Politics

Did former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, father of the current premier, threaten to expel government parties from the Phue Thai Party-led government coalition if their lawmakers don't vote for the entertainment complex bill? No, that's not true: The former prime minister denied making any threats, describing conversations with parties as informal opinion gatherings. Other top government officials also denied the…

Did the United States deport 619 Thai citizens since President Donald Trump took office? No, that's not true: The figure refers to individuals waiting for final removal orders in November 2024, before Trump was sworn in as U.S. President for his second term on January 20, 2025. The number of removals since Trump took office hasn't been released. The claim…

Was Russian President Vladimir Putin ordained as a Buddhist monk "to pay respect to Rama IX," the late Thai King? No, that's not true. An image shared in a clip circulating on TikTok, portraying Putin in a yellow monk robe, has been generated using AI, as confirmed to Lead Stories by his creator. The claim appeared in a video published…

Did Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's cabinet approve a proposal to grant citizenship to people from Myanmar, Cambodia, and Vietnam? No, that's not true: It's a different target group. The target for a new measure is minority ethnic groups and stateless people. The claim appeared in a video posted on TikTok on October 30, 2024 (archived here), and had the…

Did the Thai government change the monthly state allowance for senior citizens from a sliding scale by age to 1,000 baht for all? No, that's not true: It was just a proposal from February 2024 that had no legal effect yet. Also, there hasn't been much progress on the proposal since its initial green light. The claim appeared in a…

Did Thailand pass a new law to grant birthright citizenship to children of migrants from Myanmar born in Thailand? No, that's not true: The country withdrew its reservation to an article of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Officials said this move would enhance protections for young non-citizens. The claim appeared in a video posted on…

Did the now-dissolved Move Forward Party cause floods in Thailand by voting to cut the budget for weir construction projects? No, that's not true: Floods in August 2024 were caused by excessive rainfall from two monsoons passing through the country. Additionally, the cut for the weir construction project was a broader parliamentary decision, not an act of the MFP alone.…

Is the Thai government's application for distributing 10,000 baht to eligible citizens unsafe to use and could it lead to information leaks? No, that's not true: Officials have repeatedly ensured its safety. Government agencies confirmed the application is as safe as other banking applications used in Thailand. The claim appeared in a video on TikTok posted on August 2, 2024…

Did the now-shuttered Move Forward Party appeal the Thai court's ruling to dissolve it with the International Court of Justice? No, that's not true: The court doesn't have jurisdiction over Thailand's judiciary system and has no power to overturn its ruling. Former party members formed a new party called The People's Party. The claim appeared in a video posted on…

Is Cambodia reinforcing its military near Thailand's border following tension around a disputed island called Koh Kood? No, that's not true: There is no substantive evidence supporting this claim. Videos circulating on TikTok claiming to show military activity in the area appear to be old footage of past military exercises and military parade preparation. A video on TikTok posted by…

Was the Thai army's Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) deployed to Israel? No, that's not true: Only the Royal Thai Air Force has been engaged in repatriating Thai nationals from the conflict zone at the time of writing. An official statement from the Thai military regarding the deployment of the RDF to Israel has not been made yet. The claim appeared…