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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017444

A Parliament meeting on Wednesday to consider the second reading of the Organic Act on the Election of Members of Parliament voted for a party-list member of Parliament calculation method in which votes for candidates from all parties will be divided by 500.

The meeting, which comprised senators and members of the House of Representatives, chose whether to divide the party-list MP calculation by 500 or by 100. The first choice won with 354 votes in favour, 162 votes against, 37 abstentions and four no votes.

The meeting rejected the use of 100 to calculate party-list seats, which is the current method, by 392 votes to 160, with 23 abstentions and two no votes.

The new formula will use 500, which is the total number of all MPs (400 constituency and 100 party-list), instead of using the number of party-list MPs alone to divide votes to determine the minimum number of listed MPs for a political party.

Based on voting figures in the 2019 general election that witnessed 35.5 million votes, each party would have needed around 70,000 votes to win a list seat under the model. On the other hand, if the formula of dividing 100 was used, a party would have needed at least 350,000 votes.

However, Thammasat University public law specialist Prinya Thaewanarumitkul expressed concern on Facebook on Wednesday that the new formula would result in the number of list MPs exceeding the number allowed by the constitution.

“This new method needs an addendum specifying that in case the calculated number of list MPs exceed 100, each party’s list MPs will be adjusted down proportionally until the 100 seats of list MPs are achieved,” he added.

Published : July 07, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017416

The Supreme Court on Wednesday sentenced a former Democrat Party MP and his younger brother to two years in jail and banned them from politics for ten years for cheating in a local election in Nakhon Si Thammarat.

The Supreme Court upheld rulings by the primary and appeals courts against Thepthai Senpong – former Nakhon Si Thammarat MP and former Democrat Party deputy secretary-general – and Manoj Senpong.

The Supreme Court ordered the two to be jailed without suspending their prison terms and banned them from contesting elections for no less than a decade.

Former Nakhon Si Thammarat Administrative Organisation (PAO) governor Pichai Boonyakiart and his Democrat MP brother Chinnaworn Boonyakiart had accused the two of collaborating to cheat in the Nakhon Si Thammarat PAO election in 2014.

On August 28, 2020, the primary court found the two defendants guilty and sentenced them to two years in jail while slapping them with a ten-year political ban.

Both appealed against the ruling but Appeals Court Area 8 on May 11, 2021, upheld the primary court’s verdict and the sentence. The two were released on bail pending a further appeal in the Supreme Court.

On January 2021, the Constitutional Court disqualified Thepthai as the Democrat MP for Nakhon Si Thammarat Constituency 3. The court also banned him from politics for ten years.

This court ruling led to a by-election in the constituency on March 7, 2021. Palang Pracharath Party candidate Aryasit Sisuwan beat Thepthai’s brother, Pongsin Senpong, in the by-election.

Speaking to reporters after hearing the verdict, Pichai thanked the courts for justice delivered in the case after he had “fought for it for eight years”.

He hoped the verdict would serve as a lesson to other politicians not to engage in electoral fraud.

Published : July 06, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017400

A veteran Chiang Rai politician who was elected several times under Thaksin Shinawatra-linked parties has defected along with his son to fight the next election under the coalition Chart Thai Pattana Party.

Surasit Chiamwichak and his son Wanchai were welcomed as Chart Thai Pattana members by party leader Varawut Silpa-archa during a press conference on Tuesday.

Varawut expressed confidence that the father-son combination would win the two MP seats for Chart Thai Pattana.

Varawut said Surasit would contest the election in Chiang Rai’s constituency 3 while Wanchai would contest in constituency 2.

When told that the opposition Pheu Thai Party is targeting all 30 MP seats in northern provinces, including Chiang Rai, Varawut admitted his party was not as big but said he would try to increase its size gradually.

“I believe Pheu Thai will sweep seats in other constituencies, but not these two,” he added.

Surasit was first elected as a Chiang Rai MP in 1995 under the Solidarity Party. He was re-elected as an MP for Thaksin’s Thai Rak Thai party in 2005, then as a People Power Party MP in 2007 and a Pheu Thai MP in 2011.

Before joining Chart Thai Pattana, he was courted by fellow coalition party Sarng Anakot Thai, led by Sontirat Sontijirawong, and became its northern division’s leader.

Varawut told reporters that he had been in talks with Surasit and his son for a while and they shared a similar political ideology.

Varawut dismissed questions about a possible rift with Sarng Anakot Thai for “stealing” its would-be election candidates, saying party hopping was normal in politics.

He noted that several incumbent MPs from other parties used to be members of either Chart Thai or Chart Pattana. The two parties merged to become Chart Thai Pattana.

“Changing parties and changing election candidates is a normal thing in democratic politics. We have seen this kind of practice for a long time,” Varawut said, comparing politics to a football league in which players switch teams at the end of the season.

He said his party would announce new members and election candidates over the next six to seven months before the election.

He forecast Chart Thai Pattana would win 25 to 30 House seats at the next election, which is due next March at the latest.

He expressed confidence that his party would win five seats in Suphan Buri, the Silpa-archa clan’s stronghold, and more seats in Nakhon Pathom, the political base of the Sasomsup family, key members of the party.

Meanwhile, Surasit told the press conference that he decided to join Chart Thai Pattana because he saw it as a political party with no taint of corruption.

“And I’m confident that Varawut has potential to rise to the post of prime minister, so my son and I are pledging our future to Chart Thai Pattana. The party will definitely make its debut in Chiang Rai through us,” Surasit said.

Surasit said he was confident of defeating Wisaradee Tejathirawat, Pheu Thai’s young candidate for the seat.

Pheu Thai has said it will field Wisaradee in constituency 3 and her father, Wikrom Tejathirawat, another veteran politician, in constituency 2.

Published : July 05, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017397

A school just south of Bangkok has held an election for kindergarten president to teach young students about democracy.

Anuban Samut Songkhram School held the election on Tuesday to teach students about their roles in a democratic system.

A total of 840 kindergarten students voted in the election and were given four candidates to choose from. Each of the four Year 3 classrooms nominated one candidate along with their campaign team. The candidates then got the chance to give a speech during the morning and at break time.

All of the candidates promised to give their fellow students access to the playground every day, but candidate No 4 also vowed to make the school toilets smell nice.

The voting procedure was the same as an official Thai election, with students signing and receiving their ballot, before entering the polling booth to vote for their favourite candidate and then putting the ballot in the box.

Principal Jessada na Pattalung said the school conducts several such non-academic activities to boost students’ awareness and life skills.

The aim of Tuesday’s activity, he said, was to give students an actual experience of how democracy works. They got to know about voting, campaigning and working as a team, he added.

Published : July 05, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017348

Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow responded to senators’ questions about the fuel crisis on Monday by telling them to stop wearing suits, so that air-con can be turned down to save energy.

Supattanapong challenged senators to set an example on how to save energy while he was responding to queries from two senators, Gen Sakon Sajjawanit and Suradet Jirathiticharoen.

The senators asked the minister to explain Thailand’s energy price crisis and measures he has taken to soften its impact on the public. Supattanapong was also asked about his management of the depleted Oil Fuel Fund, which is a record 102.5 billion baht in debt from subsidising pump prices.

He replied that energy prices and the Oil Fuel Fund were double crises for the country and the government was trying its best to minimise impacts.

He added that former finance minister Korn Chatikavanij’s proposal for refineries to top up the Oil Fuel Fund with their profits from the gross refining margin (GRM) was impractical.

The minister said the refineries had benefited from high margins only for the past few months, not for years as alleged by Korn.

Supattanapong said the GRM was just one to two baht, so the government had to be careful in asking refineries to reduce the margin.

“If the refineries stop the oil refining, the government would have to import refined oil and the prices would be much higher,” the energy minister said.

Regarding Oil Fuel Fund management, Supattanapong said the Energy Ministry will cooperate with the Bank of Thailand and Finance Ministry on how to balance fuel subsidies, the baht’s value and the inflation rate.

He added that the oil subsidies were a sensitive issue that could affect business operators and their employees, so the government had to be careful in making its decisions.

The energy minister said the government would campaign for energy saving and would promote the use of recyclable and clean energy.

“The government will campaign for people to minimise electricity use by raising the temperature of their air-conditioners,” Supattanapong said.

“Senators can do it too. You can raise the temperature of air-conditioners in the assembly hall and you can stop wearing suits and neckties. And there should be a tool to measure how much electricity is being saved and we will live-broadcast this to show the public that we have started conserving energy. This will help kick off an energy conservation campaign.”

He added that his ministry was ready to support the Senate in its energy conservation showcase by installing gauges to publicly display power saved.

No reply came from the Senate at the end of the session.

Published : July 04, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017324

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt sat down to lunch with a road sweeper, a garbage collector and a gardener on Sunday.

Chadchart was in Chatuchak district to thank five workers who were named as outstanding city employees for their diligence and acts of kindness.

The five workers were identified as Kalchana Netwichit, a road sweeper; Panom Theprasit, a gardener at a Chatuchak public park; Sakcharoen Yaempu, a garbage truck worker; Kan Piksunee, a sewerage truck worker; and Chatchai Saengnamrak, a flood drainage worker.

Kalchana had earlier won praise from netizens for rushing to fetch a teacher after seeing a student being robbed. She witnessed the robbery while sweeping the road outside a Bangkok school.

The governor shared a meal of khao mun kai (rice with steamed chicken) and khao mu daeng (steamed rice topped with red pork) with the five workers.

Chadchart broke the ice by unwrapping the food packets and chatting to the five workers.

The governor asked each of them how they came to be employees of the district office, and also inquired about the Chatuchak’s flooding issues.

“Let’s eat, don’t be shy, you’re just having lunch with a governor not a superstar,” he told the workers.

The special lunch was part of his visit for a mobile meeting at Chatuchak district office on Sunday. Chadchart is holding mobile meetings at all 50 Bangkok district offices to survey the challenges facing the capital as he kicks off his tenure as governor. Earlier on Sunday, he joined a run and planted trees at Vachirabenjatas Park in Chatuchak.

Published : July 03, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017316

Thalugaz anti-government protesters plan to stage a motorcycle rally on Bangkok roads on Sunday afternoon, the group announced.

Aprotest leader identifying himself only as Mon, a vocational school student from Min Buri, announced on group’s Facebook wall that Thalugaz members riding motorcycles would gather at the Victory Monument at 3pm.

The post said the riders would then head down Ratchadamnoen Road to the Lan Khon Muang ground in front of the first Bangkok Metropolitan Administration hall.

Lan Khon Muang is among seven spots that Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has designated for protests in a bid to prevent disturbance from rallies.

Mon leads a group called the Vocational Students Protecting Democracy. Last month, the group rode from Big C in Min Buri to Lat Prao Intersection in a protest against the high price of fuel.

Meanwhile, another group announced on the Thalugaz Facebook wall that they will rally outside Rajamangala Stadium on July 12 at 3pm to “welcome” Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. The PM is set to preside over the exhibition match between Liverpool and Manchester United at the stadium on July 12.

The announcement was made by a Thalugaz leader calling himself a “Prayut-chasing citizen and a revolutionary red-shirt”.

Published : July 03, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017313

The House secretariat issued a statement on Sunday denying the Parliament building had sprung a leak during a heavy downpour on Friday.

It said the ground floor, where an exhibition marking the 90th year of Thai parliaments is being held, had been flooded because gusty winds brought by the Chaba tropical storm had swept rainwater inside. It also pointed out that the ground floor can be easily flooded because it is open on all sides.

As for the damage to booths, it said they had been knocked over by strong winds and that the wood used for the structures and the floor was water-resistant.

The statement added that cleaning staff have been instructed to dry up the area and fix the booth. It also claimed that the images shown to the public had been taken in March when a water pipe burst inside the Senate secretariat’s building.

The Friday flooding was brought to public notice by former Democrat MP Watchara Petthong, who said this was the third such incident in Thailand’s new 12.2-billion-baht Parliament complex. He put the leaks down to construction defects caused by insufficient quality control by subcontractors, substandard materials and poor specifications.

Published : July 03, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017308

Despite being fully vaccinated as well as receiving a booster shot, Industry Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit announced on Sunday that he has tested positive for Covid-19.

He said his symptoms are mild and that he has been taking medication since Saturday. The minister has also provided his timeline for those who may have come in contact with him.

Suriya added that his condition will not affect his work, as his symptoms are mild and he can tend to his official duties from home.

The minister had received two AstraZeneca jabs and a Pfizer booster.

Published : July 03, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017305

A group representing the LGBTQ+ community in Khon Kaen held a rally dubbed “Naruemit Pride” at the Democracy Monument in Muang district on Saturday.

The group had gathered to voice support for the Marriage Equality Bill proposed by Move Forward Party, which along with the Cabinet’s Civil Partnership Bill had sailed through the first reading on June 15.

Prominent activist Attapon “Kru Yai” Buapat said the two bills are very different and the Civil Partnership Bill does not offer LGBTQ+ people as many rights as the Marriage Equality Bill does.

He said he hopes the Marriage Equality Bill passes through the second and final readings in the House of Representatives.

“We want the Marriage Equality Bill to go through,” he said, adding that the longer the bill is delayed, the longer it will take for people to access their rights.

The Marriage Equality Bill seeks to grant the same rights to same-sex couples as those enjoyed by heterosexual couples, while the Civil Partnership Bill grants many rights but not all, like it does not regard same-sex unions as marriages.

The rally, organised under police supervision, also included six same-sex couples who have registered their union, though it is not legally binding.

LGBTQ+ covers lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning and others.

Published : July 03, 2022

By : THE NATION