Thailand Politics

Deputy Prime Minister Gen. Prawit Denies Stacking Senate With Junta Loyalists

BANGKOK – Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon on Wednesday defended the Junta’s choice of senators, 101 of whom have military and police backgrounds.

They have experience in law-making and reform work and should be up to the job, he said.

Gen Prawit, who chaired the Senate selection committee, said the senators were chosen because they had either served in the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) or the National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA), both of which were installed by the regime.

He said they had taken part in law-making and reform work, and he was sure they would meet expectations as senators.

Gen Prawit brushed off accusations of nepotism and cronyism, despite six of the senators being his classmates from Class 6 of the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School and another being his younger brother, Adm Sitthawat Wongsuwon.

“There’s just a couple of them. That’s all of them,” he said.

Asked if the Senate would tip the balance in favour of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha when both chambers meet to choose a new prime minister, he said the Senate is allowed to vote and it is for them to decide.

Gen Prayut on Wednesday echoed Gen Prawit’s comment that many of the senators have experience and their qualifications have been vetted.

Regarding criticism that 1.5 billion baht was spent on the Senate selection process, he said the expenditure covered the selection of 200 shortlisted candidates from 10 professional groups across the country by the Election Commission (EC).

Of these 200 shortlisted candidates, 50 were selected to join the 194 senators chosen by the Prawit panel. The six others are the commanders of the armed forces, the chief of the defence forces, the national police chief, and the defence permanent secretary.

Pheu Thai secretary-general Phumtham Wechayachai on Wednesday called on Gen Prawit to disclose the names of those on the selection committee to show transparency.

The Pheu Thai heavyweight said the Upper House lacks diversity and there is also suspicion some of the appointees are also members of the selection committee.

He said party representatives will submit a petition to Gen Prayut and Gen Prawit calling for the disclosure of the committee members.

Meanwhile, former NLA president Pornpetch Wichitcholchai said he is prepared to be Senate Speaker.

According to Mr Pornpetch, the Senate’s responsibilities differ from those of the NLA. In addition to scrutinising legislation, it must follow up on implementation of the 20-year national strategic plan.

The former NLA president also defended Gen Preecha Chan-o-cha, younger brother of Gen Prayut, who reportedly had a poor attendance record when serving as an NLA member.

He said Gen Preecha was a responsible lawmaker and expressed confidence he would be up to the job as a senator.

Meanwhile, two new senators on Wednesday urged MPs to stop harassing them over the prime ministerial vote, saying selecting the premier is part of their job under the charter.

Senator Somchai Sawaengkarn said senators have the right to help select the prime minister and they will vote for the person most suitable for the job.

“If the MPs can muster 375 votes, there is no need to worry,” he said.

Seri Suwanphanont, also a senator, said attempts by MPs to pressure senators not to vote for a certain prime ministerial candidate, could be construed as interfering in Senate affairs or compromising their independence, as well as being in violation of the charter.

Chayut Suebsakul, a newly-appointed senator, on Wednesday refused to comment on reports that he was found at fault by the National Anti-Corruption Commission over a land purchase scheme.

Pheu Thai member Chalerm Ubamrung, predicted a coalition government led by the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) will be short-lived due to it having a thin majority.

According to Mr Chalerm, a former MP, a PPRP-led coalition would last two years at best and one year at worst.

By Bangkok Post

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.