Yuttapong Charasathien said that the businessman has invested Bt150 billion with the intention to use Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre for international meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) business.

Convention events at the centre are managed by NCC Management and Development, which, as per the contract, must build a 4- or 5-star hotel with 400 rooms, a parking lot for 3,000 cars and a 28,000-square-metre commercial building.

However, the NCC did not build a hotel which means they broke the contract. Later, Prayut’s government extended the contract to 50 years, Yuttapong said.

He added that there was no bidding for the contract and more information of such corrupt acts involving other businessmen would be presented during the censure debate. He would try to get the 50-year lease deal revoked.

He said Pheu Thai also has information about tobacco factories and the party is ready to hold the government to account on February 17.

He was speaking on Saturday (February 15) at a public event on reform in the Thai Military after the Korat shootout, which left 30 people dead and 58 injured.

Thanathorn said his party would like to propose inspection of the Thai Military by an independent body so that the public can know details of the Military’s income and other businesses.

“We cannot let them reform it by themselves,” the Future Forward leader said. “Thai people, media and politicians should be able to monitor the Army’s work and suggest guidelines for reform.”

Thanathorn asked the Army, which has set May 12 as the deadline to implement reforms, to stay true to its word.

The issue could boil down to whether the lyrics of the tunes Prayut crooned had anything to do with electioneering or the junta-aligned party’s chances at the polls.

At the time, early last spring, there was a junta-imposed prohibition on campaign entertainment, Future Forward pointed out, citing Section 53 of the 2008 Organic Act on the Election of Members of the House of Representatives and the Installations of Senators.

It basically bans any “entertainment” intended to induce citizens to cast a vote or abstain from voting for any candidate or party.

Future Forward wants a clear resolution on the matter from the commission so that the rules are known for the next election.

Korn told NationTV 22 that he wanted to gather successful and talented people who had a vision and the will to make changes for the country.

He said his party was going to focus on topics that mostly affected Thais’ quality of life, including technology development and agriculture product promotion to premium goods, which would need specialists in each field.

“It’s my and (former MP) Attawit Suwanpakdee’s intention to form a new party even though the chance is so small nowadays,” Korn said.

“It is just a show,” said Titipol Pkadeewanich, dean of the Ubon Ratchathani University, in response to Apirat’s promise to reform the army following the mass shooting in Korat over the weekend.

Apirat held a lengthy press conference to offer his apology for the tragic incident committed by a lone solider in Nakhon Ratchasima. Apirat conceded there are many private businesses in the military in which some high ranking officers have taken advantage of their subordinates. Reports suggested that Sergeant-Major First Class Jakrapanth Thomma killed his commander due to conflict over a property deal, before he went on a shooting spree that killed 29 people and injuries many others. He was later shot dead by security force.

Apirat also pledged to end the rights to own many types of weapons by  military personnel. Apirat also said retired officials must move out of military residential properties to make way for others.

Titipol said Apirat came out to apologise to the public because the army was under much pressure after the tragic incident, adding that he did not think there would be significant changes regarding his reform promises.

Corruption is a problem not only in the Army but also in the Navy and Air force. The public has known for a long time that retired officials refuse to move out of their residences in the military compounds. It is an act of  corruption that the National Anti-Corruption Commission and the Office of Auditor General of Thailand have never tackled, he noted.

“Military reform is much needed, but has been denied by the government and military,” said Titipol. Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha has long complained about problems of politicians but he never admitted the problems in the military. While academics and politicians who criticised the military were attacked by government officials and military officers, Titipol pointed out.

“I don’t think that promises will be carried out and they will evaporate when public interest in the tragic event wanes,” he added.

Meanwhile, Mana Nimitmongkol, director of the Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand said it was a good sign that the Army chief had admitted that these problems must be solved soon. He, however, suggested that the Army needs outside help in order to make the reform effective. In the past, there was rampant corruption relative to the issuance of licences for new factories with Department Industrial Works’ officials demanding kickbacks. The collaboration between private sector and the Industry ministry had successfully resolved it, he said.

He also pointed out that the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) needs to strengthen its transparency assessment in order to reflect the real situation.

The NACC recently named the army the country’s most transparent agency under its Integrity and Transparency Assessment. That review was only paper work as the NACC did not look into the corrupt practices of many Army officers. The NACC needs to strengthen its evaluation method, he said.

While it is a change on the part of Apirat in promising to solve the issues, his actions if any will go against vested interest in the army, he said.

All five requested and received bail pending appeal, which is due to be heard on March 12.

The Criminal Court ordered Somkiat Pongpaiboon jailed for two years and granted him release on Bt300,000 bail, which he financed using a land deed.

Anchalee Paireerak, Phuwadol Songprasert, Yuttiyong Limlertvatee and Chitiphat Limthongkul were jailed for one year each and released on Bt200,000 bail, the money drawn from a PAD defence fund according to Anchalee.

At the time of the assault on the TV station, the PAD was attempting to oust the Thaksin Shinawatra-backed government of Samak Sundaravej.

Five leading members of the former People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), known as the yellow shirts, were jailed on Tuesday (February 12) for breaking into the studio of the National Broadcasting Services of Thailand (NBT) during their protest against then-premier Samak Sundaravej in 2008, and for destroying the studio’s property worth more than Bt600,000.

The Criminal Court’s verdict on Tuesday morning said the five members of the former PAD will be imprisoned without parole. Somkiat Pongpaiboon was jailed for two years while Anchalee Paireerak, Phuwadol Songprasert, Yuttiyong Limlertvatee and Chitiphat Limthongkul were jailed for one year each

House Speaker Chuan Leekpai on Thursday (February 6) tabled the motion by Future Forward Party MP Piyabutr Saengkanokkul requesting the House of Representatives to establish a select committee.

Pheu Thai Party MP Julapun Amornvivat called the motion important, having drawn the attention of the public and the media, and he wanted it debated without any time limits imposed.

Chuan insisted nevertheless that arguments would be limited to 10 minutes per speaker, although the chief proponent could speak for an indefinite time.

Piyabutr initially pitched the idea last July 3, citing uncertainty over whether the 2017 Constitution might be revoked.

Article 113 of the Penal Code deems it insurrection to act violently or threaten to do so in an attempt to overrule or change the Constitution, overthrow legislative, executive or judicial power or seize powers of administration in any part of the country, he said.

Insurrection is punishable by death or life imprisonment.

Piyabutr suggested amending Article 113/1, saying citizens can be victims of rebellion despite to prevent Court to dismiss the case by arguing that the people are not the victims as the courts often do in the past. He also wants to change a clause saying judicial bodies cannot accept coups, arguing that the Constitution must acknowledge the people’s right and duty to defy coup-makers.

He also wants Thailand to endorse the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which seeks to restrain coup-makers in the extent of power they wield.

Revamping the military and legal, political and foreign-affairs measures are needed to prevent future coups, Piyabutr said, but most important is educating citizens, government officials and the media about their right to oppose a coup.

He said in a press conference on Thursday (February 6) that the Election Commission allegedly filed the documents to two subcommittees of inquiry and investigation. According to the law, such an act is prohibited and the procedure should be ceased but the EC continued with the case regardless, he said.

Meanwhile, FFW has not been given an opportunity to present an explanation even though the party’s situation differed from that stated in the accusation, Piyabutr said.

Moreover, the court ruling was delivered on February 4, three days before the censure debate, meaning that FFW could have been dissolved by then and the government would benefit from it.

FFW still believes in justice and would fight the dissolution of the party, Piyabutr said.

However, should the effort fail, FFW’s MPS will make sure that the censure debate take place since the information it prepared have yet to be presented to the media and might lead to the government losing its legitimacy, he said.

The case has enough witnesses and evidence to be considered without a hearing, the court said, citing Article 58, Section 1 of the Organic Act. The reading, discussion and verdict of the court are scheduled for 1.30pm on February 7.

House Speaker Chuan Leekpai previously submitted a request to the Constitutional Court, seeking its ruling on the verification of the bill after Bhumjaithai Party MPs were accused of casting their vote without being present during the voting process.

The government was in fear of severe economic impact. On January 5, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of Thailand voted unanimously to cut the policy rate by 0.25 percentage point from 1.25 per cent to 1 per cent, effective immediately due to the possible delay of the 2020 fiscal budget disbursement.