The talks between the two countries will include further cooperation to end illegal wildlife trade, strengthen trade and investment relations, the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar and Thailand’s return to democracy as well as a range of other regional affairs.

“Our relationship with Thailand spans a broad range of issues from bilateral trade and investment to regional security and the illegal wildlife trade. I look forward to further strengthening the UK’s relationship with Thailand in the future,” Johnson said in a statement released by the British Embassy in Bangkok on Friday.

The visit to Bangkok on February 11 -12 is Johnson’s last day of an Asia tour, after visiting Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, Angelino Alfano, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, on Friday met with Don during his visit to Thailand.

Both sides discussed issues such as economic and political cooperation as well as the promotion of people-to-people contact through culture and tourism.

It is the junta premier’s fifth composition, the previous ones being “Returning Happiness to Thailand”, “Because you are Thailand”, “Hope and Faith” and “Bridge”, maintaining his average of one every year since 2014.

Prayut is known for his habit of composing songs and poems to cheer up Cabinet members, civil servants and Thais. His literary flights of imagination are relayed to the masses through junta-hosted TV and radio programmes.

The PM has been communicating directly with the people through his 30-minute weekly TV broadcast and the Facebook page “Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha’s working team”.

“Make your hearts like real diamonds and you won’t lose anything. Today we are beside you, obstacles will mean nothing,” read the latest lyrics.

“No matter how much thunder strikes, we will be determined to move forward. We only know that our intention is good and never alters,” it goes on. “Through water and fire, we will land on our feet. Only virtue will survive.”

Prayut’s latest release comes at a time when the public are disenchanted by scandals involving the PM’s close aides as well as the possibility of the junta reneging on its promise to hold elections this year.

Activists Rangsiman Rome, Sirawit Serithiwat, Ekachai Hongkangwan and lawyer Anon Nampa told The Nation that they would be attending the event to be held near Democracy Monument at 4pm.

Warrants for their arrest were approved by Bangkok South Criminal Court yesterday after they did not report to police on Wednesday despite two summonses.

The summonses were issued as they have been accused of committing sedition, breaking the junta’s ban against political gatherings, as well as the public assembly bill for organising an assembly on January 27 that called on the junta to hold the delayed election.

A total of 39 activists, students, and observing journalists were charged following the incident. But only nine, considered as the event’s key figures, were charged with sedition and could face a maximum punishment seven years imprisonment.

The other 30 accused people are currently free. Two of them have pleaded guilty and are due to be sentenced next month.

On Thursday, the police also asked the court for a six-day postponement of detention requests for 28 people who turned themselves in at Pathumwan Police Station. The five accused of sedition also reported themselves to police on Thursday. However, the Bangkok South Criminal Court freed them due to insufficient evidence.

The four wanted activists, via their lawyers, had submitted letters to police requesting a postponement of their scheduled reporting. This was denied.

Yesterday, the police said they would immediately arrest the four when they showed up at today’s event.

“As the police have authority to detain [the wanted] for up to 48 hours, we may have to detain the activists, if arrested, over the weekend,” Pol Lt-General Charnthep Sesawet, Commissioner of Metropolitan Police Bureau, told The Nation. “We will be able to [continue] legal procedures with the court again on Monday.”

Charnthep said police have also prepared forces and measures to cope with today’s assembly. “They sent us the letter on the assembly and we informed them that it must not be political, otherwise we will have to follow our measures,” he said.

The four activists affirmed their participation despite the outcome.

“Why not go?” said Ekachai. “The court’s rejection to detain [activists from the] January 27 assembly has already proved that this kind of assembly is rightful by law.”

Rangsiman admitted that he would choose to not live with conflict “but with a corrupt system and our tax money continuing to be wasted, how could we keep living normally, pretending that everything is alright?”

He added: “We would like the event to be peaceful as much as possible. All we want is to call for the election to be held by late this year as earlier promised by PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha.”

However, the president said it is likely that they would wrap up their initial probe into the case and report to the NACC by the end of this month.

Netizens have tracked down photos of Prawit wearing many different watches from what looks to be an extravagant and extensive collection. At least 25 watches have been detected so far, worth more than Bt30 million based on the market price.

The scandal arose after Prawit was seen wearing a very expensive Richard Mille watch during a photo session with the new Cabinet late last year, prompting complaints to the NACC and the launch of a probe.

On a different matter, Watcharapol commented on the progress of the Constitutional Court’s deliberation about qualifications for NACC members. The NACC had submitted its explanation to the court but has not received any responses or requests for further information, he said.

While awaiting the court’s ruling on their qualifications, NACC members would continue working as usual, he said.

The National Legislative Assembly last autumn passed the new NACC bill, including waiving the disqualifications of NACC members that are outlined in the charter. That removal prompted some to question the constitutionality of the amendment.

Some members of the National Legislative Assembly then filed a petition with the NACC. asking it to rule on the case, citing concerns that allowing dubious qualifications would discredit the NACC and make its work untenable due to a public loss of trust.

The EEC development will cover Chon Buri, Rayong and Chachoengsao provinces.

The NLA yesterday spent eight hours debating the bill and passed the third reading with 170 votes for and 10 abstentions.

In its first year, the EEC programme is expected to draw foreign direct investment amounting to Bt300 billion, with the sector targets being new high-growth industries such as next-generation automobiles, smart electronics, medical and wellness tourism, robotics, aviation and logistics.

The three eastern provinces will also be closely linked with Bangkok via new infrastructure schemes such as high-speed trains between Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang and U-Tapao airports.

The legislation will empower the government to grant tax and other privileges to foreign investors on land ownership and on bringing in foreign talent as well as their dependents, among other measures.

Dr Kanit Saengsuphun, secretary-general of the EEC Office, said the massive development programme is crucial in terms of upgrading the country’s international competitiveness.

The EEC legislation will also serve as a new industrial/service and urban development blueprint for other parts of the country.

Due to disruptive technologies and other global factors, Thailand will lose its competitiveness as a regional hub for manufacturing and other industries unless the country undergoes a major transformation via the EEC development programme, said Kanit.

Police brought activists Nuttaa Mahattana, Sombat Boonngamanong and Veera Somkwamkid, as well as students Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal and Sukit Phiensuwan, to ask for permission from Phatumwan Court to jail them based on charges of sedition.

After hours of consideration till yesterday evening, the court decided not to allow police to jail them during the case investigation as request, enabling them to walk free.

The court said there is no reason to detain, therefore they were free without condition, their lawyer told reporters.

A total of 39 activists, who gathered on the skywalk in front of the MBK shopping mall on January 27 demanding elections in November as previously promised by the junta, were charged with the assembly of more than five people against the order of the National Council for Peace and Order.

More than 100 people took part in the protest but only 39 were charged. Only the five activists, whom police consider to be the leaders, were charged were sedition.

Two other protesters, Nopporn Namchiangtai and Noppakao Kongsuwan, have already confessed to police and went on trial yesterday. The court will deliver verdicts in their cases next month.

The other activists could face long trials.

Well-known activist Sombat said he and anti-graft activist Veera had also gone to Pathumwan station to deny accusations that they had violated Article 116 of the Criminal Code, which deals with sedition.

The maximum penalty for breaking that law is up to seven years in prison. Charges were pressed against Sombat and Veera after seven key activists who attended the recent gathering were accused of allegedly breaking the same law.

“I think that this is the authorities’ fear of the upcoming event this Saturday,” Sombat said, referring to another planned assembly to be held near the Democracy Monument.

Meanwhile, Anon Nampa, a human rights lawyer and member of the MBK39 group, told The Nation that he had already postponed reporting to police until March 7.

Other activists who did not report on February 7 included Rangsiman Rome and Sirawit Seritiwath, whose lawyers submitted letters of postponement to police, Anon said.

Anon said he had been occupied yesterday with processing cases involving his clients, so he could not report to police along with the other MBK39 activists.

Deputy police chief General Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said police would consider whether to issue a third summons or arrest warrants for the absent activists. “We have to see whether their reasons to be absent are justified,” he said.

A commitment to ongoing mutual democratic values will also continue to cement the relationship of “great and good friends” and will soon see its bicentennial anniversary later this year.

Or at least that’s the way that the US Ambassador is talking this week.

“American policy remains much as it has been. We believe that democracy is the great way to keep working together,” said US Ambassador Glyn Davies yesterday.

“[Between] old and new administrations there will be a different emphasis put on issues,” Davies said, “but I think for the most part, our relationship and priority will be balanced on strategic interests … and on our principles that will continue under any administration.”

Davies spoke during a press conference concerning the “Great and Good Friends” exhibition of friendship to be held from March 21 to June 30 at the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles to celebrate the 200th anniversary of bilateral relations.

Trump also chose to not give public prominence to democracy during PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha’s visit to the White House last October. Instead, the US leader emphasised a range of issues regarding trade deals and US exports to the Kingdom, which enjoys a trade surplus. However, the US Embassy in Bangkok expressed an expectation for “Thailand’s return to a democratic government via free and fair elections as soon as possible” not long after the junta-appointed legislators voted to delay promulgation of the MP election bill draft.

General Joe Dunford, the US chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also said that he was “very encouraged” about the country’s return to democracy following his meetings with Prayut and Deputy PM and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan on Wednesday.

“This would allow us to deepen our relationship in the years ahead,” Dunford was quoted as saying by Department of Defence-based reporter Jim Garamone.

Dunford has been on tour to strengthen military ties with Asia-Pacific countries amid the looming situation in the |Korean peninsula. The topic was also touched upon during a meeting with Thai leaders.

Dunford also spoke of deepening exercises and expanding educational opportunities in the future. Around 6,800 American service members will take part in Thailand-based Cobra Gold joint military exercise to begin next Tuesday.

Prayut, meanwhile, said yesterday that Dunford did not express concerns about Thailand’s democratic development and merely gave encouragement.

“I insisted that we would move forward to democracy. The US also understands our necessity,” Prayut said. “I also told the US that Thailand has its own problems. We’ll have to have measures to ensure the country becomes firmly democratic in the timelines,” he continued. “That could be designated by either me or by laws.”

Lawyer Noppadon Laothong said there has been no final judgment in the civil liability case against Yingluck hence the government could not auction off Yingluck’s assets as compensation for state losses resulting from her government’s rice-pledging scheme.

He said the case against Yingluck is unusual since special powers under Article 44 of the interim charter have been exercised by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to speed up the process.

The Finance Ministry earlier filed the civil liability lawsuit against Yingluck seeking a Bt35-billion compensation to cover state losses. The Department of Legal Execution was ordered to prepare for the auction of Yingluck’s assets.

Activist Sombat Boonngamanong said on Thursday morning that he and anti-graft activist, Veera Somkwamkid, came to Pathumwan police station to deny police accusations that landed them charges of allegedly breaking the Criminal Code’s Article 116.

The maximum penalty for breaking the law is up to seven years of imprisonment.

The charges were pressed against the two after seven key activists at a recent gathering were accused of allegedly breaking the same law.

“I think that this is authority’s fear of the upcoming event this Saturday,” Sombat said, referring to another assembly to be held near the Democracy Monument on the day.

“I don’t see how that assembly, to be arranged in a flash-mob style without any stage or speaker, could be a threat to security,” he continued, “especially given that it is to emphasise the words of PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha himself that the election should be held by this year’s end.”

He also saw the charges against pro-democracy activists as a power conflict between the junta’s power and the constitution’s endorsement of people’s rights and freedom

“This should be seriously discussed once we are free from these charges,” he said. “This should be clarified by the Constitutional Court.”

Meanwhile, Anon Nampa, a human rights lawyer and member of the MBK 39 group, told The Nation that he has already proposed to postpone reporting to the police until March 7.

Other activists who did not report on February 7 included Rangsiman Rome and Sirawit Seritiwath, who also submitted letters of postponement via their lawyers to the police, Anon said.

Anon reasoned that because he was occupied on Thursday with processing the cases involving his clients, he could not himself report to the police along with the other MBK 39 activists.

Deputy Police Commissioner Srivara Ransibheamanakul said that the police would consider whether to issue a third summons or alternatively, arrest warrants, to the absent activists.

“We have to see whether their reasons to be absent are justified,” he said.

Srivara said the police would propose that any bail requests made by the activists be rejected, should the court decide to detain them temporarily.

“We police just use our rights,” he said “There will be no guarantee that they would not flee if they are released on bails.”

The network said those charged included members of MBK 39, a group of 39 activists, students and journalists who gathered on January 27 to urge the NCPO to move ahead with the long-delayed election.

Fourteen activists in the northern province of Phayao were also charged as they joined the “We Walk” rally project, which has called for more public participation in decision-making process involving local communities.

“We call for the NCPO to stop creating an atmosphere of fear against participants of pro-democracy activities by using legal measures or other threatening means,” said the statement from the network, which was read by Bencharat Saechua, a lecturer at Mahidol University’s Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies.

Members of the academic network also turned up to observe as MBK 39 members reported to the Pathumwan police station in Bangkok. They had been summoned to acknowledge the charge of allegedly breaking the junta’s ban against political gathering and the public assembly bill.

Nine of the 39 activists are also charged with alleged sedition under the Criminal Code’s Article 116.

“We view that pressing these charge are an abuse of power by the NCPO, which is using national security as an excuse to eliminate political expression, calls for democracy and participation in policy making,” Bencharat said. “This also curbs people’s fundamental rights to peacefully assemble.”

The group also collected donations to help post bail for the activists. They are also seeking academics to be bailsmen as “no one should be detained simply because they expressed political opinions”.