With the feud heating up online Wednesday, Sumeth posted a video clip on his Facebook wall, warning all THAI staff to be careful about their communications on the social networks.

In his video message, Sumeth said THAI staff in uniform should remain politically neutral because they represent the organisation.

“Today, I have read news and I have seen messages on the social networks that affect the organization and make me feel uneasy. I would like to seek cooperation from staff and remind them that we are a state enterprise and must maintain neutrality on all issues. THAI staff are regarded as representatives of the organisation. Whenever you are in uniform, wearing y any symbol of THAI or are in the office or the workplace, always rememeber that you are representatives of the organisation,” Sumeth said.

The CEO stepped in after older and young THAI flight attendants exchanged heated criticism online following Facebook posts of a group of young Thai flight attendants showing their selfies with Thanathorn.

The Future Forward leader is popular among young voters while older members of the electorate seem to prefer junta chief Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Flight attendants aboard THAI flight TG910 from Bangkok to London Heathrow posted photos of their selfies in groups and in pairs with Thanathorn abroad the flight when Thanathorn and his family flew to Europe.

“May I iron a t-shirt for Thanathorn? Just kidding. Thank you for flying with us,” one post said.

The posts drew both criticism and likes. Critics said the flight attendants behaved improperly because they were on duty but Thanathorn’s fans were happy and said they wished they could have posed for such photos.

Older flight attendants later joined the row, posting that the air hostesses had behaved improperly because they acted as if they were fans of Thanathorn. Not long after, the young flight attendants retaliated with comments that the older flight attendants used to act like they were fans of Suthep Thaugsuban, a leading member of right-leaning Action Coalition of Thailand Party when he led protests against the Yingluck government.

The list of the 36-member new Cabinet was announced in the Royal Gazette on Wednesday and countersigned by Prayut, who was reappointed prime minister on June 9.

Prayut will also double as Defence Minister, a key position currently held by General Prawit Wongsuwan, his deputy in the outgoing government.

Prawit will retain his position as a deputy prime minister and is expected to also be in charge of security affairs.

The new Cabinet also has eight other ministers who have worked with Prayut and Prawit in the current post-coup government: Somkid Jatusripitak, Wissanu Krea-ngam, General Chaichan Changmongkol, Uttama Savanayana, Don Pramudwinai, Suvit Maesincee, Sontirat Sontijirawong and General Anupong Paojinda.

Somkid, Wissanu, Chaichan, Don and Anupong have retained their Cabinet seats, with Somkid and Wissanu also appointed deputy prime ministers in the incoming government. Anupong will again be the Interior Minister, Don the Foreign Minister and Chaichan the Deputy Defence Minister.

Uttama, Sontirat and Suvit last year left the Prayut government to form the Phalang Pracharat Party, which later nominated Prayut as prime minister.

Sontirat, secretary general of the core coalition partner, Phalang Pracharat, has become Energy Minister, a coveted ministerial position that had also been reportedly sought by Suriya Juangroongruangkit, leader of a key faction in the party. Suriya has instead been appointed Industry Minister.

Uttama, the Phalang Pracharat leader, is the new Finance Minister, despite having been criticised by opposition politicians as being unqualified for the post due to his alleged involvement with a loan scandal in 2003 regarding the state-owned Krungthai Bank while serving as its senior executive. Uttama, however, said he had had nothing to do with the approval of the loans to financially ailing property companies.

Other key Phalang Pracharat figures have also become government ministers. They include Somsak Thepsuthin, who will become the Justice Minister, Buddhipongse Punakanta the new Digital Economy and Society minister; Ittipol Khunpluem the new Culture Minister and Nataphol Teepsuwan the new Education Minister.

Two other deputy PM positions will be held by leaders of the key Democrat and Bhumjaithai coalition parties – Democrat leader Jurin Laksanawisit has been named Commerce Minister and Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul the Public Health Minister.

The Cabinet seats allocated to Phalang Pracharat’s coalition partners were virtually unchanged from the reported agreement.

Key figures from the Democrat Party appointed as government ministers are secretary general Chalermchai Sri-on, who will become the Agriculture Minister, and Juti Krairiksh, who will be the social Development and Human Security Minister.

Chalermchai will have three deputies from three different political parties: Mananya Thaiset from Bhumjaithai, Thammanas Phromphao from Phalang Pracharat and Praphat Phothasuthon from Chart Thai Pattana.

Bhumjaithai Party’s Saksayam Chidchob will become the new Transport Minister and party colleague Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn will be the new Tourism and Sports Minister. His wife Natee had been tipped to win that appointment but a last-minute change was forced after a court on Tuesday banned her from politics for five years.

Former Bank of Thailand governor MR Chatu Mongol Sonakul, who is the leader of the Action Coalition for Thailand Party, will become the new Labour Minister.

Members of the new Cabinet will officially take up their new jobs after taking an oath before His Majesty the King, with their audiences expected to take place soon.

The incoming government is led by Phalang Pracharat, which came second in the March 24 general election but managed to gather a majority in the House of Representatives and form an 18-party coalition.

Sontirat Sontijirawong, secretary-general of the core coalition partner Phalang Pracharat Party, has been given the Energy Ministry, which was also reportedly coveted by Suriya Juangroongruangkit, the leader of a key faction in Phalang Pracharat Party.

Phalang Pracharat leader, Uttama Savanayana, has been given the Finance portfolio even though the opposition claimed his alleged role in a 2003 Krungthai Bank loan scandal disqualified him from the post. Uttama defended himself saying that during his time as senior executive at the bank, he had nothing to do with the approval of loans to ailing property firms.

The new Cabinet will start working immediately after the ministers take their oaths before His Majesty the King, which is expected to be soon.

The new government is led by Phalang Pracharat Party, which came second in the March 24 general election but managed to build a majority in the House of Representatives by forming an 18-party coalition.

Energy Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong

Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana

Deputy PM for National Security Affairs Prawit Wongsuwan

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Names of members of the new Cabinet, based on the royal endorsement granted on July 10, 2019

1. Prayut Chan-o-cha

Prime Minister and Defence Minister

2. Prawit Wongsuwan

Deputy Prime Minister for National Security Affairs

3. Somkid Jatusripitak

Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs

4. Wissanu Krea-ngam

Deputy Prime Minister for Legal Affairs

5.Jurin Laksanawisit

Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister

6.Anutin Charnvirakul

Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister

7. General Anupong Paochinda

Interior Minister

8. Niphon Bunyamanee

Deputy Interior Minister

9. Songsak Thongsee

Deputy Interior Minister

10. General Chaicharn Changmongkhol

Deputy Defence Minister

11. Uttama Savanayana

Finance Minister

12. Santi Phromphat

Deputy Finance Minister

13. MR Chatu Mongol Sonakul

Labour Minister

14. Tewan Liptapanlop

PM’s Office Minister

15. Nataphol Teepsuwan

Education Minister

16. Kalaya Sophonpanich

Deputy Education Minister

17. Kanokwan Wilawal

Deputy Education Minister

18. Suriya Juangroongruangkit

Industry Minister

19. Suvit Maesincee

Undergraduate Education, Research, Science and Innovation Minister

20. Sontirat Sontijirawong

Energy Minister

21. Somsak Thepsuthin

Justice Minister

22. Buddhipongse Punakanta

Digital Economy and Society Minister

23. Ittipol Khunpluem

Culture Minister

24. Juti Krairiksh

Social Development and Human Security Minister

25. Saksayam Chidchob

Transport Minister

26. Thavorn Senniam

Deputy Transport Minister

27. Atheerat Rattanaset

Deputy Transport Minister

28. Chalermchai Sri-on

Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister

29. Thammanas Phromphao

Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister

30. Mananya Thaiset

Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister

31. Praphat Phothasuthon

Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister

32. Sathit Pitutecha

Deputy Public Health Minister

33. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn

Tourism and Sports Minister

34. Weerasak Wongsuphakijkoson

Deputy Commerce Minister

35. Varawut Silpa-archa

Natural Resources and Environment Minister

36. Don Pramudwinai

Foreign Minister

Nataphol Teepsuwan, a deputy leader of the coalition leader, said the meeting will be held at 7pm at the TOT complex.

“The proposals from the different coalition parties will be adjusted so they are compatible with those of the core coalition parties. All parties, big or small, will be given the right to participate,” Nataphol said.

The law requires that a new government announce its policies to Parliament before it starts working.

On Wednesday, leaders from the 10 smaller coalition partners met Nataphol to submit their policy proposals, which include the construction of a water tunnel to help ease droughts in the Northeast, closer ties with Muslim countries and improving the quality of traditional medical practitioners.

Lawmakers will be meeting in the auditorium in the TOT complex until the new Parliament building in Bangkok’s Kiakkai Road is completed early next year.

“Let’s see if it comes out today,” Wissanu told reporters on Wednesday.

The line-up was submitted for royal endorsement last week.

It is widely speculated that the new Cabinet may get the royal okay this week, after the government implied that the weekly Cabinet meeting on Tuesday was the last one for the junta-led administration.

Also on Wednesday, Phalang Pracharat Party’s key men – Kobsak Pootrakul and Suvit Maesincee – were spotted at Government House. It is believed they were there to discuss the new government policies with Deputy PM Somkid Jatusripitak, who is in charge of economic matters.

Wissanu told reporters that there were three major steps in the preparation of new policies before they are announced in Parliament.

The first step, which has already been completed, is getting coalition parties to discuss and agree on the policies, he said.

The next step, he explained, involved the re-checking of the proposals, which will be done once the new government is in place, while the last step was getting the policies vetted by the Cabinet before they are submitted to Parliament.

Wissanu said the last two steps can be completed as soon as the Cabinet is sworn in.

Chuan said during Wednesday’s meeting of the Lower House that he was interested as to when members of the new Cabinet would take their oath before His Majesty the King, following media reports the ceremony would take place on July 16.

According to the Constitution, the oath-taking is mandatory for new Cabinet members before they can start working officially.

The House speaker noted that the new government is required by law to announce its policies before a parliamentary meeting within 15 days after the oath-taking.

Chuan said the regulations required the lower house to stop convening after the new Cabinet’s oath-taking. “We will have to wait until the new Cabinet has a meeting with Parliament to announce the government policies,” he added.

The speaker made the remarks during a debate on whether the house should take days off on the public holidays on July 16 and 17.

Even though the junta decided on Tuesday to ease its control by lifting 70-odd old orders such as media intervention and trying cases in military court, critics say there is still room for improvement.

Anti-junta Future Forward Party secretary-general Piyabutr Saengkanokkul said on Tuesday that the decision to hang on to some orders was made just before the National Council for Peace and Order is dissolved, because it wants its leader General Prayut Chan-o-cha to have full power until the last minute. He also said that the revocation of 70 old orders was not quite enough.

“The junta is still supported by the Constitution’s Article 279 because it pardons them for all their actions,” the former law professor said, adding that his party’s mission is to have this law abolished in order to stop the junta from being above the law.

He also said that the though the junta’s orders are being revoked, their impact will still be felt in society.

According to Piyabutr, the Future Forward Party is looking to launch a motion in Parliament to set up a committee to study all the impacts these orders have had.

“It’s not like we can forget these orders ever existed once they are revoked,” he said.

Pro-rights organisation iLaw, which has been campaigning for the junta to revoke its “announcements” and orders after the election, acknowledged the junta’s move. However, it said the order that allows soldiers to detain people without a charge for seven days and other similar orders that remain are an infringement on people’s rights and freedom.

The organisation said there are some 20 junta orders that must be removed, and it is awaiting Parliament’s approval of the proposal it has submitted with more than 13,000 signatures.

Prayut’s announcement came with the publication in the Royal Gazette website of National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) Order 9/2019 at 6.05pm on Tuesday..

Of the 66 orders, 28 of them are NCPO announcements, 29 are NCPO orders, four are orders of NCPO chief Prayut and five are NCPO orders requiring criminal investigations to be under the jurisdiction of military courts.

The nullification order was issued under a special authority of the draconian and controversial Article 44 and Article 265 of the Constitution.

A total of 66 subordinate laws and orders issued by the coupmakers after seizing power on May 22, 2014 stand annulled after coup leader and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday issued a nullification order.

Many of the laws and orders remain effective.

Prayut’s announcement of National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) Order 9/2019 came with the publication in the Royal Gazette website at 6.05pm on Monday.

Of the 66 orders, 28 of them are NCPO announcements, 29 are NCPO orders, four are orders of NCPO chief Prayut and five are NCPO orders requiring criminal investigations to be under the jurisdiction of military courts.

The nullification order was issued under a special authority of the draconian and controversial Article 44 and Article 265 of the Constitution.

“We are still at Tier 2, but our status as this rank has to be ‘unlocked’ and to do that we must speedily proceed with law enforcement and related penalties. As for state officials who are allegedly involved in human trafficking, I have already issued a policy for them. No matter which agency they come from, they will be dismissed immediately from civil service and they can defend themselves in court later. I will not be lenient on this matter,” the PM told reporters after the Cabinet meeting at Government House on Tuesday.

Natthaporn Chatusripitak, spokesperson for the deputy PM overseeing the economy, told reporters that the Cabinet acknowledged the US Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report issued on June 20, in which Thailand remained at Tier 2 along with Singapore and Indonesia.

The US ranked 187 countries in its TIP Report this year in relation to their efforts to combat human trafficking.

Natthaporn said the Social Development and Human Security Ministry believes several factors may have contributed to Thailand’s ranking remaining unchanged, namely the fact that the cases in which human traffickers were prosecuted and convicted were too few and that only 43 labour-trafficking cases had gone to court over the past year.

The ministry added that corruption among state officials and the limits imposed on trafficking victims at state shelters are also dampening the country’s bid to curb human trafficking. Also, it said, Thai officials are still unable to effectively identify human-trafficking, especially labour-trafficking, cases from other crimes.

Natthaporn said the US has also advised Thailand to boost its law-enforcement measures to more proactively prosecute and convict traffickers and implement a more efficient way of identifying victims. Punishment for traffickers should be adequate, and the state shelters should boost public confidence in the fact that the victims are getting proper care, both physically and mentally, and are being given access to legal assistance.

He said the Social Development and Human Security Ministry will soon be holding a meeting with the Human Trafficking Prevention and Suppression Committee to discuss US government’s advice, and will give key agencies the task of implementing appropriate measures in line with each point. The recommendations in the TIP Report will also be used in following up on the work progress and will be integrated in Thailand’s 2020 report on anti-human trafficking measures, Natthaporn added.