also reflects a broader trend in Thai politics, where Shinawatra-affiliated public and other reformist figures have been removed from office by conservative or military-aligned forces.

Update: On 9 September, the Supreme Court ordered former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra (Paetongtarn’s father), to serve a one-year prison sentence for corruption and abuse of power stemming from his 2008 convictions, underscoring the ongoing political tensions surrounding the Shinawatra family.

Sources: International IDEA, The Associated Press, CNN, The Bangkok Post, The Diplomat

Armed conflict broke out on the Cambodia-Thailand border on 24 July, killing at least 38 people (including at least 13 civilians), wounding over 200, and displacing at least 300,000 on both sides of the border. The violence broke out after civilians and soldiers from both Cambodia and Thailand engaged in minor altercations and clashes over temples in a long-contested border region. These clashes strained diplomatic tensions as well, and violence continued until acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet agreed to an unconditional ceasefire on 28 July. No ceasefire violations have been independently confirmed since. The violence is the worst between the two countries since 40 soldiers and civilians died in armed clashes over the same contested temples and borders between 2011 and 2013.

Sources: Associated Press, The Diplomat, The Guardian, Human Rights Watch

On 1 July, Thailand’s Constitutional Court suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office due to her conduct revealed in a leaked phone call with former Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen aimed at diffusing ongoing border dispute with Cambodia. Critics highlighted her alleged deference toward Hun Sen, alongside her criticism of a Thai army commander. The petition, launched by 36 senators, accuses Paetongtarn of ‘violating the constitution and breaching ethical standards.’ As a result of the leak, the conservative Bhumjaithai Party withdrew from the government’s ruling coalition in June, leaving it with a slim majority. Moreover, the National Anti-Corruption Commission launched a separate investigation into the matter on 14 July–a ruling in which could lead to a lifetime ban from politics, with a ruling expected by December 2025. Paetongtarn was suspended from her prime ministerial duties until the Court reached a verdict in the ethics probe, but remained in cabinet. Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai assumed the role of acting prime minister. 

Sources: The Bangkok Post, The Diplomat, Al Jazeera