Other members on the list are mostly military officers, with only five of 19 being civilians. The opposition party and several netizens have questioned the credentials of the military men to contribute to tourism, especially as the committee was expected to help the tourism industry during the coronavirus pandemic.

The committee has the authority to evaluate bills, conduct activities, examine the facts or study any matters relating to tourism promotion and development.

On the Thai Tourism Facebook Page, netizens posted sarcastic remarks, expressing their concerns over the appointment. Some of the remarks were:

“Are they going to war or something?”

“How do military offers have any knowledge of tourism?”

“Preecha is the right choice. He was on vacation for 364 days instead of attending office. Who would know better about tourism?”

The spokesman of the main opposition Pheu Thai Party, Anusorn Iamsa-ard, criticised the selection and said that if this Senate panel had been selected by other governments, it would have been called out for nepotism.

While serving as a member of the junta-appointed National Legislative Assembly (NLA), Preecha had not attended sessions for 364 days out of 400, he said.

In defense of the panel, the committee’s deputy secretary General Boontham Oris, said that all members were experienced and qualified.

There was strict scrutiny before it was proposed to the government and every procedure was in line with Article 270 of the Constitution to reform the country but due to the pandemic, the working system had to be reshaped too.

Preecha said that he was not appointed because of his brother, and he had on his own made the decision to join the committee.

That case stemmed from the EC making three accusations against Thanathorn. The first and second accusations involved an allegation that he owned or held shares in a media company, the third was related to shares in 13 companies of the Thai Summit Group.

A Constitutional Court investigation found that Thanathorn still held shares in V-Luck Media on February 6, 2019, the day the Future Forward Party submitted its list of party-list MPs.

The findings showed that Thanathorn went ahead with applying as an MP despite the knowledge that holding the shares were in violation of the Organic Act on MPs – Articles 151 and 42 (3).

The investigation into the first accusation was then halted, with Thanathorn facing criminal prosecution as per the Organic Act. If found guilty he faces up to 10 years in jail and a fine of up to Bt200,000.

He will also lose his election rights and be forced to give up his parliamentary allowance and other benefits to the Secretariat of the House of Representatives.

The Constitutional Court has yet to rule on the second and third.

Piyabutr, the party’s former secretary-general, along with Pannika, the party’s spokesperson, and Pita face charges of organising a flash mob at the Skywalk near the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre in Pathumwan district on December 14, 2019.

The three deny these charges, but the prosecution has demanded that they submit evidence in their defence before it decides whether the case should be heard in court on April 15.

Piyabutr and Pannika are among the 15 Future Forward Party executives who lost their MP status after the Constitutional Court dissolved the party on February 21 for violating the organic law on political parties. The 15 have also been banned from the field of politics for 10 years.

Meanwhile, Pita – who survived the ban – called on 55 MPs of the dissolved party to join the Move Forward Party (formerly known as Ruam Pattana Chart Thai Party) on March 8 and later became the party leader.

Deputy prime ministers, other ministers and related authorities also joined the meeting at Santi Maitree building.

The Cabinet had approved the Public Health Ministry’s proposal to enroll government employees as special officers to deal with the virus crisis.

Doctors, nurses, pharmacists, medical technicians and public health officers under the government are expected to join the ministry, which currently has a staff of 160,000 people.

The accusation came from Atchariya Ruangrattanapong, chairman of the Help Crime Victims Club.

Malika held a press conference on Wednesday (March 18) to insist she was not associated with any facemask exports. She plans to bring two charges of libel against Atchariya.

In making his allegation, Atchariya mentioned no names, only referring to “a female adviser” to the minister.

“I am not involved with the mask exports or any business to do with facemasks,” Malika said. “In fact, I don’t have any association with those people at all. I only do my duty as a civil servant.”

The Pheu Thai Party on Monday (March 16) summoned opposition partners People’s Nation, Move Forward Party, Puea Chat Party and Thai People Power Party to a meeting at the SC Park Hotel in Bangkok, hoping to organise a special session of Parliament on the matter.

But the majority attending the meeting balked at the idea, saying the large House session would put MPs at risk of contagion.

Pheu Thai leader Sompong Amornvivat said afterwards he understood the concern and accepted the outcome but they will further discuss it on every Wednesday.

Prayut and Cabinet members as well as followers must go through the screening checkpoint where medical staff provide thermal scanning before letting them into the 501 meeting room.

As of 11am on March 17, Thailand has confirmed 177 Covid-19 cases. Of these, 41 have been discharged after recovering, 135 are under medical care, and one person has died.

The police said they were accused of organising a public rally at the Pathumwan Intersection Skytrain station on December 14 without seeking permission, blocking or interfering with train station services, organising a gathering without concern for the public, using speakers without permission and holding a public gathering within a 150-metre radius of the palace.

The three denied the accusations and police aim to file a case in court on April 7.

Piyabutr said the Public Assembly Act caused several problems, including a limitation that did not allow police to grant permission in time. He also said he would continue efforts to establish a political group to campaign on politics.

Meanwhile, Pita as the leader of the newly formed Kao Klai Party, said the law was an obstacle for new politicians, but he still believed in the freedom of public assembly according to the Constitution. He said the government should focus more on the Covid-19 situation than this issue.

The minister said the party has not given any lecture to its MPs for them to have insights of tasks inside Parliament and outside.

Wissanu Krea-ngam will be invited to give lectures on the topic of the Constitution every Wednesday for a month while Parliament is closed due to the Covid-19 crisis.

The other plan, such as the Cabinet reshuffle, will have to wait until the coronavirus outbreak is solved, Sontirat explained.

Chaitawat Tulaton was chosen the new party’s secretary.

Pita said the Move Forward Party will be the second chapter of the disbanded Future Forward Party and is committed to the ideology and policies of the disbanded party.