Rape case causes rift at People's PartySasinan: Screening overhaul urgedThe People's Party (PP) is facing internal turmoil after a rape conviction involving one of its Maha Sarakham candidates triggered calls for urgent reform of its candidate-screening system. Sasinan Thamnithinan, a Bangkok MP candidate and prominent member of the party's Gender Equality Working Group, issued a public statement on behalf of the group yesterday, urging party executives to overhaul their screening procedures. In a statement posted on Facebook, the Gender Equality Working Group said the case had "gravely affected public trust" and undermined the party's long-standing commitment to gender equality. "Recognising problems honestly and making structural improvements will strengthen the party," the statement said, adding that reform would align the party with the human-rights and gender-equality standards it has championed in parliament. In a now-deleted social media post, he accused the working group of unfairly targeting the candidate-screening process and stressed the legal principle of presumption of innocence.

Source: Bangkok Post February 24, 2026 22:16 UTC