Thailand Politics

Anti Prayuth Protesters Arrested in Bangkok

An anti coup protester shout at Thai soldiers (not seen) as a police officer (L) tries to calm him down during a planned gathering in Bangkok

BANGKOK – The Metropolitan Police in Bangkok have arrested several anti-junta activists for making small protests marking a year since military generals seized power from the elected government.

A group of die-hard campaigners called Resistant Citizen, who have repeatedly defied the junta’s ban on political protests, were prevented from marching to a court in Bangkok to file treason charges against prime minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha.

Protests began outside a Bangkok shopping mall in the Chidlom area, where boisterous demonstrators brandished signs reading “Junta Out” and “Fuck Coup” and pushed armed troops.

Minor scuffles broke out and at least two protesters were taken away by the troops, one bleeding, according to AFP journalists.

Demonstrators then made their way across the city to the Victory Monument cheered by onlookers, defying a junta call to avoid protests and a martial law ban on gatherings of more than five people.

“I am not afraid of them because the more we are afraid of them, the more they will stamp on us,” protester Kongjit Paennoy, 50, said. “We want an election — to choose our own boss.”

The junta on Saturday announced it had disbanded the Senate and placed all law-making authority in the hands of army chief General Prayuth Chan-Ocha.

Civil liberties have been curbed, media restrictions imposed and most of the constitution abrogated

At least four of the group were arrested, an AFP photographer said.

Meanwhile, students were wrestled to the ground and detained for holding an anti-coup banner in the north-eastern city of Khon Kaen, a bastion of support for former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, whose government was toppled during the 2014 coup.

Student activists who have previously held creative “flash mob” acts of dissent, including readings of George Orwell’s anti-authoritarian novel 1984 and flashing the three-fingered salute from the Hunger Games films, have also said they will hold a protest in downtown Bangkok on Friday evening (local time).

However, widespread dissent appeared unlikely with the country still in lockdown.

Thailand’s military took over on May 22 last year after violent protests by anti-government supporters paralysed Ms Yingluck’s administration.

She was dumped out of office by a court ruling two weeks before the coup.

Martial law was imposed two days before the military took over.

The former prime minister’s supporters have said the putsch was the latest assault by the royalist Bangkok-centric elite on the kingdom’s burgeoning democratic forces, in particular from the culturally distinct north-east, which has voted Shinawatra parties to power in every election since 2001.

In the past year, protests have been smothered, dissenters arrested and anti-coup radio and television stations shut, while royal defamation cases have surged as rights groups say the space to speak freely diminishes.

General Prayuth said the country “may have collapsed” without his intervention, maintaining the power grab restored order after months of protests.

“I did it [the coup] myself because I thought that both the country and the people were in severe danger … I made up my mind alone,” he said.

“If I didn’t do it I wonder if our country may already have collapsed.”

General Prayuth has taken credit for rebooting the kingdom’s economy — although economic growth last year was just 0.7 per cent, the weakest in three years — and has rewritten the country’s constitution to end Thailand’s deep political divisions and expunge corruption.

Fresh elections were penciled in for early to mid-2016, but General Prayuth said the timetable may slip if a referendum is held on the charter many see as a barely concealed attempt to hack back the Shinawatras’ political dominance.

Anti-government protesters still under the military’s eyes

The coup anniversary has been largely ignored by the Red Shirt movement loyal to Ms Yingluck and her brother, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was also ousted in a coup in 2006 and now lives in self-exile.

Red Shirt leader Nattawut Saikua was one of the few to comment Friday, condemning General Prayuth’s year in power in a Facebook post and accusing the junta of “putting duct tape on top of a fresh wound without applying any medicine”.

In Isaan, the north-eastern heartlands of the Shinawatras, soldiers in Humvees were still conducting patrols into remote Red Shirt villages, locals said.

“Soldiers are very strict,” a senior Red Shirt leader said.

“There is nothing to gain from any movements. It’s better to wait.

“Everyone [the Red Shirts] is waiting for the election … I hope the army are gentlemanly enough not to break their promise to hold it.”

Thailand Politics

Thai Prime Minister’s Popularity Declines as Move Forward Party dominates

(CTN News) – Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin continues to make local and international visits to try to solve problems and promote Thailand, but he has failed to impress most voters, according to a Nida poll. The poll also revealed the declining popularity of Pheu Thai Party leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra and the rise of the Move Forward Party.

According to a poll released on Sunday, only 12.85% of people supported the prime minister, down from 17.75% in the previous survey. The daughter of convicted former Prime Minister Thaksin, currently on parole, saw her popularity drop from 6% to 4.85%.

The National Institute of Development Administration conducts a quarterly survey of the public’s preferred political leaders. The last survey was released at the end of March.

According to the survey, supporters of the prime minister described Mr Srettha as a resolute decision-maker determined to address their problems. Ms Paetongtarn was complimented for her vision, leadership, knowledge, and grasp of the country’s difficulties.

This weekend, the prime minister will be in the northeast region listening to citizens’ concerns. The journey occurred only a few days after he had visited northern provinces earlier in the week.

Despite criticism, he has reduced his abroad trips, citing the need to showcase Thailand to investors and traders.

Pita Limjaroenrat, the chief advisor of the Move Forward Party, remained the top candidate for prime minister with 45.50% of the vote, up slightly from 42.75% in the previous quarter’s poll.

Pirapan Salirathavibhaga was the huge winner. The leader of the United Thai National Party saw his popularity nearly quadruple from 3.55% to 6.85%.

The sampled voters stated they appreciated Mr Pita’s political beliefs and thought he had broad knowledge. They praised Mr Pirapan’s credibility, claiming he was clean and honest.

Two other probable prime minister candidates were Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan of the Thai Sang Thai Party and Anutin Chanvirakul, leader of Bhumjaithai. However, they were less popular than others.

About 20% of voters still did not believe any candidate was qualified to lead the country, which is the same percentage as in the last survey.

Move Forward Party was the most popular party with 49.20%, up slightly from three months ago, while Pheu Thai fell around five percentage points to 16.85% from 22.10%.

The poll, issued on Sunday, surveyed 2,000 ineligible voters between June 14 and June 18.

Thailand Politics

Move Forward Party MP Jirat Thongsuwan Appeals Suspended Jail Sentence for Defamation

(CTN News) – Jirat Thongsuwan, a Move Forward Party MP, says he would appeal his one-year suspended jail sentence for defaming a former senior defense ministry official concerning the state’s procurement of bogus bomb detectors.

The Criminal Court also fined Mr Jirat 100,000 baht for falsely accusing ACM Tharet Punsri, a former Air Force chief-of-staff who later became the ministry’s deputy permanent secretary, of being the chairman and shareholder of a company that supplied the military with the infamous GT200 bomb detectors.

The Chachoengsao MP claimed a July 20, 2022, no-confidence vote against cabinet ministers in Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha’s government. ACM Tharet was not a cabinet member.

Jirat Thongsuwan also identified ACM Tharet as a key figure in the 2006 coup headed by then-army chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, which overthrew Thaksin Shinawatra.

ACM Tharet told the court that Jirat Thongsuwan’s charges were false and harmed his reputation. He denied involvement with the bomb detection company and said he was not the company’s senior chairman or shareholder.

In addition to the suspended jail term and fine, the court ordered Jirat Thongsuwan to pay $ 500,000 baht in damages to ACM Tharet and publish an apology in three newspapers for five days.

Jirat Thongsuwan later announced on his X account that he had challenged the verdict with the hashtag “An injustice is infuriating”.

The MP has also been accused of dodging required military conscription. He admitted to the accusation on May 8.

A British business promoted the GT200 as a “remote substance detector” and sold it in several countries. Between 2004 and 2009, fourteen Thai government organizations, most of which were military, were projected to spend 1.4 billion baht on the units.

Concerns about the GT200 and related gadgets arose after the National Science and Technology Development Agency discovered they lacked electronic components.

The devices were later revealed to be “divining rods”.

Thailand Politics

Thaksin Shinawatra Files 100 Million Baht Defamation Lawsuit Against Warong Dechgitvigrom

(CTN News) – Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister, has launched a defamation action against Warong Dechgitvigrom, the head of the Thai Pakdee Party, accusing him of paying a bribe to be released on bail in a lese majeste case.

Thaksin’s attorney, Winyat Chartmontree, filed a lawsuit against Warong, seeking 100 million baht in damages.

Warong, a long-time Thaksin Shinawatra critic, gave a public statement and posted on social media, saying that 2 billion baht was paid to judicial officials in exchange for release on bail in the lese majeste case.

Thaksin Shinawatra Granted Release on 500,000 Baht Bond

Thaksin was granted release on a 500,000 baht bond last week and told not to leave the country without court authorization after pleading innocent to charges of defaming King Rama IX in a 2015 interview with South Korean media.

Winyat stated that, while Warong did not identify Thaksin Shinawatra by name in his speech or post, he did include a hashtag with Thaksin’s name as well as the date Thaksin must appear in court, allowing readers to connect Thaksin to the allegations.

Winyat further stated that he was investigating the fact that Warong mentioned the specific aircraft and automobiles utilized by Thaksin Shinawatra to violate the Personal Data Protection Act.

“I have requested Mr Warong to provide proof as to where he received the data. “If it turns out that it came from state officials, there will be legal consequences,” he warned.

The Criminal Court has scheduled the case’s preliminary hearing for September 30.