Thailand Politics

Pro Election Activists in Thailand Demand End to Regime “Lies”

Activists wear ‘ Pinocchio’ masks and give a three-finger salute at a gathering at Thammasat University on Saturday. – Photo Chanat Katanyu

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BANGKOK -Pro-election activists stepped up their campaign on Saturday with denunciations of the military regime’s “lies”, symbolised by masks bearing the face of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha with Pinocchio’s nose.

The demonstration, the fourth in a series of events planned through May, took place at the Tha Phra Chan campus of Thammasat University .

The activists want to see a general election held this year, but their demand is extremely unlikely to be met. Related legislation remains stalled in the junta’s rubber-stamp legislature, which also inexplicably rejected all seven Election Commission candidates this week.

The activities started at noon on Saturday with a flea market, a mini concert, poster handouts and a life-sized “Wait for Election” figure with a ballot box for a head and three watches on its wrist.

CSI LA Facebook photographs of Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon wearing a large number of luxury watches. Photo Takaki Kashiwabara

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The watches represented Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, who is under pressure to step down over his huge collection of expensive and undeclared accessories, but probably never will as long as Gen Prayut has his back.

Pro-election T-shirts, as well as food and drinks, were also on sale before speakers took the stage. Chonticha Jaengreo, a coordinator, said some of the proceeds would finance upcoming activities.

Shortly before the speeches began, Watana Muangsook, a former commerce minister and senior Pheu Thai Party figure, arrived as promised. He had written earlier on Facebook he would join the activists after they invited politicians to join them.

He said he came to give moral support to the students. “I don’t care if I’m viewed as politicising their cause and tarnishing the students’ move. As a voter, I have every right to demand the government make good on its word.”

The activists had challenged politicians earlier to take a stand and side with the people rather than the military. However, many political figures fear that doing so could put them in hot water with the junta and expose them to legal action.

The speeches focused on how elections are a key to the future of the new generation. The speakers also criticised the government for its handling of political and environmental issues.

In 2016 Watana said he was held incommunicado at the military camp but received decent care from military officers.

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Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak, a 19-year-old political science student at Thammasat, said the clash today was a struggle between the new generation and the old one at Parliament.

“We can see there are no new-generation people in the NCPO [National Council for Peace and Order] and the NLA [National Legislative Assembly],” he said.

“We don’t have a future because these people aren’t here to create one. They’re trying to defy nature for fear the world is changing with the times. We’re fighting the enemy of the people. They won’t let us have a better life but we’ll get it somehow.”

Sirawich “Ja New” Serithiwat said the NCPO had been in office for four years already.

“And it asked for ‘not much time’,” he said, referring to the early days following the 2014 coup. “Several people complain they got nothing from the polls but do they really want to get stuck with the NCPO for another life?

“An election will get us out of dictatorship and give us a better alternative, not the one chosen by the ‘Five Rivers’,” he said, referring to the NCPO and its associated executive and legislative bodies.

“If we are to count the lies Gen Prayut and his NCPO have told us, their noses must now be the distance to Mars.”

Mr Sirawich urged participants to wear masks bearing the face of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Pinocchio’s nose — he named it “Yutnocchio” — to proclaim an end to the lies.

“An election is the declaration of the country’s future by the people,” he concluded while the audience chanted “Election this year!”

The activists said they had asked the university for permission to use the space near the entrance to the auditorium and had informed Chana Songkhram police in advance as required under the new public assembly law.

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.