She turned 51 on Thursday.In her Facebook post, Yingluck said it was the first time she had celebrated her birthday overseas.

She thanked her supporters for “still missing and not forgetting” her. She said many people and her “fan club” had sent her good wishes, greeting cards and presents and offered her moral support through different channels. “Many people drove from upcountry to give their presents to me,” she said in her latest message.

“I always value your friendship, love and good wishes. I will never forget them.” Yingluck also thanked her elder brother, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, for his wise words offering her encouragement on her birthday. “My brother said I should make myself happy so that people who love me will have no concern for me. Everyone faces challenges in life,” she said. “He feted me with two meals on my birthday. It’s the first time I celebrated my birthday with him after we had not met each other for a long time. I am happy and impressed,” Yingluck added. She said that she also got a birthday card from her son that he made himself. “I was really touched,” she said.

Yingluck’s previous Facebook message was posted on August 24, 2017, just a day before the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division on Political Office Holders was scheduled to read a verdict in a negligence case against her stemming from her government’s corruption-plagued rice-pledging scheme. The court sentenced her to five years in jail.

Thaksin on Thursday wrote happy birthday wishes to Yingluck on his Facebook page.

“Happy birthday, my beloved sister. On your birthday this year, you come to live with me in a foreign country,” he posted. “I will take care of you and make our lives overseas valuable and beneficial to our family and people who love us.”

The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders found on Thursday that Chuvit had violated the anti-corruption law by failing to include his shareholding in a restaurant in his financial report submitted to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).

As a former MP, Chuvit was required by the law to submit a financial report about his assets and debt one year after leaving his MP position in December 2013. Chuvit, 56, was the leader of the Rak Prathet Thai Party.

He was taken to the Bangkok Remand Prison on Thursday after the court denied his request for bail.

The court initially sentenced Chuvit to two months’ imprisonment but reduced the jail term by half after he confessed to the irregularity.

The court also divested Chuvit of his political rights for five years under the anti-corruption law, starting from December 2013 when he last left his MP seat.

The NACC brought the case to court after discovering that Chuvit had failed to mention in his financial report his Bt150,000 investment in the restaurant.

Amnesty has repeatedly condemned the imposition of a restrictive human rights environment in Thailand since the 2014 coup, which brought to power the National Council for Peace and Order under General Prayut.

Amnesty said the meeting was an opportunity to raise significant human rights concerns about the country, in particular, those relating to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, which has involved the detention and prosecution of hundreds of individuals.

Amnesty also called on May to condemn the first execution in Thailand since 2009, which was carried out on Monday.

Amnesty International UK director Kate Allen said: “Theresa May must not mince her words when she condemns the woeful state of human rights in Thailand. She must convey that this requires the Thai government’s urgent action, regardless of their plans for elections.

“Just this week Thailand used the death penalty for the first time in nearly a decade, a grim sign of the country’s human rights decline.

“In the four years since the coup, the Thai military have tightened their stranglehold on the country, misusing the criminal justice system to gag critics and scare people into submission.

“These sorts of high-level meetings shouldn’t just be about getting out the chequebooks and order forms. In the scramble to secure business deals, Britain must not trade away its ability to speak out about appalling human rights violations.”

The UK government has previously highlighted its pursuit of trade deals with Thailand.

Amnesty said May should go beyond merely saying she had raised human rights concerns and give details of the specifics of the discussion, including the response of Prayut so that he can be held to any commitments made.

May is currently distracted with domestic politics as her divisive Brexit bill makes its way through the House of Commons in a knife-edge vote.

THE SUPREME Court has issued a new warrant for the arrest of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra over a 2015 criminal case stemming from a multibillion-baht loan granted by state-owned Krung Thai Bank to Krisada Mahanakorn Group.

Under the new law, the court is empowered to conduct a trial with defendants in absentia. Thaksin lives abroad.

Thaksin and 26 other persons had been accused of wrongdoing in the case. Judges have so far handed down multiple jail terms for other defendants, including former senior executives of Krung Thai Bank, but the trial involving Thaksin was suspended due to his absence.

Representatives of the Office of the Attorney-General were in court yesterday to pursue its lawsuit against the former prime minister, who is alleged to have abused his power while in office in the early 2000s to facilitate the state-owned bank’s multibillion-baht loan to the real-estate group resulting in financial damage to the bank.

Among senior executives already convicted in the case is Viroj Nualkhae, the bank’s former chief executive.

Under the new law, authorities are empowered to arrest Thaksin based on the court-approved warrant. In the event that the defendant doesn’t show up at court within three months, the court is empowered to proceed with the trial in absentia.

However, the defendant still has the right to legal representation at the trial and the right to later show up and fight the case in court.

Public prosecutors are required to submit monthly reports to the court regarding the status of the defendant, while the next court session is scheduled for September 26 this year.

Thaksin is also named in an arrest warrant in another case, in which he is charged with abusing his power while in office to favour his family-owned telecom business by converting concession fees into an excise tax.

Thaksin, who was prime minister from 2001 to 2006, fled the country following the 2006 coup.

Junta leader and PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha will be on a trip abroad when the discussions take place. Prayut is visiting London and Paris to meet with the countries’ leaders and investors.

Deputy Defence Minister General Chaichan Changmonkol said yesterday that invitations had already been sent to all political parties but declined to say how many would accept the offer.

The first official talks between the ruling junta and politicians could lead to the lifting of the ban on political activities that have been in place since 2014. Lifting the ban would allow political parties to make preparations for the next election.

Since the government floated the idea of the meeting months ago, politicians have not been very responsive. The oldest political party, the Democrats, said they would cooperate but they were not sure what the focus of the talks would be and how the party would contribute.

The Pheu Thai Party, however, has made it clear that the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) – which in recent months has shown signs of contesting the next election – had no legitimacy to hold such talks and the party would not join the meeting.

Another new popular party, Future Forward, has said it would not join the talks unless the NCPO was transparent and allowed live broadcast of the meeting.

Deputy PM General Prawit Wongsuwan yesterday said he had heard that most political parties had agreed to join the forum and added that parties did not have to join if they did not want to.

However, he said he would talk to politicians about how to partially lift the ban and would respond to any inquiries or pass them to PM Prayut to clarify.

Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam and the Election Commision would also take part in the discussions, he said.

THE PHEU THAI Party yesterday reacted angrily to alleged moves by a pro-junta political party to steal some of its former MPs, an effort that could weaken the former ruling party ahead of the next general election. Veteran politicians linked to the new party, called Palang Pracharat, are touring the Northeast reportedly to persuade former Pheu Thai MPs to defect and join the pro-junta party. The new party, named after the post-coup government’s populist development project, is linked to Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak and is believed to be backing Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s return as government head after the next election, which is tentatively set for next February. The veteran politicians include Somsak Thepsuthin and Suriya Juengrungruangkit, who were both key figures in the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai Party. It was founded by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is now Pheu Thai’s patriarch and is often referred to as “Big Boss” by its politicians. Somsak and Suriya have set up a group called “Sam Mit” (Three Friends), with the third “friend” reportedly being Somkid. They have managed to persuade all of Pheu Thai’s three former MPs in the northeastern Loei province to join the new party and they are eyeing more defections. Prayut yesterday denied any involvement with moves by Somsak and Suriya. He said many political parties are making moves and it was their business that he had nothing to do with. However, Pheu Thai says the people in power are linked to the ongoing moves. Pheu Thai secretary general Phumtham Wechayachai yesterday denounced former party MPs who have defected. He described them as “politicians who lack ideology” and can be bought easily. Phumtham said the moves to poach Pheu Thai’s former MPs were pushing the country back to “the same old rotten politics”. He said the attempts were part of the junta’s bid to “prolong their stay in power”, although he did not mention anyone by name. “People will make decisions and give lessons to the politicians who lack ideology,” Phumtham said. He implied that it was the party’s popularity, and not an individual politician’s popularity, that is the deciding factor in winning an election. In order to win the next election, the junta needs to weaken Pheu Thai, which under different titles – Thai Rak Thai and People Power – has won all general elections since 2001. Pheu Thai’s stronghold is in the North and Northeast, where the party won most of its MP seats. Mass defections could weaken Pheu Thai, although the party believes that new candidates could win back seats from defectors. Defections by incumbent and former MPs are nothing new in Thai politics. Pheu Thai itself has used the same tactic to help boost its chance of winning elections. Yutthaporn Issarachai, a political scientist at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, said that MP defections were a common phenomenon. Most of the time, they shifted when they saw an opportunity to win seats and be part of a post-election coalition, he said. This time, former MPs migrating to a new or smaller party were a result of the current rules and regulations, he said. The Constitution, the organic laws, and the NCPO Order No 53/2560 have given parties an upper hand in forming a new government after the election, he added. However, this tactic did not necessarily guarantee success, he said. Voter behaviour changed significantly after the 1997 Constitution, he said. Rather than choosing local leaders they were familiar with, voters learned to give importance to the affiliation parties as well. “So, they may still lose, especially when they are in a party that is not recognised by the voters,” Yutthaporn said. “Pheu Thai, on the other hand, may not be that badly affected because some of these emigrating former MPs didn’t win all the elections in the past anyway.”

PRIME MINISTER General Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday linked the coronation with the date for the next election, saying the junta needed to prepare for the important royal ceremony before calling the long-awaited poll.

While it is has been widely accepted that the general election would take place no sooner than February next year, the date for the coronation has not been announced.

The prime minister broke with tradition in linking the royal ceremony with a political event.

Prayut’s surprise remark came amid growing pressure on the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to call an election after several delays caused by legislative complications.

After the Cabinet meeting yesterday, Prayut brought up the coronation out of the blue.

“Everyone must not forget about the most important thing. Today, the NCPO gives importance to the preparation of the coronation. Every Thai must not forget. This is important,” he said.

“Don’t say I’m making an excuse. For this, I need the country to be peaceful and stable. It also impacts investments, too. The election will also go on according to democracy. I don’t think these go in contrast.”

His unprompted comments led reporters to ask if the election would be held before or after the coronation. He responded that the election would definitely take place after the coronation.

His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn ascended the throne on December 2016, but the date of his coronation has not yet determined.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said yesterday that the determination of the coronation day depended solely on royal judgement.

“I cannot talk about this [the coronation] since the Cabinet did not discuss the matter [yesterday]. I heard the prime minister talked about it. He might know, but I don’t know,” Wissanu told reporters.

The election has been anticipated since soon after the coup took place in 2014. Prayut initially said the election would take place the following year but the schedule has shifted thanks to a lengthy process of legislation and the writing of the Constitution.

Prayut has talked about the election almost every time he has met with foreign leaders. He told Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in early 2015 that the election would be held within a year. He told then chief of United Nations Ban Ki-moon in late 2015 that the poll in Thailand would take place in the middle of 2017. He said during his visit to Washington late last year that the election would be held in late 2018.

Human rights defenders and activists urged British Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron – who Prayut is scheduled to meet today and next Monday respectively – to pressure the PM for a rapid transition to a civilian government.

The two European leaders might mention democratisation in Thailand but pressuring the junta chief may be difficult as the European Union softened its stance toward the military government late last year, resuming political contact at all levels with Thailand, diplomatic sources said.

The road map to democracy, according to the Constitution, says that the election must take place 150 days after the organic laws crucial for the vote come into effect. However, the bills have suffered several legislative hiccups such as committee revisions and a constitutional review. Consequently, the election has been delayed indefinitely.

The powers-that-be have reiterated that voting would be held in February next year. But critics have questioned that promise, given the current situation in which a ban on politics remains strictly in place and the organic bills on the Senate and MPs election are still pending royal endorsement.

The junta indicated it was preparing for the election as Prayut assigned his deputy Prawit Wongsuwan to call a meeting with political parties to clear the way for the poll. Wissanu said the meeting would take place soon.

THE PHEU THAI Party yesterday reacted angrily to alleged moves by a pro-junta political party to steal some of its former MPs, an effort that could weaken the former ruling party ahead of the next general election. Veteran politicians linked to the new party, called Palang Pracharat, are touring the Northeast reportedly to persuade former Pheu Thai MPs to defect and join the pro-junta party. The new party, named after the post-coup government’s populist development project, is linked to Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak and is believed to be backing Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s return as government head after the next election, which is tentatively set for next February. The veteran politicians include Somsak Thepsuthin and Suriya Juengrungruangkit, who were both key figures in the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai Party. It was founded by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is now Pheu Thai’s patriarch and is often referred to as “Big Boss” by its politicians. Somsak and Suriya have set up a group called “Sam Mit” (Three Friends), with the third “friend” reportedly being Somkid. They have managed to persuade all of Pheu Thai’s three former MPs in the northeastern Loei province to join the new party and they are eyeing more defections. Prayut yesterday denied any involvement with moves by Somsak and Suriya. He said many political parties are making moves and it was their business that he had nothing to do with. However, Pheu Thai says the people in power are linked to the ongoing moves. Pheu Thai secretary general Phumtham Wechayachai yesterday denounced former party MPs who have defected. He described them as “politicians who lack ideology” and can be bought easily. Phumtham said the moves to poach Pheu Thai’s former MPs were pushing the country back to “the same old rotten politics”. He said the attempts were part of the junta’s bid to “prolong their stay in power”, although he did not mention anyone by name. “People will make decisions and give lessons to the politicians who lack ideology,” Phumtham said. He implied that it was the party’s popularity, and not an individual politician’s popularity, that is the deciding factor in winning an election. In order to win the next election, the junta needs to weaken Pheu Thai, which under different titles – Thai Rak Thai and People Power – has won all general elections since 2001. Pheu Thai’s stronghold is in the North and Northeast, where the party won most of its MP seats. Mass defections could weaken Pheu Thai, although the party believes that new candidates could win back seats from defectors. Defections by incumbent and former MPs are nothing new in Thai politics. Pheu Thai itself has used the same tactic to help boost its chance of winning elections. Yutthaporn Issarachai, a political scientist at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, said that MP defections were a common phenomenon. Most of the time, they shifted when they saw an opportunity to win seats and be part of a post-election coalition, he said. This time, former MPs migrating to a new or smaller party were a result of the current rules and regulations, he said. The Constitution, the organic laws, and the NCPO Order No 53/2560 have given parties an upper hand in forming a new government after the election, he added. However, this tactic did not necessarily guarantee success, he said. Voter behaviour changed significantly after the 1997 Constitution, he said. Rather than choosing local leaders they were familiar with, voters learned to give importance to the affiliation parties as well. “So, they may still lose, especially when they are in a party that is not recognised by the voters,” Yutthaporn said. “Pheu Thai, on the other hand, may not be that badly affected because some of these emigrating former MPs didn’t win all the elections in the past anyway.”

The reissuance of Thaksin’s travel documents was done during Surapong’s tenure as foreign minister in the government of then-PM Yingluck Shinawatra, who is Thaksin’s younger sister.

The court said Surapong’s offence went against the Foreign Ministry’s 2005 regulations concerning passport issuance.

It ruled in favour of the maximum penalty for the charge as Surapong’s action assisted Thaksin, who had earlier been convicted to a jail term and remained a suspect in many other crimes, in his travel to foreign countries.

The new passports for Thaksin damaged the dignity of the country’s justice system, the court said.

While serving as foreign minister in 2011, Surapong instructed the Foreign Ministry to issue two new passports to Thaksin, whose passports had been revoked in December 2008 by the Democrat-led government of Abhisit Vejjajiva on the grounds that the former PM was deemed to be damaging the country while living abroad.

Surapong said at the time that the new passports for Thaksin, who spends most of his time in Dubai avoiding a two-year jail term for corruption, could be a “New Year’s present”.

The National Legislative Assembly last year impeached Surapong, a key Pheu Thai Party politician, and banned him from politics for five years in connection with his actions in this matter.

The NLA’s action was taken at the request of the National Anti-Corruption Commission.

In supporting his decision to reissue the ex-PM’s passports, Surapong had told the media that he and the Pheu Thai-led government at the time had agreed that Thaksin’s presence overseas did not cause any damage to Thailand or foreign countries, and that he was therefore justified in revoking the Democrat-led government’s order.

Thaksin has lived in self-exile overseas since fleeing the country in 2008.

Surapong has the right to appeal the court’s decision.

Meechai Ruchupan, chairman of the Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC), said the new Constitution, in effect since April last year, was based on suggestions from public members.

Critics have said no single political party is likely to win a majority in the House of Representatives in the next election, making a coalition government possible. Critics said the lack of a clear winner could also lead to certain parties colluding to select Prayut Chan-o-cha as the prime minister after the poll.

In response, Meechai yesterday said the claims were based on speculation. He said nobody could predict how voters would decide the next election.

“You can’t plot such a plan that is speculated,” Meechai said.

“Nobody can read the minds of voters. Time changes, so do the factors that make voters choose their MPs,” he added.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan commented on the call for a government of national unity made by Anek Laothamatas, a key figure in the Action Coalition for Thailand Party. Prawit said all the political parties would have to cooperate to make such an administration possible. But he was unsure if that would be possible. “I don’t know how it will happen,” he said.

In response to Anek’s proposal for an amnesty to solve the political conflict, Prawit said that should be a matter for the new government after the next election.

“It can be done. But it’s a matter for an elected government,” he said. However, Prawit added that he was unsure if an amnesty would actually lead to a reconciliation or end the conflict.

Meechai also suggested that the Election Commission issue a calendar with exact dates and timeframes to prepare for the next election.

The CDC chief was speaking at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Law, where he gave a speech about the new Constitution.

In his speech, held to mark the 45th anniversary of the faculty’s establishment, Meechai called on people who want to amend the Constitution to do so for the benefit of the public. He said the charter was written with that principle in mind.

The constitution drafters “are aware of the significance of the administration and of all state organs performing their duties in line with the laws and the Constitution. [The administration and organs] shall not act as they like, but they shall act for the benefit and happiness of the people as a whole,” he said.