A source from the Government House said the first Cabinet meeting after the government delivered its policy statement to Parliament would appoint the government spokesmen team.

The source added that Naruemol has resigned as a party-list MP so that a candidate below her could be moved up to fill her place. Naruemol vacated her House seat once informed of the Cabinet’s agenda by the Cabinet Secretariat.

According to the source, Phalang Pracharat deputy spokesman Thanakorn Boonkongchana and Traisulee Traisoranakul, a failed party-list candidate of the Phalang Pracharat, would be appointed deputy spokespeople.

An academic and former lecturer at the National Institute of Development Administration, Naruemol is recognised for her strong knowledge of economic and social affairs.

She took part in drafting policy on state welfare, such as the state welfare cards for low-income people which the first Prayut government introduced.

Naruemol told reporters that she was not worried about assuming the post because her earlier responsibilities required her to speak to the media regularly.

She said she would provide easy-to-understand explanations to the public about the government’s work and would also explain political issues.

Meawhile, Traisulee said she had just heard the reports that she would be appointed a deputy spokeswoman but she was not sure whether this would become a reality.

Traisulee said she thought her father had talked to government leaders about the post, adding that she would welcome the opportunity and was confident she was qualified for the job.

Panthongtae, known by his nickname “Oak”, posted on Sunday that Krung Thai Bank records contradict Uttama’s defence offered during Thursday’s policy debate in Parliament.

He posted a photo of a 2003 loan document signed by all five members of the bank’s executive board, including Uttama.

Uttama has insisted he did not approve the loans worth Bt9.9 billion to companies affiliated with property developer Krisda Maha Nakorn Plc.

Panthongtae suggested Uttama did not act in the public’s interest as a member of the state-owned bank’s executive board, “so how is he qualified to be finance minister overseeing a trillion-baht annual budget?”

He dared Uttama to swear before the Emerald Buddha at the Grand Palace that he reaped no personal benefit from approving the loans.

The Bank of Thailand investigated the loan deal in 2005 and a second investigation was launched following the 2006 coup that ousted Thaksin, resulting in convictions against several influential figures.

The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders in 2015 sentenced three former KTB executives – board chairman Suchai Jaovisidha, president Viroj Nualkhair and board member Matchima Kunchorn na Ayutthaya – to 18 years’ imprisonment each. Seventeen other people were also convicted.

The court found Suchai and Viroj guilty of malfeasance in office and violations of laws regarding state enterprise employees, commercial banks, securities firms and public companies.

Uttama and Chainarong Indharameesup were alleged to have been involved in illegally approving loans but were not charged with any wrongdoing.

Panthongtae was late last year charged with colluding in money laundering after allegedly receiving a Bt10-million cheque from an executive of Krisda Maha Nakorn that prosecutors suspected was linked to the KTB loan scandal.

The outcome of that case is still pending.

According to a television report by Inside Thailand aired on Nation TV, Senator Kittisak Rattanawaraha today insisted that he would continue utilising the parliamentary immunity to which he is entitled until he is told by speaker Pornpetch Vichitcholchai to meet with the police.

In an interview with the press, abbot Phra Khru Wisutthiwaraphorn said that little progress had been made by the police since he lodged a complaint a year ago against Kittisak, a Phichit-based senator, as well as against eight others involved in a rally surrounding Wat Bang Khlan in the northern province a few years ago.

The monk added that police had taken no action against the eight others, none of them parliamentarians, and that the police had cited Kittisak’s parliamentary privilege as the reason why they would not further their criminal investigation involving all nine.

The abbot said that Kittisak, whom he said led a large group of protestors to surround his living quarters at the temple, had no legitimate authority to end any dispute occurring at the temple. “It is the National Office of Buddhism and its provincial office that have authority to look into the case,” he added.

Kittisak served as a member of the now-defunct pro-junta National Legislative Assembly. He was involved in a noisy dispute with a Pheu Thai MP during the recent two-day parliamentary session where the new government unveiled its policies.

The institute’s director, assistant professor Nopadol Kannikar, said the poll surveyed 1,563 people nationwide on Friday (July 26). The survey included quantitative and qualitative research.

The institute said 78.6 per cent of those surveyed said they do not believe the ruling coalition will do anything to implement its policies, while 21.4 per cent had confidence that the government will do everything to implement its policies announced in Parliament.

When respondents were asked to score out of 10 the performance of Parliament members in the debate on Thursday (July 25), opposition parties scored 6.46, the Parliament president got 5.84 and the government 5.11.

Meanwhile, NIDA Poll by the National Institute of Development Administration announced the results of its latest survey about “Politicians expressing their opinions and responding via social media”. On the issue of using social media for political retaliation, more than 37 per cent was opposed to this practice, 19.16 per cent said this was the only the way to try to overcome politics while 17.36 per cent backed the use of social media for political purposes.

When asked about the ways in which politicians should respond, 66.07 per cent of respondents said they should give their opinions in Parliament while 22.67 per cent said they should respond through mainstream media such as TV, radio, and newspaper.

The poll from July 23 to July 25, surveyed 1,279 people aged above 15.

Prayut said that the two days of deliberations had served as an opportunity for everyone to meet and get acquainted with each other. “Sometimes, we do not like each other because we may not know the other’s thinking but the most important thing is we should respect each other. Sometimes, I may have spoken in ways that were not appropriate, for that I apologise. I will adjust myself for the next meeting.”

Prayut said he believes that everyone loves the country and wants the country to move forward.

He promised to firmly lead the country forward despite the scepticism of many MPs about the policies. “In fact we wrote the policies to manage the country so as to harmonise with the country’s national strategy with a five-year plan.”

Prayut said most members were concerned about the investment plan, which relies on borrowings, especially as the country already has high public debt. He pointed out that in fact the government would be borrowing only one-third of the total investment budget, while the rest would be thrown open to the private sector to invest and develop the country’s infrastructure.

Prayut thanked the Parliament president and members for suggestions on how to manage the country and on how to solve the country’s problems.

He said the government will use all suggestions that help drive the country forward. A meeting will be held with all government agencies in October to find ways to implement the plan, he said.

“We will administer with the rule of law and lead Thailand forward firmly, without leaving anyone behind,” he said.

Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit said the government’s policies were lacking in vision. He also felt that PM Prayut lacked maturity to control his emotions when a member of Parliament debates about his qualification.

Clarifying his role, the minister said he had been cleared after an investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) as well as the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders .

He explained to the lower house on Friday night that when the bank’s board considered approving the Bt9.9-billion loan to Krisda Mahanakorn Plc on December 9, 2003, he and Chainarong Indharameesap — both independent directors — had opposed the move but the board eventually gave the nod.

Uttama said the case was investigated by the Bank of Thailand and later by the NACC in 2005. However, a coup toppled the government of Thaksin Shinawatra the following year. The case was sent to a committee that examines actions which cause damage to the state. The committee named Uttama as accused No 19. Uttama said when the committee sent this case to the NACC, he had to provide documents and more information before the NACC cleared him of any wrongdoing.

“Insinuations that the NACC wanted me to be a witness in the case is wrong. I was never asked to be a witness. I was thoroughly investigated and the NACC and finally the Supreme Court came to the conclusion that I had not done anything wrong, as a result I have qualified to become the finance minister,” Uttama said.

The first-time MP, who is also known by her nickname “Madam Dear”, addressed four key policies focusing on technology — building of technological infrastructure, integration of technology in state functions, support for business startups and so-called ecosystem, and amendments of outdated laws and regulations together with ethical improvement in society.

As part of the government’s policy statement on Friday, Prawit said the budget proposed by the Defence Ministry would cover the purchase of equipment for the Army, Navy and the Air Force, adding that the equipment the Royal Armed Forces currently has is more than 20 years old.

Deputy Defense Minister Gen Chaichan Changmongkol added that countries usually allocate 2 per cent of the GDP for the acquisition of army equipment. However, after the 1997 financial crisis, the funds allocated for the Army was less than 1.1 per cent of the GDP. Hence, he said, a lot of the equipment now required maintenance.

Meanwhile, the deputy defence minister explained separately that the purchase of submarines was part of the Navy’s strategy to protect Thailand’s seas, adding that the acquisition process will take six years to complete.

The two ministers were responding to remarks by Pheu Thai’s Mahasarakham MP Yutthapong Jarassathian, who questioned the government’s policy on prevention of corruption and suppression on the second day of the policy debate in Parliament.

Yutthapong told Parliament that he did not believe in the government’s policy against graft because Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha had not done anything to crack down on corruption during his five years in power.

Yutthapong cited alleged irregularities in the project of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department as an example. He said 80 per cent of the department budget was spent on procurement of fire engines, which were parked unused.

He said most of the fire engines were bought from the same company.

Yutthapong asked whether Anupong, who was also the interior minister in the first Prayut government, had investigated alleged irregularities in the fire-engine procurement. He said the company was suspected by the National Anti-Corruption Commission of practising bidding collusion.

Yutthapong also questioned the bidding process for the construction of the third phase of the Laem Chabang deep seaport, which is in the area of the Eastern Economic Corridor. The opposition MP said that while the EEC project committee is chaired by the prime minister, it was reported there were efforts to help one of the two bidding firms win the deep sea port project.

In his reply, Anupong said Prayut has instructed all government agencies to be strict against corruption.

Anupong said he would take legal action against any government official found to be involved in corruption. He insisted that no departments and state firms of the Interior Ministry had engaged in corruption during the five years when he was the interior minister.

Anupong insisted the fire engines were needed to fight fires and the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department had spent the normal annual budget for the procurement, whose process was transparent.

“We all want to have transparency. So, we must help each other. When we deliberate the budget bill and spot any repetitive item, we must point it out,” Anupong said.

He called on the opposition to provide him evidence of corruption so that he could take action accordingly. He told the opposition that they could charge him with dereliction of duty if he failed to take action against corruption.

After Anupong had finished his statement, Somkid rose to explain that the government would carefully select the winner of the Laem Chabang deep-sea port project.

While Yutthapong was questioning the government’s anti-corruption policy, Prayut informed the House that he needed to leave to attend a meeting with the head of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Yutthapong said Prayut was skipping the debate because he could not tolerate listening to corruption issues pertaining to his government. Yutthapong’s taunt led to protests by several Phalang Pracharat MPs.

In his response to Yutthapong, Somkid said Prayut’s meeting with the ICAO chief had been scheduled a long time ago. He said the meeting schedule was set before the policy debate.

During the morning’s policy debate in parliament, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha restated his intention to continue developing the Eastern Economic Corridor. He claimed that the special economic zone has the potential to boost Thailand’s economic growth to Vietnam’s level.

The announcement was followed by the opposition coalition expressing more doubts as to how the government could fund their economic stimulus policies without jeopardising the financial stability of the country.

In his reply, the finance minister revealing that the central budget currently has a value of Bt500 billion. The budget is divided into 11 categories, including a category for emergency spending with a value of Bt100 billion, he stated.

Furthermore, he said, the government also has an emergency reserve of Bt500 billion, separate from the central budget.

The government will also be using various measures to gather the necessary funds to finance its projects, he continued.

Uttama then cited Moody’s upgraded financial ratings of the Thai government, which on Thursday rose from “stable” to “positive”.

“The government’s budget deficits are spent in generating economic value in the country,” Prayut added. He would not reveal the estimated deficits of the current and upcoming government budgets when asked by the opposition.

The opposition also underlined the growing level of household debt in the country after Uttama stated earlier on Friday morning that state-run banks, such as the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) and the Government Savings Bank (GSB), have given out a total of Bt3.8 trillion in household loans, or 41 per cent of total household loans in the country.

Uttama committed the government to seeking new financial mechanisms to allow small businesses and low-income individuals to gain access to capital without having to take out more loans.

For instance, he said, the government has been developing “nano financing” methods to reduce the level of household debt.

Furthermore, the government is also looking to make greater use of Thailand’s capital market as a means for the public to make long-term savings.

“We will continue to promote the National Savings Fund, which currently has over 1.5 million users,” he said.