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Painting furniture white when it is originally white.?

I have a semi-old vanity desk in my room. It is originally white, but its got some marks and stains on the desktop. Can I just repaint with white paint? Or do I need to sand, prim, etc.
Also, what is the order of the "painting preparation"?
Do I need to use special wood paint or would regular white paint work just as well??

You can do it however you want, but if you want it to look good and last, don't just slather on any old paint like they do on HGTV...

Simple version: sand prime paint

Details:

First clean the surface and fill any minor imperfections (less than 1/4 wide) with automotive glazing putty.

Second lightly sand away any gloss and smooth any imperfections on the surface.

Clean the surface again with mineral spirits, a tack cloth, or a lightly dampened rag to remove any debris.

Prime with a quality oil based primer, thin coats are best with any finish. Primer should not require more than 2 coats. However, for a smooth finish you may want to lightly sand between coats which will remove some of each successive coat and possibly require additional coats.

Paint with a compatible finish coat with as high a gloss as you can stand. The glossier it is the more durable it will be.

Use a good quality brush to avoid lap marks and obvious brush strokes.

If you're new to all of this, so some experimenting on a board or panel first to see how the materials work before tackling your furniture.

Good luck!