September 29, 2020 Thai Enquirer Summary Political News The government is set to extend a state of emergency due to expire at the end of this month by another month as Thailand gears up for the reopening of borders to foreign visitors while maintaining its relative success in containing local transmission of the COVID-19. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA)’s meeting chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday (September 28) approved the extension of emergency rules through October 31, according to National Security Council (NSC) chief Gen Somsak Rungsita. This is the 6 th such extension of the ‘state of emergency’ ever since the measures were put in place on March 26 th 2020 on the pretext of preventing the outbreak of the Coronavirus. The panel also approved special tourist visas for foreign tourists starting next month, Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said. The 1-month extension will be put up at the cabinet’s meeting today (September 29).
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September 29, 2020
Thai Enquirer Summary
Political News
The government is set to extend a state of emergency due to expire at the end of this
month by another month as Thailand gears up for the reopening of borders to foreign
visitors while maintaining its relative success in containing local transmission of the
COVID-19.
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA)’s meeting chaired by
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday (September 28) approved the
extension of emergency rules through October 31, according to National Security
Council (NSC) chief Gen Somsak Rungsita.
This is the 6th such extension of the ‘state of emergency’ ever since the
measures were put in place on March 26th
2020 on the pretext of
preventing the outbreak of the Coronavirus.
The panel also approved special tourist visas for foreign tourists starting next
month, Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said.
The 1-month extension will be put up at the cabinet’s meeting today (September
29).
Embattled Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha has come out to dismiss the possibility
of the opposition Pheu Thai Party joining his coalition government anytime soon.
Gen Prayut told reporters at Government House that the time for the Pheu Thai
Party to join his government as a coalition partner is not coming up as yet. He
declined to elaborate further.
The Prime Minister made his comments in response to the resignation en masse
of Pheu Thai Party leader Sompong Amornvivat which automatically resulted in
the dissolution of the entire executive board of the party.
Meanwhile an extraordinary party caucus is expected at 10.00 hrs on October 1st at the
Pheu Thai Party headquarters to pick a new party leader, who will concurrently become
Opposition leader in parliament, and a new executive committee to pave the way for a
major revamp.
At the party’s extraordinary meeting, there is a strong possibility that Sompong
could again be re-elected as party leader and opposition leader while Prasert
Chanthararuangthong, a Nakhon Ratchasima MP, who has a direct connection
with the “Shinawatra” family will be elected as the party’s new secretary-general,
according to a Pheu Thai source.
The party’s 20 executive committee members will be divided up across all
factions. Under the new structure, the party aims to enlist younger-generation
politicians to erase the image of several key members who are leftist.
Arunee Kasayanoon, a young blood politician and a former member of
the Thai Raksaa Chaat party, is to be tipped as party spokesperson, the
same source said.
Initially, Khunying Potjaman na Pombejra is expected to lead the Politburo’s
weekly meeting. The weekly meeting will be chaired by Potjaman, accompanied
by her personal assistant, a number of old clique members like Surapong
Suebwonglee, Phumtham Wechayachai, who are now in a group called CARE,
Chusak Sirinil who will take charge of legal affairs, Pichai Naripthaphan who
will oversee economic affairs and other old clique members from the Thai Raksa
Chart Party and the red shirt movement.
Still with Pheu Thai, the party’s acting executive committee has approved a new logo for
the party which will be submitted to the general meeting of the party for final
endorsement next month, acting party leader Chusak Sirinil announced.
Chusak said the new logo has adopted the “Uthong” traditional font, to fit with
changing circumstances and the changes in the party.
Chusak said party supporters had welcomed the new logo, with one Facebook
user posting a message saying that a fortune teller once warned that the current
logo, using a font in which the Thai letters do not have heads was deemed
inauspicious.
In a rare public appearance, former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, also an ex-
army chief, dropped in at army headquarters to see Gen Apirat Kongsompong on his last
day as army chief.
During their conversation, Gen Chavalit likened Gen Apirat as his own nephew as
he and Gen Sunthorn Kongsompong are former classmates at the Armed Forces
Academies Preparatory School.
Gen Chavalit also expressed grave concerns over anti-monarchy movements. He
said it was a shame that Gen Apirat served as the post of the army chief only 2
years and has now been appointed to serve Their Majesties.
Gen Apirat said it was important that someone served Their Majesties. Gen Apirat
was appointed early this month along with Corrections Department director-
general Naras Savestanan as deputies of the Lord Chamberlain, he has been
instructed to conduct a survey of the monarch’s estates so water storage facilities
can be built for public use.
This meeting of Chavalit and Apirat is being interpreted as something that may have
some more indication than that meets the eye.
Again, this is another symbolism of things happening in the country
1st was the unexpected audience by HM the King with former Prime
Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s ex-wife Khunying Potjaman na Pombejra on
September 25th
2nd
was the sudden resignation by Sudarat Keyuraphan and the executive
board that followed
And now is the meeting of Chavalit and Apirat
The symbolism is because Chavalit is considered to be close to
Thaksin while Apirat is considered to be close to the powers that
are in control of things in Thailand.
Out of the blue, Chatchai Promlert, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Interior, came
out to dismiss rumours that he was instructed by 2 influential figures in the government
with the initial “Por” to form a back-up party.
Chatchai said he, as an active state official, does not get involved in politics.
Besides, Chatchai said he never heard of such an order. His job is to take care of
problems of the public.
Protest leaders Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul, of the United Front of Thammasat
and Demonstration (UFTD), and Panupong “Mike Rayong” yesterday (September 28) led
mass supporters to march to the 4th
Cavalry Division King’s Guard.
The group held a symbolic activity called “Tam Ha Nai” (Search for the Boss) in
order to question the progress of the case involving 3 plain-clothes cadets who
head locked a member of the general public who showed up to give support to the
Internet Law Reform Dialogue (iLaw) during its sign-up campaign to sponsor a
motion for a charter rewrite on September 22.
The UFTD waited in front of the 4th
Cavalry Division King’s Guard for more than
2 hours but received no response from the arm. The group started to attack the
logo of the 4th
Cavalry Division by throwing eggs and paints.
Panuponglater threatened to march to the army headquarters if the commander of
the 3 cadets failed to impose any punishment to the soldiers.
Something we all can laugh about
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC)’s annual Integrity and
Transparency Assessment (ITA) ranked the Government Housing Bank (GHB) as
Integrity and Transparency Assessment (ITA) as the most transparent state
agency, with the score of 99.60 (out of 100).
Overall, the state agencies scored an average of 67.90 (out of 100).
Most organizations got an ‘A’ including the NACC accessing itself to get
an ‘A’ as well
Election Commission got an ‘A’
Office of the Auditor General got an ‘A’
Sa-ard (meaning “clean”) Tambon Administration Organisation in Roi Et
province scored lowest at 28.16.
This year, only a handful of state agencies managed to meet the
benchmark of 80. The courts earned the highest score of 91.41, followed
by state attorney offices (71.30) and independent bodies (89.44).
Economic News
The Ministry of Finance (MoF) is set to revise the country’s gross domestic product
(GDP) growth for the year 2020 in October amid positive economic indicators.
Economic recovery momentum during July and August which suggests that the
economy could contract less in the third quarter than the previous period, said