Thailand Politics

Thailand’s Ruling Party Elects Thaksin Shinawatra’s Daughter as New Leader

(CTN News) – In a recent development, Thailand’s Pheu Thai Party has elected Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the youngest daughter of the country’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, as its new leader. This decision underscores the enduring influence of the Shinawatra family in Thai politics, more than two decades after Thaksin entered the political arena.

The election of Paetongtarn Shinawatra took place during a meeting of party executives and members at the Pheu Thai Party’s headquarters in Bangkok. Pheu Thai is known as one of several political parties believed to have the support of Thaksin, and it serves his political interests.

“Paetongtarn Shinawatra Takes the Helm of Pheu Thai Party”

The previous leader of the party, Chonlanan Srikaew, resigned due to breaking a pledge that Pheu Thai would not form a government with military-aligned parties.

Although Pheu Thai finished second in the election held in May, the winning Move Forward Party could not garner enough support from conservative lawmakers to form a government. This created an opportunity for Pheu Thai to take power by aligning with former political adversaries.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra expressed her commitment to the party’s core values, stating, “We will not give up the original DNA of Pheu Thai, which is bringing policies that we promise to the people to reality.

We will make dreams come true. We will make the impossible become possible. We will erase all insults with our irrefutable performance.”

It is worth noting that Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is a member of the Pheu Thai Party and extended his congratulations to Paetongtarn. Before the election, there was speculation that she could be a potential prime minister candidate.

Thaksin Shinawatra, a telecoms billionaire, served as Thailand’s prime minister in 2001 and was reelected in 2005, primarily due to his populist policies that appealed to lower-income voters.

However, he was ousted by a military coup in 2006. In 2011, Thaksin’s sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, was elected as Thailand’s first female prime minister, but her government was also ousted in a coup in 2014.

The enduring popularity of Thaksin continues to play a significant role in Paetongtarn’s support, particularly among poor and working-class Thais. However, the Pheu Thai Party’s performance in the recent election did not meet its initial expectations.

“Thailand’s Pheu Thai Party’s Leadership Reshuffle”

The party’s decision to forgo an alliance with the Move Forward Party in favor of a coalition that included two military-affiliated parties negatively impacted its standing among many ordinary Thais, according to opinion polls.

Pheu Thai’s leadership expressed the desire for more young people in leadership roles, seemingly to counter the appeal of the Move Forward Party among the younger generation.

Paetongtarn’s election reaffirms the prominent role of the Shinawatra family in the leadership of the Pheu Thai Party. It comes just two months after Thaksin’s return to Thailand following 15 years of exile to avoid a jail sentence.

Thaksin was initially taken into custody upon his return but was quickly transferred to a state hospital, citing health issues such as high blood pressure, difficulty sleeping, and chest tightness.

His eight-year prison sentence was subsequently reduced to one year by Thailand’s king, sparking criticism and calls for transparency regarding his health condition and treatment.

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.