The civil sector joined the talks this week and the media groups, including the Thai Journalists Association, the Thai Broadcast Journalists Association, the National Press Council, and others, are scheduled to meet the committee next Tuesday, said Maj-General Kongcheep Tantrawanich, chairman of the committee’s PR sub-panel.

Kongcheep said the talks had been “half-way” and urged all concerned not to frustrate the public with their comments outside the talks.

The Pheu Thai party last week submitted a letter proposing the disbanding of the committee and its sub-panels, calling instead for a fresh start of independent talks.

This has triggered exchanges that have shaken confidence in the government’s arrangement of talks.