Move Forward Party alleges Air Force flew two F16s for private funeral rite
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 02, 2023
The Move Forward Party alleged on Thursday that the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) wasted more than 200,000 baht by flying two F16 fighter jets during post-cremation rite for the father of a former Air Force chief last year.
Two MPs from the opposition party, Phicharn Chaowapatanawong and Nattacha Boonchaiinsawat, and one of the party’s tentative candidates for a Bangkok constituency, Tanadej Pengsuk, made the allegation during a press conference at the Parliament.
They backed up the allegation with a video clip they claimed they received from an RTAC officer who was angered that state property was being diverted for personal use.
Tanadej said the incident took place in August last year during the ashes scattering rite of the father of former Air Force chief Napadej Dhupatemiya.
The clip showed two F16s were flown over the ceremony.
Tanadej said it costs 120,000 baht per hour to fly an F16 so the RTAF would have to pay 240,000 baht for the two jets.
Phicharnn said the Cabinet had banned the diversion of state property for personal use.
He said Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha must be held responsible for the alleged abuse because he is also defence minister.
Election watchdog rebuts charge it is changing the rules
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 01, 2023
The formula and practices for distributing House seats and dividing constituencies in the upcoming election has been in use since 2015, an election commissioner said on Wednesday.
Commissioner Pakorn Mahannop made the comment at a press conference in response to criticism from Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, a former election commissioner and now a member of the Seri Ruam Thai Party.
Somchai had said it was wrong for the commission to count stateless residents as part of the population figure used to divide constituencies, after the commission announced on Tuesday its formula for distributing House seats.
Pakorn said law-abiding but stateless residents of Thailand have been part of the population figure used for calculating the number of MPs since 2015, following advice from the Council of State.
The Council of State advised the commission that stateless people, who live legally in the country, must be counted as part of the population for calculating House seats. Pakorn said the commission also divided and distributed House seats for the 2019 general election based on this advice.
The commission announced on Monday it had approved the distribution of 400 House seats for 400 constituencies nationwide based on Thailand’s population of 66,090,475. That figure was announced by the Provincial Administration Department on December 31.
The commission then distributed the number of constituencies based on the formula of one for 164,226 Thais.
The new MPs Election Act increased the number of constituencies from 350 to 400.
As a result, Bangkok will have 33 MPs. Nakhon Ratchasima province will have 16. Khon Kaen, Chiang Mai and Ubon Ratchathani provinces will have 11 each, while Chonburi province will have 10.
Pakorn also said that the commission on Monday had approved five directives on the election and political parties, and that these will be published soon in the Royal Gazette so that they will take effect before the upcoming election.
The commission has set a tentative election date for May 7 on the condition that the House is not dissolved before it concludes its four-year tenure on March 22.
Pakorn said the commission has several more steps to implement for the election. They are:
– Provincial and Bangkok election directors will fit districts, tambon or villages into the number of constituencies distributed to each province. The dividing of the constituencies in provinces and Bangkok must be done in three forms at least and done in three days.
– The three forms of constituencies must be published in the provinces for local people and political parties contesting in the provinces to express opinions. The announcements on public notice boards in the provinces must be made from February 4 to 13.
– Provincial election committees must gather opinions and report them to the commission for consideration.
– The commission will hold a meeting to select one form for dividing each province’s constituencies.
– The finalised list of constituencies for the election will be published in the Royal Gazette.
Pakorn said the commission had plenty of time to hold the election. If the House completes its four-year tenure, the election will be held 45 days later, he said. If the House is dissolved before this, the election will be held 60 days later, he added.
Provincial committees will not gerrymander constituencies to benefit any political party – as feared by some parties – but will create the boundaries of constituencies fairly, Pakorn said.
EC takes another step towards general election with approval of 400 constituencies
TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2023
The Election Commission (EC) has approved 400 electoral constituencies nationwide, which marks another crucial step towards holding the general election this year.
The EC Office said that the watchdog had approved the 400 constituencies for the election of 400 MPs during a meeting on Monday.
The office will next send the list to the Cabinet Secretariat to be published in the Royal Gazette, after which the office can make further preparations to hold the election. The office had earlier announced May 7 as the tentative election date if the current House completes its four-year term on March 22.
The office said the drawing up of the new constituencies was based on the population statistics provided by the Provincial Administration Department at the end of December.
As of December 31, Thailand’s population was 66,090,475, and the drawing up of constituencies was based on the formula of one MP for 164,226 Thais.
The new MPs election act increased the number of constituencies from 350 to 400.
Major provinces on the new constituencies list include:
Prawit says he is ready to serve as Thailand’s 30th prime minister if elected
TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2023
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said he is ready to become Thailand’s 30th premier if he is chosen by voters to do the job.
He was speaking at a Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) fundraising event at Centara Grand Hotel in Bangkok on Monday.
“I’m ready to become prime minister if people choose me, and will return home if they do not,” said Prawit, who is also PPRP leader.
He said his past decade in politics has shown him that life as a soldier and politician is completely different. He said the past decade has also shown him that everybody has different personalities, adding that he respects people who have more experience than him. He added that he is ready to work for the country and help make it better.
“I have good intentions and sincerity towards everybody, including friends, brothers and sisters and subordinates,” he said.
Prawit said his top priority will be tackling poverty. “We have to take care of people to drive the country,” he said.
As for the “3Ps”, he said they were brothers with a bond that is unbreakable despite differences in political ideology.
The 3Ps include Prawit, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Interior Minister Anupong “Pok” Paochinda.
EC seeks Google’s help to raise awareness on election, restrict access to fake news
MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2023
The Office of the Election Commission (EC) on Monday sought help from Google Thailand to help launch awareness campaigns about the upcoming election and restrict access to fake news.
EC secretary-general Sawaeng Boonmee said he sought the help during a meeting with representatives from Google Thailand.
Phermsak Lilakul, Google Thailand’s government affairs and public policy manager, led a team of staff to meet Sawaeng at the EC head office to find out about the preparations and strategies for holding the upcoming general election.
During the meeting, Phermsak briefed Sawaeng about Google Thailand’s operations that could help the EC in organising the election.
Sawaeng expressed confidence that the cooperation from Google would make the upcoming election more trustworthy and receive more public acceptance.
House can only be dissolved after EC draws up new constituencies: Wissanu
MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2023
The Election Commission (EC) has to first finish marking out 400 constituencies before the House of Representatives can be dissolved, Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam said.
Wissanu was speaking to reporters after meeting EC Office secretary-general Sawaeng Boonmee at Government House on Monday.
He said Sawaeng informed him that the EC will require at least 45 days to prepare for the general election because another 50 new constituencies need to be created in line with the new MPs election act that went into effect on Saturday.
“Apart from increasing the number of constituencies from 350 to 400, the population in some provinces has risen, while it’s dropped in others. This affects the drawing up of constituencies,” Wissanu said.
He also said that the newly outlined constituencies will then be reviewed by provincial election committees and governors before public hearings are held.
“The provincial election committees will also have to listen to the opinions of political parties that will contest in the provinces. This public hearing process will take about a month,” Wissanu said.
He reckoned that the process, including public hearings, will take all of February, after which the prime minister can dissolve the House of Representatives.
The deputy PM also said he will inform the Cabinet on Tuesday of his discussion with the EC secretary-general.
Wissanu reiterated that the House could be dissolved any day as long as the drawing of 400 constituencies is completed, because if the House is dissolved first, the election process will have to start in line with the law, and the EC may not have enough time to prepare for the election.
The election has tentatively been scheduled for May 7.
The Election Commission said on Monday it needs at least 45 days to prepare for the general election once the House term ends, in line with two new relevant organic laws.
EC secretary-general Sawaeng Boonmee was speaking to reporters after meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam for an hour at Government House.
The MPs election act and the political parties act took effect on Saturday, laying the legal foundation for the EC to hold an election. The EC has tentatively scheduled May 7 as election day provided the House of Representatives completes its four-year term on March 22.
Sawaeng said the 45-day period is required by election law, and dismissed rumours that it was designed to help Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Asked to comment on allegations that the EC was buying time to allow Prayut’s United Thai Nation (UTN) Party to prepare for the national poll, Sawaeng replied: “People can say anything they like, but the EC works for Thailand.”
He said his talk with Wissanu, the government’s legal expert, was aimed at ensuring the election went smoothly.
Sawaeng said the EC had no way of knowing whether the prime minister would dissolve the House early on March 15, as speculated, but it would still need 45 days after House dissolution to get everything prepared to hold the election.
He said the EC would try to finish drawing constituency boundaries as soon as possible and is confident that all parties will have candidates in place for the registration period.
Sawaeng said he had also met with the Internet Law Reform Dialogue (iLaw), a Thai human rights NGO that campaigns for democracy.
Meanwhile, a full meeting of the Election Committee had been called for Monday afternoon, when it would launch final preparations for the election.
Korn pledges to create Thai spiritual tourism industry with THB1bn per province
MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 2023
The Chart Pattana Kla Party has pledged to invest 1 billion baht per province to build a Thai spiritual tourism industry if it wins power in the upcoming election.
Party leader Korn Chatikavanij said spiritual tourism has a strong tradition among Thai and international tourists, with potential to generate 5 trillion baht for Thailand’s economy.
He cited Wat Chedi Ai Khai in Nakhon Si Thammarat, saying visitors flocking there over the past three years of Covid-19 had generated much-needed cash for local hotel and business operators.
“Spiritual tourism is now trending globally,” he said, offering the examples of Hong Kong’s Guan Yin statue, Japan’s Asakusa Kannon Temple, and the cathedrals of Europe.
Korn said Watcharapong Radomsitthipat, the party’s economic adviser, had played an important role in promoting new spiritual landmarks in Thailand such as the Luang Pu Thuad statue in Ayutthaya and Ganesha statue in Chachoengsao.
He added that international tourists are drawn by the interesting stories surrounding Thailand’s many religious landmarks.
Korn said the party would use 1 billion baht per province to promote existing spiritual attractions or create new ones.
The investment would generate “enormous revenue”, he promised.
He said three things must be done to develop Thailand’s tourism industry:
– Invest in utilities and environmental preservation to boost tourist numbers.
– Increase the number of attractions to coax tourists to stay for longer in Thailand.
– Improve products and services to stimulate spending among tourists.
“Spiritual tourism meets all three requirements,” he said.
This year’s general election marks the latest chapter in the history of Thai political parties that started 10 decades ago with the founding of Khana Ratsadon (People’s Party)
Formed in 1927, Khana Ratsadon’s bloodless coup in 1932 changed the country from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy
The party went on to dominate Thai politics until disbanding in 1947, just after the end of World War II
The Democrat Party was formed in 1946 and survives today as the country’s oldest functioning political party
The Communist Party of Thailand, once a rival of the Democrats, was founded four years earlier in 1942 but was never officially registered and has been inactive since the 1990s
During the course of almost 100 years, Thailand has produced hundreds of political parties
Voters see no difference between Prayut, Prawit as next PM
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2023
A recent opinion poll shows that voters see no difference between Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha and his deputy, General Prawit Wongsuwan, as PM candidates.
However, the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida), which conducted the poll, did not ask if the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), led by Prawit, or the United Thai Nation Party (UTNP), which is fielding Prayut, will win the election.
The poll did not offer respondents choices comparing the two parties either.
Instead, the Nida Poll only posed an open-ended question, asking the 1,310 respondents what they felt about the competition between Prawit and Prayut. The poll was conducted over the telephone from January 23 to 25, and respondents could choose more than one answer. The responses were:
• 46.56%: No difference between Prawit and Prayut as they just competing politically
• 28.93%: There are no permanent foes or friends in politics
• 20.53%: Competition adds colour to democracy
• 12.52%: Prayut will have more freedom in making political decisions and running the country
• 10.76%: Despite the competition, the two parties will win fewer MP seats than they won in 2019
• 9.01%: There is an unmendable political rift between Prawit and Prayut
• 8.78%: Prawit and the PPRP will be freer and will join any camp to form a coalition after the election
• 6.56%: The two parties will win more House seats combined compared to the 2019 election
• 6.34%: Prayut supporters who do not like PPRP will come out in force to support the PM
• 3.05%: No comment.
When asked if they think Prayut and Prawit will join hands to form a coalition, the responses were:
Tanadej said it costs 120,000 baht per hour to fly an F16 so the RTAF would have to pay 240,000 baht for the two jets.
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