Thailand Politics

Thai Junta Obsessed with Stripping Thaksin of Police Rank

Gen Paiboon said the meeting mainly discussed a contentious legal issues

BANGKOK – Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya said Tuesday a joint panel resolved to strip ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra of his police lieutenant colonel rank.

Thaksin couldn’t care less if his rank is removed

The decision was made after a two-hour meeting of a joint committee made up of justice ministry officials, police and members of the Council of State, the government’s legal arm.

The move to strip Thaksin’s rank came after the former prime minister gave an interview in Seoul on May 20 alleging privy Councillors had masterminded the coup last year.

Gen Paiboon said the meeting mainly discussed a contentious legal issue of whether a policeman can be stripped of his rank when he was no longer in office., the Bangkok Post reported

The meeting concluded that the removal could be made because the Royal Thai Police Office’s 2004 regulations on deprivation of police ranks stated that both active and former police officer could be stripped of his rank.

Gen Paiboon said, however, Pol Gen Somyot would have to take further steps in stripping Thaksin of his rank because this was the police’s internal affair and he had no authority to order the national police chief.

The joint panel would submit its findings to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Meanwhile, Panthongtae ”Oak” Shinawatra, the only son of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, has urged the government to go ahead with its move to strip his father of the police lieutenant colonel rank if it thinks it will make the country better.

Mr Panthongtae wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday that the government should get it over with as possible so it could move on to help the people who are fighting tooth and nail to make a living and waiting for state assistance.

“If removing his rank will help improve the country, just do it!!,” wrote the 37-year-old media executive.

With more power than its predecessors ever had and special laws at its disposal, this government has an edge over others, he said. Under its rule, the country could have been drastically upgraded and people’s livelihoods significantly improved.

However, complaints have grown louder about the skyrocketing cost of living, insufficient incomes, rising debts and unemployment, he wrote.

There are also drought and floods to contend with. Farmers were asked not to grow rice for fear of possible water shortages. Problems keep piling up, causing trouble in all areas, he wrote.

If these issues had been seriously tackled, the government would have won praise from the public without having to dig up the rank-stripping issue, he said.

Mr Panthongtae thinks his father couldn’t care less if his rank is removed.

“Some groups once tried to seek a police general rank for him in recognition of his many contributions to the country, but he immediately put a brake on it,” he wrote.

He added his father had gained international recognition for implementing the groundwork for successful universal healthcare for the underprivileged while serving as prime minister. No one recognized him when he served as a police lieutenant some three decades ago, said Mr Panthongtae.

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.