Thailand Politics

Thailand’s Junta Leader Now Wears Three Hats

Thailand’s newly appointed Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha pays his respects as he receives the royal endorsement, in front of a portrait of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, at the Royal Army headquarters in Bangkok in this August 25, 2014 handout photo provided by the Thailand Government House.

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BANGKOK – Well it is official, Thailand’s military dictator is now also Thailand’s prime minister. At 10.39am on August 25th Mr Prayuth Chan-ocha received the royal command in a ceremony held at the army’s headquarters in the capital, Bangkok. Dressed in a white army uniform, sword at his side, he knelt down before a larger-than-life oil painting of the king. The army leadership appeared in full strength. The press had been shut out but TV stations carried the occasion live. Mr Prayuth has become Thailand’s 29th prime minister—and the 16th army chief to assume the role.

Thailand’s newly appointed Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha gestures in a traditional greeting during his visit to the 2nd Infantry Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, Queen’s Guard in Chonburi

Thailand’s new leader now wears three hats. Mr Prayuth is the head of a group that calls itself the National Council of Peace and Order; it has been running the country since he and his arch-royalist classmates sprung a coup d’état in May. As on the day when he ousted a civilian government, Mr Prayuth remains the army chief. From Monday, he is also the prime minister. It might look like the concentration of power has just become that much more extreme, but really this is only a function of the army’s wish to put a civilian veneer on its rule.

The king has already endorsed an interim constitution which grants the army absolutist powers. The new document is so retrograde as to make the constitution of 1997, which gave the people a voice, look like an aberration in Thai history. A national assembly has been seated, and begun to take up its docile work. The ID cards that were distributed to the legislators are not marked to expire until 2020—which leaves some people hoping there was a printing error. After all, the junta has promised to hold an election in late 2015.

On his retirement from the army, expected on September 30th, the 60-year-old Mr Prayuth is tipped to add the defence portfolio to his responsibilities. He has yet to form his cabinet, but details about the line-up have been rumoured for weeks. The expectation is that it will look like a carbon copy of the junta, printed on civilian stationery. General Thanasak Patimaprakorn, the supreme commander of the armed forces, might become the foreign minister. The head of the navy, Admiral Narong Pipattanasai, is poised to become education minister and Air Marshal Prajin Jingtong is likely to head the transport ministry. The assistant army chief is set to become a justice minister…and so on, down the ranks.

The pro-establishment press in Bangkok is trying to keep up the pretence that the army has stepped in to save democracy. It has run tributes to Thailand’s new leader that are of nearly North Korean proportions. The Nation informed its readers that Mr Prayuth’s childhood dream was to become a soldier and that he was “the best-looking boy in the class”. The general loves golf too, but nobody has yet hinted that he could ever outdo the late Kim Jong Il, who, according to North Korean state media, shot eleven holes-in-one the first time he ever played.

Mr Prayuth, says one who knows him well, is “thoroughly decent”. Though a reluctant coup-leader, says this person, “he’s the kind of character who will want finish the job”. The job he has set for himself includes some extraordinary feats. First he must demonstrate that Thailand’s economy—which is relatively small, open and currently stagnant—can return to rapid growth despite the dictatorship. Second, he must ensure that the soldiers now in charge of Thailand’s patronage system do not come to be seen as hijacking it for their own benefit. Third, he must make sure that ordinary people fare better economically. This is especially important to a leadership that rejects the principle that the people ought to be able to choose their government. And finally, he must keep the trust of the palace, the privy council and the army, when the waters get choppy and the current course starts to look like it might sink the old order sooner than save it.

To most Thais, this week’s formalization of another cycle of army rule seems to be of little practical import. Their attitude is sure to change however, if they find that they fared better under the populists who preceded the generals.

It is impossible to say when or whether democracy will return to Thailand. The generals do not seem likely to head for the exit next year, not unless utter failure should force them out. But they say it is their aim to build a “Thai-style democracy”, whatever that means. One hundred days into the generals’ rule it has become apparent that the doors are not open to criticism. Only a few Thais have tested the regime so far while many others have kept silent, presumably from fear of retribution.

The soldiers’ sense of timing may prove to be acute. Some will be offended by the very discussion of this fact, but it must be noted that Mr Prayuth and his classmates have chosen to act effectively as a caretaker regime at exactly the time that a royal succession seems imminent. The king is 86 years old and in poor health. Whoever the monarch will be, there is a deep schism between those people who favour a winner-takes-all approach to democratic politics, such as was practised for most of the decade before this coup, and their opponents, who believe self-appointed “moral people” should rule. Neither is a successful way to lead a country in the 21st century.

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.