Sansern quoted Prayut as saying that the Asean chairmanship is a matter for the entire country and all Thais, and does not belong to a specific person.

Prayut’s comments came after the English-language newspaper, The Jakarta Post, posted a commentary calling on Indonesia to oppose Thailand taking over the temporary leadership of the Asean bloc unless an election had first been held in the Kingdom.

Sansern said it remains unknown who would win the next election and become the prime minister, and so also become the ex-officio chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations next year.

It will be Thailand’s turn next year to chair the 10-member Asean, succeeding Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in November.

“It’s still unknown who will become the next government after the election. So, the prime minister does not want to see anyone use this issue to create rifts in the society,” Sansern said.

The spokesman was referring to a July 31 opinion column by the senior managing editor of the Jakarta Post titled, “Don’t let Thai junta chief chair Asean next year”.

“[Indonesian] President Joko Widodo needs to use a strategy of silent diplomacy in discussing Thailand’s role with other leaders,” the commentary read. “And he must, of course, act according to the consensual Asean way. Thailand deserves the right to chair Asean, but not under a junta that has continued to cling on to powers it stole from the people four years ago.”

Korkaew Pikulthong, a leading member of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), said “senior persons of the country” should remind Prayut of the possible outcome.

Korkaew was speaking to reporters in front of the Bangkok Remand Prison where he waited to welcome UDD chairman Jatuporn Promphan, who was released Saturday morning after serving a one-year jail sentence.

Korkaew said the UDD believes that the post-coup National Council for Peace and Order led by Prayut would try to retain its political power, as did those behind the 1991 coup led by General Suchinda Kraprayoon.

Suchinda broke his promise and accepted the post of prime minster following a post-coup election in 1992. That led to street protests that were later crushed by the military, resulting in bloodshed in what has become known as the “Black May” or “Bloody May” incident. There were 52 military-confirmed deaths, many disappearances and allegations of torture.

“To prevent such an incident from happening again, I think all sides should discuss how to pre-empt it, and senior persons of the country should remind Prayut, the prime minister and the NCPO chief,” Korkaew said.

He added that UDD leaders would soon hold discussions on how to tackle the sources of repeated national crises.

The chairman of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) was released at 7.10am after serving a one-year jail term for defaming then Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Red-shirt leaders at the welcome included UDD secretary-general Nattawut Saikaur, chief UDD advisor Thida Tojirakarn and Korkaew Pikulthong.

Jatuporn stepped outside the prison’s gate to the cheers and applause of his supporters. Their representatives gave him red roses and the red shirts sang a song to welcome him.

Jatuporn then gave a short speech to thank the gathered red shirts, the large number of reporters waiting for him, prison officials and his inmate friends.

He said he had been taken good care of by prison officials and fellow inmates over the year.

Jatuporn recounted meeting some arch political rivals in the prison, including former Phra Buddha Isara, an activist monk who has been defrocked and detained pending a criminal trial. Jatuporn said he had to forgive his enemies in the jail.

Jatuporn said he would attend a meeting with red-shirt leaders at their head office at the Imperial Lard Prao shopping mall to discuss the political future of the movement.

When asked by reporters to name the first thing he would do upon his release, Jatuporn replied tongue-in-cheek, “Getting away from this prison”, and then got in his van and left.

Premrudee Charmphunut posted on her Facebook wall that Suchon died at 9.47pm on Friday at the Ramathibodi Hospital. He was 82 years old.

The wife said Suchon was admitted to the hospital on June 2.

“He passed away peacefully in the arms of his wife, children and grandchildren at the age of 82,” Premrudee posted.

Suchon was elected an MP 14 times under several party banners, most recently Pheu Thai. He was initially elected as a Phitsanulok MP before becoming a party-list MP.

He served as an advisor to the prime minister, a PM’s Office minister, the university affairs minister, and the deputy finance minister.

Most recently, Suchon was an advisor to then Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. He took on the post in 2011 and resigned in March 2014.

He was born on July 25, 1937.

Abhisit said on Friday that he has been aware of an ongoing attempt by the Sam Mit (Three Friends) group to woo Democrat politicians.

However, he has not heard of any current Democrat politician going to join Sam Mit, Abhisit said.

Sam Mit is led by veteran politicians Suriya Juengrungruangkit and Somsak Thepsuthin. They are linked to the newly formed Palang Pracharat Party, which plans to nominate the junta leader, General Prayut Chan-o-cha, as its prime ministerial candidate in the next election.

Abhisit said on Friday Surasit Trithong, a former Democrat MP, was reportedly joining Sam Mit, resigned from the party in 2011. Some other Democrat politicians have dismissed reports of their defections, according to the Democrat leader.

Abhisit said he was confident all the current Democrat politicians have made their decisions to remain with the party.

“We at the Democrat Party agree that it’s best to stick to our ideology. It’s not sustainable to focus on immediate benefits offered, such as money or political positions,” he said.

Abhisit said political parties have the right to woo former MPs from other parties if they use a legitimate method. He called on politicians to build faith among the public in order to keep the country’s democracy sustainable.

In response to possible numbers game after the next election, Abhisit said: “We hope voters will give the answer on the election day.”

The Democrat leader, however, confirmed reports that some of the party’s ex-MPs in the deep south were going to join Action Coalition for Thailand Party, a new party co-founded by former Democrat secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban. But Abhisit added that his party would not have any problem finding election candidates to replace defecting former MPs.

Democrat politicians gathered at the party’s headquarters on Friday to mark Abhisit’s 54th birthday. They included party seniors like former Democrat leader Chuan Leekpai, former deputy leader Marut Bunnag and current secretary general Juti Krairiksh.

Politicians from other political parties also joined the event with bouquets of flowers.

Suthep did not attend the birthday party but he sent flowers.

While saying that he did not want any misunderstanding or problems with the media, Prayut said he believed the guideline had been written with the good intention for both the prime minister’s safety and media standards.

The guideline asked photographers to be at least five metres away from the junta leader and show gestures of respect to him. It was imposed on the media on Friday when Prayut opened the Thailand Industry Expo at Impact Exhibition and Convention Centre in Muang Thong Thani.

Prayut said the authorities had not been enforcing the guidelines strictly in the past three years. But he said he had already told Special Branch to review and revoke some of the rules, including the gestures of respect.

“Respect just depends on each individual,” he said.

Royal Thai Army (RTA) commander-in-chief General Chalermchai Sittisart said that authorities were simply enforcing normal laws and were not using any extra state powers against critics.

“Criticising the government can be done within the legal framework. But if the law is violated, legal action will be taken. We try to enforce normal laws, without using state power. We are not threatening anyone,” he said at the RTA headquarters.

General Chalermchai also serves as secretary of the ruling junta National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).

He was responding to media questions regarding legal actions taken against certain politicians critical of the junta – Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and senior Pheu Thai Party politician Phichai Nariphathaphan.

He said both politicians did not violate any security-related laws but their social media posts were against the law, including the Computer Crime Act.

Earlier this week, Thanathorn was questioned by investigators at the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD), after giving a live broadcast speech on his and his party’s Facebook fan pages. He accused the NCPO of wooing former MPs into its fold by offering to “take care of” their problems with the law.

Phichai, a former energy minister, has also been summoned by the TCSD for his Facebook posts critical of NCPO leader General Prayut Chan-o-cha and the junta in general.

He said on Friday that he would meet with TCSD investigators as summoned, after he had his lawyer postpone the appointment to August 16.

Phichai said he suspected the legal action was aimed at gagging him “like they did before”. He said that this was the 11th time he has been summoned by law enforcers regarding his criticism of the government or its key figures.

Photographers must be at least five metres from the prime minister when taking photos and must not take his picture when he is walking on stairs or eating, the conditions say.

The rules were announced on Friday when Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha chaired the opening ceremony of the Thailand Social Expo 2018 at the Impact Exhibition Centre in Muang Thong Thani.

Besides strict security checks, the media were required to register and get a permit tag. Only registered photographers with certified cameras could take photos of the junta leaders, according to the guidelines.

Those failing to comply would lose their passes and be banned from future events.

The restrictions came two days after Prayut said he would not talk to the press about politics unless necessary.

This is not the first time the junta strongman has given the media the silent treatment. Last year, Prayut also resorted to this method at least once following criticism about the coup-maker’s attempts to cling on to power.

Sensitive to media reports, the junta has also rearranged weekly press briefings after the Cabinet meeting. When the reporters previously had been able to ask questions freely, they are now required to submit the questions in advance and only four questions are asked.

The charges brought against the administrators of the Facebook pages “The Future We Want” and “Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit” followed normal legal procedures, NCPO spokesman Maj-General Piyapong Klinpan said.

“When the security force finds any violations of the law or threats to security, the legal department of the NCPO files a complaint with the Technology Crime Suppression Division [TCSD],” he said. “There’s nothing special.”

Thanathorn and some of the party’s executives on Tuesday went to the TCSD office to meet police over a Facebook live broadcast, which the NCPO contends violated the computer crime law. In the video, Thanathorn discussed the current move by the NCPO to ostensibly woo former MPs into its party.

The content on the Facebook pages had some information that was inconsistent with the truth hence legal action was initiated, the NCPO spokesman said. The content could create misunderstanding among the public, he argued.

The case has stirred up considerable criticism. Critics view it as an attempt to harass the pro-democracy party ahead of the election.

Piyapan said the NCPO had done everything within the boundaries of the law. “The NCPO has tried to serve the majority of the people. But if someone tries to distort the truth or cause public panic, it [NCPO] has to come out to create understanding,” he explained. In response to Thanathorn’s comments about coups, the spokesman said that the NCPO and the government were just trying to work and find solutions to bring stability and peace to the country.

Apart from the issue with the Future Forward Party, the NCPO had also been strict with any form of political expression. Pichai Nariptaphan, a former energy minister and a member of Pheu Thai Party, was recently summoned by the military over some Facebook posts.

Piyapong explained that the NCPO did not discriminate against any particular group and there were no plans to detain anyone for attitude adjustment.

The flight was part of Yingluck’s travel plans for this year, said the source who requested anonymity.

“It’s normal for Thaksin [Shinawatra] and Yingluck to fly to Dubai. All their itineraries were set long in advance,” said the source, a senior Pheu Thai figure.

The source effectively dismissed media reports suggesting that the former PM had hurriedly left London after the Thai authorities formally requested their UK counterparts to extradite her so that she could serve her prison term.

Yingluck reportedly left London on Wednesday, just a day after the media reported the Thai government’s extradition request.

The Thai Embassy in London, acting upon instructions from the government in Bangkok, sent a letter dated July 5 to the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office. It cited a 1911 treaty between the United Kingdom and Siam – as Thailand was known at the time – on the extradition of fugitive criminals.

Attached to the letter were copies of a verdict by the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders in a case against Yingluck, along with her arrest warrant.

A copy of the Thai Embassy’s letter was published on the BBC Thai news website on Tuesday.

The Pheu Thai source yesterday said that the UK was unlikely to extradite Yingluck, as the case against her was political and even the court’s name had the word “political”. Even if Yingluck were arrested in the UK, a court battle against the extradition request would take at least two to three years, the source added.

The source also said that after Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Yingluck was scheduled to fly to Hong Kong and China. Former PM Thaksin planned to travel to Switzerland, the United States and Britain, the source added, but did not give further details about the siblings’ itineraries.

“Thaksin has his business in many countries and he has to travel all the time. Yingluck often joins him for the trips. Thaksin wants to teach her about doing business,” the source said.

Thaksin has purchased a house in England for Yingluck, his youngest sister for “many million pounds” for her to stay while there, according to another Pheu Thai source.

Yingluck fled Thailand in August last year, just a few days before the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders was scheduled to deliver a verdict in the case against her. In September, the court sentenced her to five years in jail for malfeasance in connection with her government’s corruption-plagued rice-pledging scheme.

For the past months, photos and video clips of Yingluck at different locations in London were distributed on social media. One video clip showed Yingluck with Thaksin and some Pheu Thai politicians celebrating his birthday in London last week.

Thaksin also has been living in self-exile overseas, escaping imprisonment at home after being convicted for abuse of power. He was charged after his government was deposed in a 2006 military coup.