Thailand Politics

Yingluck Shinawatra Sues Thailand’s Attorney-General

Thailand's ousted PM Yingluck Shinawatra files criminal case against opponents

Ousted former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra went to court with former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat

BANGKOK – Former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who was pushed from office more than a year ago, impeached and faces criminal charges, hit back at her opponents Tuesday with her own lawsuit.

Yingluck filed a case at Bangkok’s Criminal Court to counter-sue the country’s attorney-general over the handling of her prosecution in connection with a subsidy scheme for rice farmers, which ran up huge losses.

The lawsuit is another twist in a long-standing political battle dividing Thailand. On one side is the country’s traditional ruling elite who are backed by the military that staged Thailand’s 2014 coup, and on the other is a group of politicians who challenged the status quo, led by Yingluck’s brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, a telecommunications billionaire-turned-populist politician who held office from 2001 to 2006.

Yingluck was Thailand’s prime minister from 2011 until a controversial court decision forced her from office in May 2014, just a few days before the military staged a coup to overthrow her government. She was impeached earlier this year in connection with the money-losing rice subsidy scheme and barred her from office for five years. The attorney-general then pressed criminal charges against her over the same matter.

In her court filing Tuesday, Yingluck said the attorney-general and others were guilty of negligence of duty and a concerted effort to damage her, citing three alleged legal violations punishable by a range of 6 months to 10 years in prison. The court will decide whether to let the case proceed or throw it out.

“I’ve come here to exercise my rights in accordance with the legal process,” Yingluck told reporters. “I submitted the lawsuit against the attorney-general and team members.”

The rice subsidy scheme was a key feature of Yingluck’s 2011 election campaign and helped win her huge support in rural areas. It bought rice from farmers at well above market price but the program racked up losses of at least $4.46 billion.

Yingluck’s opponents said the scheme was riddled with corruption and she did nothing to stop it. She denies any wrongdoing.

Yingluck was accompanied by her brother-in-law, Somchai Wongsawat, himself a former prime minister who was also ousted by the courts, in a 2008 decision.

Both Yingluck and Somchai are political allies and relatives of Thaksin, who was ousted by a 2006 military coup. Yingluck is Thaksin’s sister and Somchai is married to another of Thaksin’s sisters.

Thaksin fled into exile in 2008 to avoid a prison sentence on a corruption-related charge he says was engineered by his political foes, jealous of his popularity.

The courts and the military, two pillars of the conservative Thai establishment, have consistently acted to put pressure on Thaksin’s political machine, which has delivered convincing victories in all national elections since 2001. He remains highly popular in rural areas.

The anti-Thaksin efforts have eased recently as the army consolidates its rule over the country, seeking to achieve a measure of reconciliation while putting in safeguards against a comeback by Thaksin and his allies. The junta says a new election won’t take place in Thailand until 2017

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.