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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40020366

Preparations being finalised for Saudi crown prince’s visit to Thailand

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2022

Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai has met his Saudi Arabian counterpart in New York about an official visit of the Middle East kingdom’s crown prince to Thailand later this year.

Don had a bilateral meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on the sidelines of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanee Sangrat said on Friday.

Tanee said final preparations are being made for the upcoming visit to Thailand of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman al-Saud, during which the two countries will sign agreements on bilateral cooperation.

“The crown prince’s visit is expected to take place within this year. Final arrangements are being made regarding the exact date. We will make an official announcement when the time is confirmed,” said Tanee, who doubles as director-general of the Information Department.

The crown prince, who is often described by the media as Saudi Arabia’s de-facto ruler, also serves as deputy prime minister and defence minister.

After over three decades of sour ties, Thailand and Saudi Arabia agreed to normalise diplomatic relations early this year. In January, General Prayut Chan-o-cha paid an official visit to Saudi Arabia and met with the crown prince.

Prayut’s visit, which was described by the Thai Foreign Ministry as “historic”, was followed by a series of diplomatic and business contacts between the two kingdoms.

Tanee also said on Friday that leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation have started confirming their participation at the Apec Summit to be held in Bangkok in mid-November. These included the leaders of Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.

He said that there was a “high likelihood” of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin attending the meeting.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40020338

Miss Grand Myanmar, currently detained by Thai immigration authorities

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2022

Reuters

A Myanmar model who took refuge in Thailand after speaking out against a military coup in her homeland has been blocked from returning to Bangkok, Thai authorities said on Thursday (September 22), over what her manager said was an Interpol notice.

Han Lay, who captured international attention last year with a moving beauty pageant speech calling for urgent help for Myanmar’s people during a military crackdown, did not have a valid visa to enter Thailand, the immigration department said.
 

The 23-year-old was not being detained and arrangements were being made for her to board a flight out of Thailand, the department said in a statement.

Nawit Itsaragrisil, founder of Thailand’s Miss Grand International pageant, who also represents Han Lay, said she had been in the transit area of a Bangkok airport since Wednesday afternoon (September 21).

He said Han Lay was stopped on arrival because she was subject of an Interpol notice.

Myanmar has been in crisis since a coup in February last year triggered protests that the military suppressed with lethal force and thousands of arrests.

The junta’s crackdown had multiple targets, from pro-democracy and youth groups, to activists, politicians and even celebrities and social media influencers.

A spokesperson for Myanmar’s ruling military council could not be reached for comment. Interpol did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Han Lay was the subject of an Interpol notice.

Han Lay was a contestant in the Miss Grand International when videos went viral on social media of her fighting back tears on stage when talking about the bloodshed in Myanmar, on a day when more than 140 demonstrators were killed.

In an interview with Reuters last year, she said her people “will never give up”.

Han Lay’s Instagram postings indicate she has spent most of the past year in Thailand. She was returning to the country on a flight from Vietnam when she was denied entry.

Reuters

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40020325

Thaksin, Yingluck visit Penang, enjoy street food

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

THE NATION

Apparently buoyed by his victory last month in a tax case to do with Shin Corp share sales, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his sister, ex-PM Yingluck Shinawatra, came very close to Thailand – visiting Penang, Malaysia.

Malaysian newspaper The Star, a member of the Asia News Network, reported on Thursday that the two exiled VVIP siblings were spotted at Cecil Street market during the peak lunch hour on Wednesday. The two reportedly ordered popular Malaysian street food – koay teow th’ng and Chinese pasembur – at about 1pm.

The Star said they were earlier spotted at a food court in Weld Quay.

The surprise visit to the Malaysian border town south of Thailand created huge excitement, as many Penang residents instantly recognised them and approached them for selfies, the paper reported.

The two former PMs happily let their admirers take and share their photos in what is seen by Thai political observers as a subtle political message for Thailand, especially for the “3-Ps” generals in the government – suspended prime minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, acting PM and Deputy Premier General Prawit Wongsuwan and Interior Minister General Anupong “Pok” Paochinda.

The Star said the two Shinawatras were escorted by Malaysian police on motorcycles and by bodyguards during their visit to Penang.

Thaksin, 73, was prime minister twice – from 2001 to 2006 – before he was toppled by a coup on September 19 that year. Yingluck, 55, rode the wave of Thaksin’s unending popularity to become the country’s first female prime minister in 2011, before she too was toppled in a coup by the 3-Ps on May 22, 2014.

On August 8, Thaksin triumphed in his back-tax share case, the third legal case he has won so far stemming from the 2006 coup.

The Central Tax Court ruled in his favour after he filed a case against a Revenue Department order for him to pay back tax of 17 billion baht on the sale of his Shin Corp shares to Singapore’s Temasek Holdings.

On November 22, 2019, the Supreme Court acquitted him in a case in which he was charged with abusing his authority as the prime minister by ordering the Finance Ministry to restructure TPI Polene’s debt.

And on August 30 that same year, the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Office acquitted him of allegations that he abused his authority by ordering Krung Thai Bank to approve a loan to Krissada Mahanakhon Group.

Thaksin, who has largely kept a low profile in the past, has become more vocal recently against the generals who staged the coups against him and his sister.

On September 19, Thaksin commemorated the coup against him 19 years ago by listing ten pillars of progress Thailand had “lost” because of the 2006 coup.

(For the details, click here).

He also attacked the generals for “stealthily biting him from behind”.

Political observers said Thaksin has become vocal and is once again seeking the political limelight after pushing his youngest daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, to the political stage while Prayut has kept a low profile since the Constitutional Court suspended him from duty as prime minister.

The court suspended Prayut on August 24 after accepting an opposition petition asking it to rule whether he had reached the end of his eight-year limit as premier. The court will announce its verdict at the end of this month.

In the past, Prayut has retaliated against Thaksin, reminding the exiled PM to behave whenever he sent a “political message” to Thailand.

Thaksin has apparently boosted Paetongtarn into the limelight as a possible PM candidate for the general election next year in her capacity as head of the Pheu Thai Family project.

Since then Paetongtarn has not shied away from seeking public support to bring Thaksin back home. She has asked Pheu Thai supporters to elect the party with a landslide victory so that her father could return home.

In an interview with Prachachart newspaper on Wednesday, Paetongtarn said the “unfair” judicial process would have to be “corrected” and political amnesty studied on a case-by-case basis.

THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40020321

‘Madame Dear’ joins Democrat Party, boosting its prospects in Bangkok

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

Watanya Bunnag, a former party-list MP and key figure in the ruling Palang Pracharath Party, on Thursday joined the Democrat Party.

She was welcomed by Democrat leader Jurin Laksanawisit and other party executives at its headquarters, amid a large media presence.

Jurin, who serves as deputy premier and commerce minister, said the Democrats “feel honoured” to receive the new-generation politician. He said Watanya could help the party strengthen its Bangkok team, adding that she had requested to contest in the party-list system.

“I believe Khun Watanya will be an important force to boost the party’s popularity in Bangkok. Results of the Bangkok governor election [in May] showed that Bangkokians still support the Democrats. So, we are confident of winning more votes at the next election,” the Democrat leader said.

The party’s candidate, Suchatvee Suwansawat, came second in the gubernatorial election with over 250,000 votes, albeit still more than a million votes behind the winner and current governor, Chadchart Sittipunt.

Watanya, also known as “Madame Dear”, said she admired Jurin and other Democrat executives due to their diligence and determination to work for the public. She told the media she has faith in the party’s strong culture as a political institution that has existed for over 76 years.

“This has been reflected in how the party’s MPs voted in Parliament. All of them have free will, with no one owning the party or having the power to dominate it,” she said.

The 37-year-old politician said that after leaving Palang Pracharath in August, she had met with the executives of many political parties before deciding to join the Democrats.

Watanya, the wife of Nation Group CEO Shine Bunnag, had worked as a government whip while in the ruling party. She was a leader of the Dao Roek (Fixed Stars) group of mostly young female MPs actively working in Bangkok.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40020251

Court Finds Suthep Not Guilty Of Collusion Over Police Station Project

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2022

THE NATION

The Supreme Court On Tuesday Found Former Yellow-Shirt Leader Suthep Thaugsuban And Five Others Not Guilty Of Corruption Over A Failed 5.8-Billion Baht Police Station Project.

The court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Office said the defendants were not guilty of malfeasance under the Criminal Code’s Articles 151 and 157. This verdict cannot be repealed.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission had slapped Suthep, five others including former acting national police chief Pol General Pateep Tanprasert, and construction firm, PCC Development and Construction, with collusion charges in December 2021.

Before the verdict, Suthep told the press that accusatory headlines sparked by the opposition’s attacks had prompted NACC to take the case.

“But I have provided evidence to prove that I’m not guilty,” he said, adding that he respects the court’s verdict.

Suthep said this case had been hanging over him like a sin for the past decade, but his honour and dignity will return if the court finds him not guilty.

“But if the court finds me guilty, my job as a politician will come to an end because I have no new evidence,” he added.

The case dates back to 2009 when the Abhisit Vejjajiva government earmarked 5.8 billion baht to build 396 new police stations and residences across the country. Suthep, as deputy premier at the time, awarded the project to the single bid winner, PCC Development and Construction.

However, the contractor abandoned the project leaving many police stations unfinished and officers nowhere to work from.

The case was first aired by opposition politician Chuwit Kamolvisit in 2012 and picked up by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) the following year.

It was then handed over to NACC, which eventually took the case to the Supreme Court.

THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40020211

Thaksin Lists 10 ‘Lost Opportunities’ For Thailand On Anniversary Of 2006 Coup

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2022

THE NATION

Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra Said On Monday He Had Been “Stabbed In The Back” By Supposedly Professional Soldiers Whose Coup 19 Years Ago Had Cost Thailand The Chance To Develop.

Posting on Facebook on the anniversary of the 2006 military takeover led by then Army chief Sonthi Boonyaratglin, Thaksin issued a list of opportunities he said Thailand had lost due to the coup.

“I was stealthily bitten from behind by those who called themselves professional soldiers,” he wrote of the coup, which occurred while he was attending the UN general assembly in New York.

“I regret the country losing positive things that should have happened but instead eventually turned into negatives,” Thaksin wrote.

He listed 10 pillars of progress Thailand lost because of the 2006 coup as:

– Democratic rule under the so-called people’s constitution of 1997. “These days, we are under a charter that was written to extend the coup-makers dictatorial powers,” he wrote of the 2017 Constitution written under the junta regime.

– Reputation of the country and trust in the eyes of the international community.

– Development of education, technology, agriculture and industry.

– Eradication of poverty. “There should have been no more poor people in Thailand.”

– Opportunities for Thais. “Now, Thais don’t see a [better] future. They simply work and live for today. Their income is lower than other nations at the same development level.”

– Suvarnabhumi Airport becoming an international aviation hub. “Given our geopolitical position, we should have been at the centre of Asean.”

– Thai children free from narcotics. “Now, drugs can be bought more easily than chewing gum.”

– Protection against floods. “The country has suffered repeated flooding because the government failed to manage water resources systematically.”

– A modern Thai bureaucracy. “Now, the people have to plead with officials for services.”

– A country freed from debt. “Thailand is having to borrow more money because of mismanagement, meaning the public debt ceiling had to be raised. Household debts have risen so high that people are struggling to make repayments.”

Thaksin added that the government of Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, also a coup leader, did not know how to earn revenue for the country. Prayut staged the 2014 putsch against the elected administration of Thaksin’s sister, Yingluck Shinawatra.

“I’ve told you that soldiers are like chief security guards with a duty to guard assets and maintain security. They should not be CEOs or national administrators as they only know how to spend money, not earn it,” Thaksin wrote.

He also urged Thais to support democracy and stand up against all forms of dictatorship.

“This will help our children see a future and choose their own paths,” he wrote.

“I am now 73 years old but I cannot help worrying about the future of our country and our children.”

He also expressed hope of being able to return to Thailand to take care of his grandchildren and share his knowledge with society.

Thaksin fled Thailand in 2008 to escape a corruption ruling and has lived in exile ever since. A controversial 2013 amnesty bill that would have paved the way for his return instead triggered street protests which culminated in the 2014 coup against Yingluck’s government.

THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40020188

Thaksin’s Daughter Greeted By Cries Of ‘Welcome, Prime Minister’ In Northeast

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2022

THE NATION

Paetongtarn Shinawatra, The Youngest Daughter Of Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Was In Roi Et On Sunday To Campaign For Pheu Thai In A Local Election.

Paetongtarn was greeted at Roi Et Airport by a crowd of red-shirted supporters, who shouted “Welcome, prime minister” while handing her roses and garlands and tying a traditional pa khao ma sash around her waist.

She is visiting the northeastern province to campaign for Seksith Vainiyompong, the party’s candidate for the provincial administrative organisation (PAO) chief.

Paetongtarn is expected to be Pheu Thai’s prime ministerial candidate for the upcoming general election, which must be called in the next six months.

PAO chiefs are seen as crucial for drumming up support for political parties, as they are in charge of provincial development projects.

Paetongtarn was scheduled to tour Phone Thong, Selaphum and Suwannaphum districts before wrapping up with a campaign rally in Muang district on Sunday evening.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40020186

Election Ban On Relief Handouts ‘Will Deepen Economic Hardship For Thais’

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2022

THE NATION

The Thai Sang Thai Party Has Warned That The Ban On Politicians Handing Out Relief Supplies Before The Upcoming Election Will Make Life Much Harder For Many Thais.

The Election Commission (EC) said on Friday that parties caught handing out relief supplies after September 24 will be punished for buying votes under the election law.

The announcement came as Thailand began its six-month countdown to the general election, with this Parliament due to expire on March 23 next year.

Responding to the announcement on Sunday, Thai Sang Thai Party secretary-general Sita Divari said local politicians, parties and foundations do more to alleviate people’s suffering than the government.

“This shows that despite spending over 100 billion baht to lessen people’s hardship, the government cannot match the cooperative efforts of people,” he said.

Although the EC announcement will help boost the election’s transparency, it will also cause suffering, he added.

Meanwhile, Thai Sang Thai was willing to help alleviate people’s hardship without expecting a reward, Sita said.

The election ban on handouts comes as Thais are struggling with soaring energy and food prices.

He also laid blame on the National Council for Peace and Order junta, claiming it had established agencies and independent organisations that worked to satisfy the needs of the leader, not the people.

Turning to the general election, he said the new that party-list MP calculation method would play an important role.

“If party-list MPs are calculated using the ‘100’ division method, many political parties will merge,” he said.

The “100” method, which looks set to be used for the next election, would favour larger parties

Sita said Thai Sang Thai will reveal its election candidates gradually, adding that the party would remain independent and not seek conflict with others.

THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40020164

Politicians Face Ban If Caught Handing Out Freebies After Sept 23

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2022

Politicians And Political Parties Have Been Barred From Giving Any Handouts After September 23 As They May Be Violating The Electoral Law.

The Election Commission (EC) said in a statement on Friday that the vote campaigning period goes into effect on September 24 – 180 days before the House of Representatives’ four-year term ends on March 23, 2023.

An EC source said on Saturday that election candidates would be violating the organic electoral law if they distributed items to potential voters after next Friday.

“Doing so would be seen as buying votes,” the source pointed out.

The source also said that candidates cannot add the cost of these handouts to the campaign expenditure details submitted to the EC, as distribution of any items after next Friday would be deemed an “illegal campaigning act”.

The organic law on the election of MPs prohibits candidates from “procuring, giving, offering to give, promising to give or preparing to give property or any other benefits with a monetary value to any person”.

Violators can face one to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of 20,000 to 200,000 baht, as well as a court-ordered revocation of voting rights for up to 20 years.

The EC issued this warning because it has become a wide practice for Thai politicians to distribute survival kits among stranded flood victims and Covid-19 patients in home isolation.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/politics/40020139

Move To Snuff Out Cannabis Bill Not Politically Motivated, Say Democrats

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2022

The Coalition Democrat Party On Friday Denied Its Decision To Vote Against The Cannabis Bill Was Politically Motivated.

Democrat leader Jurin Laksanawisit said his party supports marijuana for medical uses but is opposed to recreational use.

Disagreement over the proposed legislation is threatening to destabilise the coalition government.

The Bhumjaithai Party is upset after fellow coalition partners, including the Democrats and ruling Palang Pracharath, on Wednesday joined the opposition in voting to withdraw the bill from ongoing House deliberation.

The Cannabis and Hemp Bill was proposed by the Public Health Ministry, which is headed by Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul.

Anutin suggested on Thursday that the issue is being politicised ahead of the next election, due to be called in March at the latest.

The Democrats earlier voiced opposition to allowing the public to grow marijuana, arguing that this encouraged recreational use of the herb. The party said loopholes in the bill must be fixed to prevent recreational use of marijuana.

Jurin, who serves as deputy prime minister and commerce minister, said on Friday that his party was focusing on protecting people from being harmed by casual use of cannabis.

He said the Democrats had never blamed coalition partners when draft laws proposed by the party were rejected in the House of Representatives.