While the junta might be popular among some Southern people, the government’s policies on the fishery and rubber tree industries are a major problem for local workers.

Fishermen have to obey Article 44 orders to curb their work in line with international standards, while rubber prices plunge every year.

Rain did not smooth Prayut’s journey on Monday – he had been due to fly to Pattani but instead had to go to Songkhla instead, then travel by car back to Pattani, which delayed his arrival by about two hours.

Some locals felt the inconvenience was good because “Prayut would now know how much we in the South have to endure”.

Paranyu Charoen, a 34-year-old fisherman, was one of the disgruntled locals who went to file a petition with the premier.

He told the PM in a loud voice: “I’ve suffered from your policy that we can sail out to fish for only 220 days a year. I’ve faced deficits in my fishery business.”

An angry Prayut replied: “Don’t argue with me. Don’t raise your voice against me. Do you understand that? I’m listening to you. You can just tell me nicely. You can’t pressurise me.”

The premier yesterday apologised for his outburst via his team’s Facebook page.

A Songkhla-Pattani group, which opposes the proposed Thepa coal-fired power station, gathered near a hotel where Prayut was staying in the hope of filing a petition with the premier but the attempt ended in a confrontation with several people being injured.

Representatives of rubber farmers from four districts also filed a petition with Prayut.

They asked if the premier knew that rubber farmers were “suffering greatly” and if he “thought of a fair rubber price suitable for the current economy situation”.

They had to be escorted from the hotel.

“Plant coconut trees instead, so you will be able to sell the fruit in the future and make a profit,” Prayut said.

“They only take a few years to grow. You can also leave them to your children. Today, we are still importing coconut products from elsewhere.”

While growing coconut trees might be a long-term solution, it does not address the immediate problem.

When confronted with problems on the ground, the incidents in the South during the mobile Cabinet meeting illustrated how well the prime minister and his junta government had managed to resolve issues.

Instead of receiving flowers and welcoming smiles, this volatile visit will likely show the PM that there is a need to recognise and address the true plight of all Thais.

Chief charter writer Meechai Ruchupan said yesterday he was “relieved” after submitting all 10 bills to the NLA, meeting the deadline set for early December.

The last two bills relate to Members of Parliament and the Senate, Meechai said.

After the NLA agreed on the principles of the bills, the Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) would send some representatives to discuss the legislation with the assembly, he added.

Meechai admitted there were controversies surrounding the last two bills. However, the CDC had followed the Constitution and stuck to its intention to make every vote meaningful. The new organic law on MPs would see the use of a single-ballot system, he said.

He dismissed criticism that the new election method favoured medium-sized parties, saying the intention of the Constitution was to give importance to the people’s votes.

As for the Senate bill, the drafter said the CDC had adhered to the cross-election process.

Asked about the CDC’s future, Meechai said that although the Constitution prescribed that the CDC should be dissolved after the completion of the 10 bills, it had some work left to do and would convene once or twice a week.

“The sole purpose of reshuffling the Cabinet is that I wanted new faces to help boost a perception among the people that there is a change. People should then realise and acknowledge that there has been a [genuine] reshuffle,” he said.

The premier added, however, that what was most important was the government and the prime minister, who had to be someone that could tolerate all pressure because he needed to work for the country.

Prayut said that while former agriculture minister Gen Chatchai Sarikulya had been reshuffled, he would still be with him – as a deputy prime minister – so there would not be any problem following up on the farming policies he had initiated.

The PM said he also wished to have new faces and brains to help at the Agriculture Ministry after Chatchai had laid some foundations there, including the strengthening of farmers’ competitiveness.

Work at the ministry now needs to proceed into “phase two”, he explained.

The premier said he did not care where the new faces in his Cabinet were from, apparently referring to new Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat from the Chart Thai Party, and stating that he was not a politician and did not need to make deals with anyone.

In regard to the change at the Defence Ministry, where Gen Chaichan Changmongkol has taken over from Gen Udomdej Sitabutr as deputy defence minister, Prayut said he had made the move because he would like Udomdej to concentrate on reconciliation.

Udomdej, he added, had been working with him in the Cabinet for three years, and he was now still with him at the National Council for Peace and Order.

The general understood the reason behind the move as he had talked to him about the reshuffle, the prime minister said.

Anek downplayed the idea, saying both Pheu Thai and Democrats had their own political bases, so in order to work together, they would have to first convince their followers and win their support.

The idea of political parties working together to prevent the military taking an active role in politics needs delicates contemplation, Anek said. The new charter, he added, had clearly stated that the selection of the senate would come from the junta, so it was impossible for them not to be involved.

During Gen Prem Tinsulanonda’s term as Prime Minister in the 1980s, Thailand was under quasi democracy and his government did not have its own party, said Anek.

What it did was administer the country based on a mixture of civilians and military personnel, he said. It was also open to scrutiny, so Anek urged all contemporary parties to dwell on that. Most importantly, he said, it should be up to the people who they chose as their leader.

The Eastern region is a hub of heavy industry, including Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate, Laem Chabang Industrial Estate. The government’s recent designation of the EEC has raised concerns among locals that it would worsen pollution and environmental impacts in the region.

The forum heard their voices about this issue amid calls for participatory planning.

Participants at the forum called for participatory environmental management, access to state information and accountable environmental impact assessment. Other issues raised in the forum included the quality of eco-tourism, human-elephant conflict resolutions, organic farming and the introduction of models of successes.

The committee will hold a forum in the North early next month before one final forum in Bangkok. It will then submit a plan to the government for further implementation.

The committee is among 13 committees appointed as part of the reform effort addressed under the new national reform law. The expected implementation period is five years.

“The PM is upset for complaining about a fisherman yesterday in Pattani,” said a status update on Facebook page “Prayut Chan-o-cha’s team”.

“But please understand that the government has solved illegal fishery for the survival of the Thai fishery industry and its exports in line with our [international] commitment. This is also to maintain natural balances and to sustain our fishery for the future,” the page said.

The message came a day after Paranyu Charoen approached the premier during the latter’s field trip to Pattani, telling Prayut that he had suffered from the government’s regulation that limits fishermen to sailing out to sea on only 220 days a year.

“The limited number of days has caused me to face deficits in my fishery business,” Paranyu told Prayut with a loud voice to keep up with nearby speakers.

Prayut, understanding that Paranyu had yelled at him, scolded him and said: “Talk nice to me, don’t raise your voice to pressure me. The government is ready to listen to problems.

“We’re proceeding things but we also have to think of the fishery sector across the country and around the world. We’re not solving the problem for anyone in particular,”

Prayut’s scolding caused his secretary-general, General Vilas Aroonsri, to abruptly intervene and suggest that the 34-year-old fisherman submit a petition to the government-run Damrongdhamma Centre instead.

Early on Monday, a group of local activists tried to march to the venue of a mobile Cabinet meeting with the intention of meeting Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha and ask him to reconsider approval for the Thepa coal-fired power plant and the second Songkhla seaport project.

However, before they could make it to the venue at Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya in Songkhla’s Muang District, police cracked down on the protesters and arrested 16 prominent members of the group, including protest leader Direk Hemnakhon.

After the arrests, public organisations from across the country and many individuals released statements criticising the crackdown and arrests.

The major requests in their statements were: the immediate release of all arrested activists; an investigation into the use of the police force to crack down on a peaceful demonstration, stopping the citing of the justice system as a tool to hinder public participation; ensuring freedom of expression and human rights; and asking the government to stop the Thepa coal-fired power plant project.

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has also issued a statement expressing concern over the incident and requesting all sides to respect human rights principles and settle the conflict in peaceful ways. The NHRC stated that it would closely monitor on this incident.

The idea has been tossed out by some key political figures, including deputy Democrat leader Nipit Intarasombat.

Sudarat said the idea was good, but before reaching that step the parties should think how to steer towards the election.

What is crucial is how to make people participate through their elected representatives so that democracy can be maintained, she pointed.

Supoj said he was close to the five judges and had learned that only a minority wanted to stay.

The development came after the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) on Thursday passed the organic bill governing the Constitutional Court, which contained a number of controversial clauses.

Among them was an extension of the term of service for judges.

The NLA vetting committee revised the bill to allow judges to remain in office until their successors are selected, which could take at least a year, regardless of their expired terms and qualifications.

Supoj, who vigorously opposed the clause during the deliberations on Thursday, said it violated the new Constitution.

“Unless it is revised, it could affect the court’s essence,” he said.

“For instance, if a petition in regards to the issue is launched for the court to consider whether or not the clause is constitutional, then will it accept the case? How will it decide?” the former judge asked.

Such a scenario could be viewed as a conflict of interest, he said, while questioning why the NLA thought the five judges wanted to remain in their positions.

After the Constitution Drafting Commission receives the bill next week, it will discuss opposition to the bill and seek to establish a joint committee to review the law, Supoj said.