Thailand Politics

General Prayut Say’s Aggressive’ Governance is for the good of Thailand

Gen Prayut admitted that the political situation in Thailand at present has raised concerns among foreign countries.

BANGKOK – Thailand’s Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha defended a new security measure recently invoked under Article 44 of the interim constitution to replace martial law.

“We need to fix legal mechanisms and laws in order to address problems,” he said, adding his government sometimes needs to take “a shortcut” when facing legal obstacles.

Under the new security measure, the military gets to maintain sweeping powers. Military officers, for example, can detain anyone for seven days without formal charges, on grounds of suspicion related to national security. Public gatherings of more than five people are also illegal under the new rule, while the media continues to face strict censorship by the government.

Gen Prayut admitted that the political situation in Thailand at present has raised concerns among foreign countries. “I have already sent government representatives to explain the matter to those countries,” he said.

The Thai Prime Minister added that his government has faced “many problems” – internally and internationally – over the past six months. He complained that the media is “ill-informed”, unfairly criticising his administration without seeking to understand the government’s aims, or without looking at figures depicting a pickup in the economy and tourism.

“Every minister agreed to take office as they want to help Thailand. Everything we do, we do for Thailand,” he said.

In his 90-minute address, which marked six months in office, Gen Prayut defended his government’s performance, emphasising that its main purpose remains reforming Thailand and restoring peace and stability.

“Some may call my governance aggressive, but I want to say that it’s for the good of Thailand,” he said. “Please understand that my government needs to do what we’re doing to solve critical problems in Thailand to restore peace and order.”

Gen Prayut – who led last year’s coup d’état that toppled the elected administration under former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra – explained his government has chosen to carry out their various policies carefully, rather than swiftly.

He said his government’s focus is on solving short-term problems, such as those stemming from the first-time car buyer scheme, which he said hurt the automobile industry.

The incentive – a brainchild of the Yingluck administration – offered first-time car buyers a hefty tax rebate of up to 100,000 Baht (US$3,300) and attracted more than a million Thai buyers. However, it subsequently led to swelling household debt.

Gen Prayut also said he was determined to improve education in Thailand. He called on well-known private tutors across all subjects to volunteer with the government to help raise Thailand’s education standard.

He then issued a similar call to the business sector, urging it to assist his administration in driving the Thai economy forward. He referenced Singapore’s ability to attract foreign investors to the country under the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s leadership, adding that Thailand should be able to do the same.

Gen Prayut ended his national address saying that he had hope for the country’s brighter future, and called on the public to continue to give him their support. -CNA/PP

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.