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EDITORIAL: In Thailand, Srettha Thavisin is the Prime Minister, but is he Really in Charge?13/3/2024 How many prime ministers does Thailand have now? One, if you ask Srettha Thavisin.In theory, the 62-year-old real estate tycoon is the prime minister. Nominally, he leads a government coalition of 11 parties with 314 MPs in Thailand’s 500-member House of Representatives. But whether he is actually fully or partially in charge is another matter altogether. In practice, Srettha is neither an MP nor the leader of Pheu Thai, the chief party in the ruling coalition. He has confessed to knowing a few of the party’s 141 MPs. His familiarity with MPs from other government parties is almost non-existent. During the few hectic weeks before the formation of his cabinet, Srettha was hardly at the bargaining table. He did not do the wheeling and dealing; rather, this was done by Pheu Thai bigwigs, notably Phumtham Wechayachai, who is now a deputy prime minister and minister of commerce; and Dr Prommin Lertsuridej, now the secretary general to the prime minister. Both Phumtham and Prommin have close ties to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Undoubtedly, Phumtham and Prommin consulted and listened to Thaksin, even though the 75-year-old former leader is officially a criminal convict serving a one-year jail term for corruption. Thaksin is widely regarded as the actual “owner” of Pheu Thai. In October 2023, Thaksin’s youngest daughter, Paetongtarn, was elected unopposed as the new Pheu Thai leader, even though the 36-year-old mother of two was a political greenhorn who had never been an MP. One widespread rumour is about the imminent rise of Paetongtarn to the cabinet before Songkran (Thai New Year on April 13). Another rumour is that Srettha, who is concurrently the finance minister, will give up the finance portfolio because he has no time to handle it properly. Srettha has been at odds with the governor of the Bank of Thailand, Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput, over the actual condition of the economy. Srettha insists that the Thai economy has been in a “crisis” and needs urgent stimulus via the “Digital Wallet”, a handout of 10,000 baht (US$280) in digital credits to every low-income Thai aged over 16. But bank governor Sethaput disagrees; he believes the Thai economy is recovering, and what is really needed is more investments to create jobs and increase exports. Srettha has practically bet his political future on the successful launch of the Digital Wallet programme, which requires about 500 billion baht (US$14 billion). He has considered off-budget extraordinary borrowing. But the National Anti-Corruption Commission and the State Council Office have cautioned against rushing to the House with such a questionable bill, for fear of violating existing laws on fiscal discipline. The latest official figures show that the Thai economy grew by 1.9 per cent in 2023, with 1.7 per cent growth in the fourth quarter, a slight improvement from 1.4 per cent in the third quarter. In other words, the Thai economy is not in a “crisis” as yet. Therefore, there is no legal justification for the urgent borrowing to stimulate consumption spending. Resorting to such extraordinary borrowing is also not in line with Pheu Thai’s May 2023 election campaign promise not to borrow new public money to fund the Digital Wallet scheme. Should the Digital Wallet fail to materialise, Srettha will be held responsible. At any rate, it has been argued previously that the proposed scheme was never intended to stimulate the economy but serves as a “political tool” to revive Pheu Thai’s image and secure the Thai prime minister’s popular standing. Srettha’s fate cannot be discussed without discussing the fate of Thaksin. On February 18, Thaksin was released on parole after 180 days in a police hospital, undergoing undisclosed treatments in a premium suite off limits to all outsiders. He is now serving the rest of his one-year jail term at home. Thaksin’s first foreign VIP guest was none other than Cambodia’s former prime minister Hun Sen, who dropped by on February 21 for a quick lunch with Thaksin. The Cambodian strongman left after lunch without calling on Prime Minister Srettha. Apparently, Hun Sen knows who to talk to in Thailand to get what he wants.Hun Sen, in his capacity as the chairman of the Cambodian People’s Party, invited Paetongtarn, leader of Pheu Thai, to visit Cambodia in March. Paetongtarn has accepted the invitation and is scheduled to lead a Pheu Thai team to meet Hun Sen in Phnom Penh from March 18 to 19. Nevertheless, Thaksin is not out of the woods yet. He is still facing two criminal charges of insulting the previous monarch, King Bhumibol, in a media interview in Seoul on May 21, 2015. In addition to violating the lèse-majesté law under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, which carries a jail term ranging from three to 15 years, Thaksin has also been accused of violating the Computer Law of 2017 by causing fake news to circulate on social media from his interview in Seoul. The maximum penalties under this law include a jail term of up to 20 years.On February 19, Thaksin denied any wrongdoing when he met a senior prosecutor to discuss the case. A new decision on how to proceed with the case against Thaksin will be made by the attorney general, and it is scheduled to be announced on April 10. In late 2015, a different attorney general put on record his official view that the case should be prosecuted. This was pending the arrest of Thaksin who was then in exile, living mostly in Dubai.
This is not the first time Thaksin has been accused of violating the lèse-majesté law. Several similar cases against him have all been dismissed in the past owing to lack of evidence. If the case against him now is dropped like before, Thaksin can start counting the days until he legally regains his freedom in the third week of August. In the meantime, Thaksin will be kept quite busy receiving visitors lobbying for better positions in a new cabinet line-up. Thai politicians know who is actually in charge. Asia’s bountiful rice fields have fed the world for centuries, but the industry now faces a threat from a weedy “cousin” of the staple that has proliferated due in part to poor farming practices.
Mealy in texture with dark pigmentation and unfit for consumption, weedy rice can grow rapidly and taller than the regular crop varieties, depriving the latter of soil nutrients and sunlight. As a result of the invasive weedy rice, harvest quality, yields and in turn market value of regular rice have declined significantly in recent years. “They have become feral through a sort of accidental selection. They will eventually stick out over a crop field, but the problem is that by the time they are visible, there can often be quite an infestation,” Kenneth Olsen, Professor of Biology at Washington University, told This Week in Asia. “A major weedy rice infestation can reduce crop harvests in a given field by over 80 per cent,” he said. According to the World Economic Forum, Asian rice producers account for more than 80 per cent of global supply. Olsen was part of an international team including biologists in the United States, Thailand, Malaysia and China who have analysed the menace in a new study. The origins of weedy rice are unclear, although farmers first reported its presence about two decades ago. A high proportion of its varieties in East Asia appears to be directly descended from hybrid rice varieties introduced in the 1980s, Olsen said. Other varieties of weedy rice have also crossbred with wild rice varieties in Asia. “These very aggressive weedy forms can outcompete other rice crops [in terms of growth],” he said. According to several studies, weedy rice appears to be linked to certain cultivated rice varieties in Japan, South Korea and China. It only requires a small amount of weedy rice plants per square metre to cause huge damage to the harvest of cultivated rice, Olsen said. For instance, the US saw crop losses equivalent to an amount that was sufficient to feed 12 million people due to the damage caused by weedy rice in the last few years, he added. Some of the weedy varieties are highly effective at dispersing their seeds in rice fields because of a certain genetic mutation. “These seeds can lie dormant and be perfectly viable for 20 years,” Olsen said. Major rice producer Thailand had reported losses of about 10 per cent of its output as a result of the weedy rice problem in recent years, said Tonapha Pusadee, one of the study’s co-authors. Some studies show that weedy rice varieties found in Southeast Asia have branched off into different evolutionary pathways, including several that originated from cultivated rice. Thai farmers have resorted to several ways to deal with weedy rice, such as cutting the panicles, or the top portions, of their rice crops, using a chemical in a bid to eliminate the problem and planting rice for only one season, Pusadee said.
อดีตนายกรัฐมนตรีทักษิณได้รับการปล่อยตัวเร็ว
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt, accompanied by city officials, visited the captivating contemporary art exhibition titled “Cat’s Testicles Rule the City” (CATSANOVA 2024) on Tuesday.The exhibition, part of the ongoing Bangkok Design Week 2024, is being hosted at Poh-Chang Academy of Arts, Rajamangala University of Technology Rattanakosin until February 4. CATSANOVA 2024 has a unique objective – to employ art as a medium to address the surging problem of stray cats in Bangkok while promoting their adoption. The governor and city officials explored the exhibition to gain insights into the creative endeavours addressing this social concern. Key activities within the exhibition include a hands-on painting activity, encouraging participants to create artwork featuring cat’s testicles. This artistic initiative doubles as a campaign aimed at advocating for the responsible control of the stray cat population and their overall well-being. A significant facet of CATSANOVA 2024 involves finding new loving homes for stray cats brought in from the Animal Control Centre in Bangkok’s Prawet district. The event is being supported by the Department of Health and the Veterinary Public Health Office. In collaboration with SOS Animal Thailand and Pettinee Company, the event offers valuable support for adoption efforts. This includes motivating factors, online veterinary health consultation (relevant) and online vaccination records accessible through the LINE OA system at no cost. Visitors are encouraged to make contributions to support the stray cat neutering project, which aims to control the population of stray felines in the capital.
Thailand’s new civilian-led administration is facing criticism over its plan to go forward with the purchase of a high-cost navy frigate from China in a deal first negotiated by the previous military government.
The purchase of the vessel was negotiated after China reneged on a 2017 plan to sell Thailand a S26T Yuan-class submarine because it could not obtain diesel engines from Germany, which forbids them to be used in Chinese military hardware, according to the Bangkok Post. However the frigate, which would add to an existing fleet of seven mostly Chinese-built frigates, will cost the country $480 million — $28 million more than the submarine would have cost. That has been criticized by the opposition Move Forward Party, which argues that the submarine deal should simply have been allowed to lapse. "Chinese authority should rather take responsibility for failing the agreement," said Move Forward MP Rangsiman Rome, who was quoted by Matichon, a major Thai newspaper and website. Thai Defense Minister Sutin Klungsang has defended the purchase, saying that revoking the deal or asking for a refund from China “would only impact other aspects of cooperation and relations” between the two countries. Sutin also said that the submarine deal is being shelved rather than replaced by the new warship deal. Scott Edwards, a lecturer in international relations at the University of Reading in the U.K., said there may be other countries where Thailand could purchase a frigate but that political considerations can go into a purchase. "Vessels sometimes rely on originating countries for spare parts and maintenance," he wrote in an email exchange. John Bradford, executive director of the Japan-based Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies, pointed out some advantages to a frigate over a submarine. He said the training and maintenance costs should be lower, and that a frigate would be more useful in dealing with challenges posed by Thailand's "exceptionally complex" maritime environment. Those challenges include fishing regulation enforcement, guarding against smuggling, ocean resource protection and governance over waters that face both the Indian and Pacific oceans, Bradford said. Edwards agreed that a frigate is more sensible than a submarine, which would likely be underutilized and of limited use to Thailand. "While Thailand may want submarines to match the subsurface capabilities of its neighbors, frigates can also be equipped with anti-submarine warfare capabilities," said Edwards, who is an expert in Southeast Asia's maritime security governance. However, he questioned Bangkok's decision to purchase a frigate from Beijing, citing China's assertive behavior in the South China Sea. "China's actions in the South China Sea should still be a consideration despite Thailand not being in direct dispute," he said. Thailand previously purchased two Naresuan-class and four Chao Phraya-class frigates from China as well as one frigate from South Korea. Most of the missile-launching warships have been in commission since the 1990s. While Thailand has relied on both the United States and China for military hardware, the kingdom shifted toward Beijing after a 2014 coup prompted the U.S. to suspend millions of dollars in military financing and funding for military education and training. Washington normalized its relations with Bangkok after a 2019 election, widely seen as legitimizing the military-led government. The vote was held under a junta-written constitution and resulted in the victory of coup leader General Prayuth Chan-ocha. Dulyapak Preecharush, associate professor of Asian studies at Thammasat University in Bangkok, noted that Thailand has been led by a civilian government since August and argued that the kingdom should maintain a nonalignment policy, including more balance on military hardware procurement. "Thai [Defense Ministry] has acknowledged the current geopolitical competition between the US and China and will put more balance on Thai relations with major powers," he wrote in a recent email to VOA Thai. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Thailand bought 33% of its military material from South Korea, 14% from China and 10% from the United States during the period from 2018 to 2022. Edwards, from the University of Reading, agreed that the current Thai government, led by the Pheu Thai Party and consisting of pro-military and pro-establishment coalitions, is likely to rebalance toward the U.S. But "it is unlikely such shifts will be dramatic in nature," he wrote, noting that as recently as May, the U.S. rejected selling F-35 stealth fighter jets to Thailand. Thailand's trade volume with China in 2022 was about $135 billion, according to China's state-run Business Information Center. Its total trade with the United States that year was an estimated $79.1 billion, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Relatives of Thai workers kidnapped or killed by Hamas militants have spent the days since the attack on Israel patching together details from social media of what happened to their loved ones. Thailand is emerging as one of the nations most affected by a conflict thousands of kilometers away. Eighteen Thais are feared dead in the violence, the Thai foreign ministry said on Tuesday, with 11 more believed held hostage by Hamas, nearly all from the poor northeastern region known as Isaan. But the ministry said the numbers were unconfirmed in the bloody chaos of recent days with the Israeli Embassy in Bangkok saying a complete count is not immediately possible, given the ongoing military operations. Israel has launched a counteroffensive to the attack, which killed hundreds of Israelis. Hamas has warned it will start executing its hostages if there are Israeli strikes without warning on Gaza, where hundreds have died, including civilians. An estimated 30,000 Thais work in Israel, many at kibbutz farms near the border with Gaza, where they can earn upwards of $1,000 a month, several times higher than the wages in northeastern Thailand. "I want to assure the Thai people that Israel is committed to doing everything in its power to protect the Thai workers in our country," Orna Sagiv, the ambassador of Israel to Thailand, said in a Facebook post on Monday. "Rest assured, they will receive the same treatment and protection as every person in Israel, whether Israeli or foreign national." Devastated relatives of those feared to have been taken hostage have struggled to find information on the whereabouts of their family members, instead relying on videos shared on Facebook and TikTok by fellow Thai workers — or the militants who attacked them. "I can't breathe, I can't sleep," said Piyanus Phujuttu, 27, whose family members believe they saw her cousin, Khomkrit Chombua, being taken into the Gaza Strip by militants on Saturday on a video shared over social media. "Thai officials told me that they would talk to the Israeli government for me and the Israeli embassy in Thailand told me that they have to clear the area first before beginning the search — they've been following the situation, but they haven't confirmed my cousin's whereabouts, nor his fate," Speaking to Thai television, Suda Thepgaew said she believes her husband was one of six Thais gunned down as dozens of militants attacked the workers' dormitory near Gaza. "I just talked to him on Saturday and everything was fine, we were laughing and then suddenly there was gunfire, missile strikes and the connection was lost … his friend at the farm told me later, 'Ball has gone,'" she said, using her husband's nickname. Separately, the visibly distraught mother of a banana farm worker from Kalasin, northern Thailand, spoke about her son, Somkuan Pansa-ard, who was shot dead at Nahal Oz kibbutz in Israel. Noopa Pansa-ard held a portrait of her son as she told reporters she had tried to persuade him to remain in Thailand. She said her son had been on a five-year contract in Israel, sending home nearly $2,000 each month to his family. "I told him I didn't want the money, I just wanted him to be safe. I was just telling him how much I missed him," said Noopa Pansa-ard of her last call with her son. Thailand is among the largest sources of migrant workers for Israel, with the Thai labor ministry saying the majority are employed as farm workers who send home monthly remittances. Around 7,000 Thais may also be working illegally in Israel, the ministry added, raising fears for their safety as they may not have been recorded as missing by employers. Only Taiwan and South Korea have more Thai workers, the ministry says.
The Thai government promises to evacuate all of its citizens. Nearly 4,000 Thais have registered to leave as the situation becomes increasingly volatile, with the first flight due back to Thailand on Thursday, Kanchana Patarachok, a ministry spokesperson, told a press conference Tuesday. But some Thais still in Israel say they want to stay, putting the relatively high wages of overseas work above their safety as they try to help families back home in the rice bowl northeast, where the daily minimum wage is around $8. "I'm the eldest son so I've got to take care of my parents and my wife and two kids (aged 3 and 5)," Jakkapol Wipracha, 35, told VOA from Talmei Yosef, a settlement close to the Israel's southern border with Gaza. Each month working on a tomato farm he says he earns 5,300 shekels ($1,340). "Over nine months, I've sent most of it home." "I haven't been contacted by the Thai government yet but I'm weighing my options up right now. If I go back, I'd still need to go work overseas somewhere else. With all the debt I have, I just can't find work in Thailand that pays enough," he said. Pita Limjaroenrat has resigned as leader of Thailand's Move Forward Party, paving the way for other members of the party to lead the biggest opposition group in the country's parliament."The current constitution specifies that the opposition leader must be [a member of parliament]," Pita said in his Facebook post on Friday. "However, I am still suspended as [member of parliament] by the court order. Then, I cannot work in the parliament as the opposition leader in the near future."
He did not mention who will replace him as party leader. Pita, 43, led the Move Forward Party in the May 14 general election, winning 151 of 500 seats and becoming the largest party in the lower house. But he failed to become prime minister in a parliamentary vote on July 13 as most senators did not support him due to Move Forward's progressive policies, including a proposed amendment to the country's lese-majeste laws. On July 19, Thailand's constitutional court suspended Pita as a member of parliament over his shareholdings in a media company. The suspension eventually blocked him from being renominated as the prime minister candidate for the second time. Pita's failure paved the way for the Pheu Thai Party, which won second place with 141 seats in the general election, to form the government. The party's Srettha Thavisin was elected Prime Minister on Aug. 22. Pita, however, vowed that he would continue to work with the Move Forward Party to push forward the agenda for change as well as to investigate and balance the power through the parliamentary process. The Pheu Thai party, which finished second in the May election, was able to form a coalition acceptable to the senators, and had one of its candidates, Srettha Thavisin, confirmed as prime minister. Srettha's coalition embraced military-supported parties that include members linked to a 2014 coup that ousted a previous Pheu Thai government. Move Forward’s bid to lead the opposition was complicated not only by Pita’s suspension, but also because one of its members is currently serving as the first deputy house speaker. Padipat Suntiphada was selected for the post while Move Forward was still seeking to form a government, but the rules bar members of parties leading the opposition from holding speakers’ positions in the House. It is not immediately clear if Padipat will resign from the post.
Thaksin’s signature policies included a universal healthcare scheme opening virtually free treatment for basic ailments to tens of millions of poor for the first time, as well as village clinics and start-up funds. “He has always helped making our lives better,” 63-year-old Ankana Nattakit from Nakon Ratchasima said. “No other prime minister has done nearly anything as much for us. He’s the prime minister of the grassroots people.”
Vote on new PM Pheu Thai, the latest incarnation of Thaksin’s party, came second in elections held in May. After the progressive Move Forward Party, which won the election, was unable to form a government because military-appointed senators in the upper house refused to support it, Pheu Thai cobbled together a grouping of parties, including those backed by the military. A vote was underway on Tuesday that could lead to the party’s Srettha Thavisin, a property tycoon, becoming prime minister. Srettha has the backing of 314 legislators in the lower house but needs an additional 58 votes to secure the job, which requires the backing of a majority of both houses. |
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