THAI ECONOMIC policymakers and business leaders should adopt a wait-and-watch attitude towards the incoming Trump administration’s trade and related policies, though free trade would still be a key component of the new government’s policies, US Ambassador Glyn Davies said.

Davies, who has been Washington’s top diplomat in Bangkok for the past 15 months, said at a roundtable with Thai media that US President-elect Donald Trump, who will be sworn in on Friday, is expected to seek good policy solutions once his new administration takes office later this week.

The envoy believed the 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free-trade pact would likely be scrapped as suggested by Trump during his election campaign.

TPP groups together Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei among Asean countries, besides the US and Japan and other Asia-Pacific countries.

Although it is difficult to say how the new US administration will spell out its trade and related policies at this stage, Davies assured that free trade between the United States and the rest of the world would continue.

Asked if the Kingdom should be worried about a potential trade war between the US and China, which could affect Thai exports indirectly, he said there should be no worries, stressing that continued engagement with allies and trade partners was a key element of US diplomacy.

The United States accounts for more than 10 per cent of Thailand’s total exports, while the Kingdom also exports a large quantity of parts and components to China as part of the global supply chain for end products destined for the US market.

As for direct Thai exports to the US, Thai policymakers are concerned about increased protectionism under Trump, but noted that there could be both negatives and positives from the new US policies.

For instance, Trump’s promise of tax cuts and infrastructure investment policies could lead to stronger US economic growth, resulting in higher demand for imports.

However, Trump has threatened to slap significant import tariffs on Chinese imports, raising the spectre of a potential economic war between the world’s largest and second-largest economies.

Though no official policy direction will be forthcoming until after the presidential inauguration, it is speculated that the Trump administration would pursue trade, security and other related policies that would better serve US interests.

On trade policies, it is likely that the direction would lean more towards bilateral deals rather than regional and multilateral free trade agreements, but it remains unclear how the Trump-led government will arrive at the many paths leading in that new direction.

Davies, however, said that Thailand and other Asian allies would remain important to the US due to their dynamic emerging economies.

While the tone and style of President-elect Trump is different from his predecessors, the transition would be peaceful, he assured.

In relation to Thailand, the envoy said the US hopes Thailand would return to the democratic path quickly based on the junta’s road map.

He also expressed support for further bilateral cooperation aimed at helping Thailand modernise with digital and other technologies based on the government’s “Thailand 4.0” strategy. The United States also hopes to play a crucial role in helping to upgrade the education sector.

Next year, the US and Thailand will celebrate 200 years of diplomatic relations, which were started during the reign of King Rama II.

The plaintiffs expressed their disappointment yesterday and pledged to appeal to the Supreme Court, as the Appeal Court ruled in favour of defendant Phuthorn Kaweephan in the case of the community leader’s assassination because of a lack of evidence and dismissed the charges against him.

Phuthorn was sentenced to the death penalty by the Criminal Court in December 2014, after the court ruled that he had offered a contract to murder Prachob. Two defendants, chief petty officers Yutthanai Nachaeng and Anu Bunpeng, were sentenced to life imprisonment for premeditated murder.

John Naowa-o-pas, Prachob’s brother and a plaintiff in the case, said the Appeal Court had dismissed the allegation against Phuthorn because of weak evidence linking him with the two other defendants.

“The court reasoned that phone call evidence, which showed that the first defendant had regularly contacted the other two defendants before, during and after the assassination, was too weak to prove that the first defendant was involved in the murder because there was no record of what they had talked about on the phone,” John said.

He said this was the key evidence for the Criminal Court to rule that Prachob committed contract murder and admitted that he was disappointed with the Appeal Court’s judgement.

“I respect the court judgement, but we will hire a new legal team and appeal to the Supreme Court in order to seek justice for my late brother, who fought hard and sacrificed his life to protect the environment of our community,” he said.

Prachob was village chief of Moo14 Tambon Nhong Nae and he took an active role in protesting against the nearby recycling factory owned by Phuthorn, who was also an officer in the Industrial Works Department. The factory was allegedly dumping industrial waste illegally and polluting the environment.

Prachob was shot dead in February 25, 2013 by two gunmen.

John said his brother and Phuthorn had a deep conflict over the issue, which was the main reason for his brother’s killing.

“Up until now that factory is still operating and causing air and water pollution affecting the nearby communities. We have fought on this issue for more than 10 years, but there are still no sustainable solutions,” he said.

However, the current selection system has been in place for decades and any mooted change will inevitably be met with resistance.

At present, provincial governors are appointed from within the ranks of Interior Ministry administrators, with candidates judged on seniority and capability. All have climbed the long ministry ladder of civil service, serving in a variety of positions. Bureaucratic traditions within the Interior Ministry reach back more than 120 years ago and are among the strongest of any state agency.

Previous attempts to change the selection process for provincial governors have included proposing mayoral elections for large provinces. But all have failed after encountering resistance from the Interior Ministry and its powerful bureaucratic network covering the entire country.

In the latest challenge to the status quo, Somkid is proposing that provincial governors be handed longer terms of four to five years, in order to complete special economic missions. Government plans to stimulate the economy by injecting state funds into the provinces require “true managers” who can efficiently turn budgets worth hundreds of millions of baht into development for their provinces.

Somkid wants his idea to first be applied to large provinces and those with special economic zones.

The proposal would be a radical change from the Interior Ministry’s existing practice of recruiting from within the centralised civil service. Ministry appointees are often criticised for failing to understand the special problems of the provinces to which they are assigned and thus failing to come up with the right solutions.

Somkid’s proposal shares similarities with a previous idea for “CEO governors” who could manage provincial matters and implement government policy in the manner of top executives in the private sector.

However, his “professional managers” would need to focus on far more than just economic development.

Provincial governors are also tasked with security, tackling crime, public health and dealing with natural disasters. Such wide-ranging jurisdiction requires managers of a special breed, with experience that goes far beyond economic matters.

Also, as the top state official in a province, a governor needs the support and acceptance of both local residents and other ministries working under their jurisdiction. A selection process that lacks transparency could lead to allegations of favouritism and dent the credibility of appointed governors.

The first task of reformers is to remove the bureaucratic obstacles in the powerful Interior Ministry. Unless this is done, the “professional managers” will still be selected from within the ministry, and Somkid’s idea will fall at the first hurdle.

Failure is made even more likely by the fact that most members of the post-coup government have spent their entire careers in the bureaucracy, unlike Somkid, who has a background in the private sector. Don’t bet on his proposal being put into action.

The amendment process should take about a month, Prayut said, including setting up of an 11-member special committee and for scribes to write the draft charter by hand.

Meanwhile, the special panel began working today, with Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, who is also part of the panel, saying the amendments should be completed in seven days.

The panel, chaired by chief of Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) Meechai Ruchupan, convened for the first time at the Council of State Office after the Office of His Majesty’s Principle Private Secretary handed over His Majesty’s observations on Articles requiring amendment.

Wissanu declined to disclose the observations, but said the amendments should be completed in a week so other procedures can be pursued.

He said the panel might come up with several versions for Prayut to choose from.

Wissanu repeated that Articles related to political affairs would not be touched, but points related to the monarch’s power would be adjusted in line with the new amendments.

Countering speculation that other political points might be altered given the members of the special panels were experts in different political fields, Wissanu said these individuals had been appointed because they were members of the State Council.

He said the panel would not vote on the amendments even though there is an odd number of members.

Chuwit, 55, made his promise by swearing before the Tiger God Shrine, a famous Chinese temple within the walls of Rattanakosin Island. He said he aimed to tell the truth to people on a television channel, but declined to say which one. His programme will be aired Monday to Friday from 8.30pm, starting on January 30, he said.

Chuwit was freed from prison in December among the first batch of 30,000 inmates released under an amnesty granted to mark HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s accession to the throne.

He was jailed in January last year over the illegal demolition of bars and shops at Bangkok’s Sukhumvit Square night entertainment area in 2003, when he was known as a massage-parlour tycoon.

Chuwit, a former Rak Prathet Thai Party leader, said he was willing to hand over his party to anyone who wanted to run it.

Public prosecutors told the court that they had been harassed on court premises by Mingmongkol Sonakul and Thas Wanphraruehas on October 7, 2016, at a hearing in the case against the former premier.

Yingluck is facing trial for alleged negligence of her official duties while implementing the controversial rice-pledging scheme during her administration.

Mingmongkol is a movie director, while Thas was a former House subcommittee member during Yingluck’s tenure in office.

Mingmongkol and Thas yesterday told the court that they stared at public prosecutors after the court session prior to a lunch break but did not take photographs as alleged by the plaintiffs.

The court said there was sufficient evidence for the court to make a judgment whether Mingmongkol and Thas behaved improperly while on court premises.

Mingmongkol said he would abide by a ruling on the contempt-of-court allegation and hoped that the case would not be abused for political gain. Mingmongkol said he would decide after the verdict whether to attend court again to support Yingluck.

In the rice-pledging case, Yingluck is facing charges of negligence of official duty allegedly resulting in damages of more than Bt500 billion to state coffers. The former premier also faces a civil liability lawsuit in connection with the scheme.