#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Action Coalition elects new chief

Politics

Jul 06. 2020Anek Laothamatas, who could be the new Labour Minister

By THE NATION

The Action Coalition for Thailand Party elected secretary-general Taweesak Na Takuatung as party leader, replacing Labour Minister MR Chatumongol Sonakul who resigned recently.

The election took place at a general assembly meeting yesterday (July 5) at Bangkok Thonburi University in Thawi Watthana district.

MR Chatumongol, who did not attend the meeting, had resigned both as leader and member of the party but remains labour minister in the coalition government pending a Cabinet reshuffle.

The party also named Anek Laothamatas, Jak Panchuphet and Danuch Tantoedthit as first, second and third executive members, respectively.

The meeting acknowledged a change in the party’s logo. The new logo features a blue wheel of dharma and a white elephant standing in an inner red circle, with the party’s name both in Thai and English written on the blue wheel.

Action Coalition co-founder Suthep Thaugsuban said the party had proposed to the prime minister that Anek replace MR Chatumongol as labour minister as the ministerial berth in the Cabinet is still under the party’s quota.

“We did not urge the prime minister to reshuffle the Cabinet soon though,” Suthep added. “It’s entirely up to him when the reshuffle will take place.”

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Prawit to downsize Palang Pracharat’s executive board

Politics

Jul 05. 2020

By The Nation

Palang Pracharat Party’s new leader Prawit Wongsuwan will hold a meeting with members on July 10 on adjusting the structure of the party and lowering the seats on the executive board from 34 to 27.

The number is reportedly easier to manage. But Prawit has ordered his task force to comb through the laws to ensure there is no threat of dissolution to the party.

Members who are civil servants will require an official letter asking for permission to attend the meeting or it might violate the National Anti-Corruption Commission’s regulations.

Prawit also has solved the issue of the Five Provinces Bordering Forest Preservation Foundation after being accused by the opposition of using it as an operational centre for the military government’s political purposes.

The foundation has rented the Treasury Department’s land next to soldiers’ flats.

Thus Palang Pracharat had not violated the law by holding a ceremony to welcome Prawit as a new leader in the foundation’s building.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Lower house approves draft budget bill

Politics

Jul 04. 2020

By THE NATION

The fiscal 2021 draft budget bill sailed through the House of Representatives on Friday (June 3) at 11.23pm after three days of debate on the first reading.

The draft set the budget for the next fiscal year at around Bt3.3 trillion.

Of the 476 members of Parliament present in the house, 273 MPs voted in favour, 200 voted against, three abstained from voting. The house has also appointed a special committee comprising 72 experts to revise the draft within 105 days.

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha thanked the House of Representatives for passing the draft, and vowed to focus the use of the budget on strengthening the country’s economy, reducing disparity and promoting the development of human resources.

He also urged the newly appointed committee to carefully revise the draft based on suggestions that the MPs had presented in the past three days.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Charter court lets Palang Pracharath MP off for ‘bad behaviour’

Politics

Jul 01. 2020Sira Jenjaka

By The Nation

As per a Constitutional Court ruling on Wednesday (July 1), Palang Pracharath’s Bangkok MP Sira Jenjaka did not exploit his authority when he attacked a police officer in Phuket last year for not providing him with an escort.

The MP was visiting the province to look into the investigation of a forest encroachment case.

House Speaker Chuan Leekpai sent 57 complaints from the opposition, saying the MP had violated the Constitution’s Section 82 and that his position be revoked.

However, the court decided that the MP had not abused his authority and should be allowed to continue his job.

On August 18, 2019, the MP was filmed flaunting his authority, declaring that he was a “phu yai” and demanding to know why Phuket police had not provided him with a personal police export.

The clip, which went viral, raised a lot of eyebrows, with people calling for the man to be prosecuted.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Prawit plays down move to oust Somkid

Politics

Jul 01. 2020Prawit Wongsuwan

By The Nation

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan promised today (July 1) to resolve infighting within the ruling Palang Pracharat Party, following rumours that several of its MPs want to oust Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak.

Incoming party leader Prawit said the opinion that Somkid should be ousted was not held by a large group within Palang Pracharat, but that party members still had to discuss it.

Palang Pracharat MP Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn is rumoured to be angry over an attempt by Somkid to dissolve the House of Representatives, which would threaten his seat.

Prawit said he had been unable to attend the latest party meeting because of illness but would attend in future when he was available.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

PM, Prawit likely to choose new ministers from Palang Pracharat

Politics

Jun 29. 2020Suwat Liptapanlop

By The Nation

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan are likely to pick new ministers from the Palang Pracharat Party themselves.

Seats have been previously given to each group in the coalition but political observers felt this approach would make the groups became “stronger than the leader”.

The coalition party’s quota is rumoured to have been adjusted accordingly after 51 Bhumjaithai Party members joined the government, with the party getting 10 new MPs.

After the number of members in the coalition increased, Prayut then had to recalculate, with the Chartpattana Party being the most affected party, having only one seat for three MPs.

Former deputy prime minister and Chartpattana Party adviser Suwat Liptapanlop is now reportedly trying to “impress” Prayut and Prawit, as he wishes that only seat will go to his brother Tewan.

However, Prayut may reportedly cut the name from the list for the greater good of the new Cabinet.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Prawit takes the reins of Phalang Pracharat

Politics

Jun 27. 2020

By THE NATION

The Phalang Pracharat Party today elected General Prawit Wongsuwon its new leader during a meeting to elect its new management executives.

Prawit, who is deputy prime minister, was nominated as leader to replace Uttama Savanayana, the Finance Minister.

Anucha Nakasai was elected secretary-general, while the government’s spokesperson, Narumon Pinyosinwat, was elected treasurer.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Top court hands down prison time to red-shirt leaders for march to Prem’s house

Politics

Jun 26. 2020

By The Nation

The Supreme Court handed down jail sentences on Friday (June 26) to five of seven red-shirt leaders for bringing together more than 10 people, allegedly creating chaos in the city and fighting the authorities.

The defendants in the case were Nopparut Worachitwutthikul, Veerakarn Musikapong, Weerasak Hemathulin, Wanchai Naputtha, Wiputhalaeng Pattanapoom, Natthawut Saikua and Weng Tochirakarn.

The seven leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship had led a march to late Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda’s Si Sao Thewes resident to pressure him to step down as chief royal adviser in 2007.

They also confessed in 2019, prompting Supreme Court to defer its ruling.

In Friday’s ruling Nopparut was given a jail term of two years and eight months, while Veerakarn, Natthawut, Wiputhalaeng and Weng were each given four years and four months. The cases of Weerasak and Wanchai were dismissed.

Eye-witness accounts were presented in court by police officers and two reporters.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Northeast marks 1932 democratic revolution with ‘run against dictatorship’, ‘clean democracy’ campaign

Politics

Jun 24. 2020

By The Nation

Pro-democracy groups in the Northeast of Thailand gathered today (June 24) to mark the democratic revolution in 1932.

Khon Kaen University students marched to the province’s Democracy Monument wearing white clothes and carrying mops and signs with the message “June 24, Siamese revolution, Clean democracy”, and “Will you excuse us? We’re practising to be democratic”.

Police and soldiers were sent to the monument to monitor the protest. Large gatherings remain banned under the state of emergency.

in Ubon Ratchathani, a “Run against Dictatorship” at the Democracy Bridge was held to commemorate the turning point in Thai history, when the Khana Ratsadon (People’s Party) changed Thailand from absolute monarchy to a democracy under constitutional monarchy.

The gathering went off smoothly with runners following Covid-19 preventive measures such as social distancing. The participants all sang the national anthem and raised three fingers – a symbol of protest against dictatorship derived from the “Hunger Games” movies.

The democratic revolution was also marked with events in other Northeast provinces, including Nakhon Ratchasima, Maha Sarakham, Surin, Sakon Nakhon, Udon Thani and Roi Et.

Meanwhile, activists gathered at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument to demand changes to the current Constitution, which was drafted by the military government after the 2014 coup.

#ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

Disenchanted members quit small parties to set up new ones

Politics

Jun 23. 2020

By THE NATION

Several members of small political parties have resigned, seeking to establish new ones to “better serve” the needs of people.

An Election Commission news source reported yesterday (June 22) that several members of small political parties have submitted their resignations and some have filed documents to establish new parties.

The parties that have seen their members walk out include the Thai People Justice Party, the Thai Forest Conservation Party, the Puea Chat Party and the Bhumphalang Kasettrakon Thai Party.

Thai People Justice Party member Sarot Iadkhao said he resigned and would establish a new party called Thai Areerat by next week.

“I felt my former party could not fulfill the needs of the people at the grass-roots level, so I left and have joined with people who have the same ideas to form a new party,” he said. “Members of Thai Areerat are all local candidates who know about the hardships experienced by people and aim to fix them. Most of us have been disappointed working with former parties that do not share our ideology.”

Thai Forest Conservation Party former member Phatharanukul Engchuan also quit to set up Thai Yang Yeun, which he will head.

“The reason I decided to establish a new party is that my policies were not supported by other members of the Thai Forest Conservation Party, which is not part of the government coalition,” he said. “This means the promises I had made to my voters were unlikely to be fulfilled if I had continued to stay on. Forming a new party is the only solution.”