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November 27, 2020 Thai Enquirer Summary Political News Pro-democracy protesters are expected to take to the streets from 16:00 hrs today near Lat Phrao junction to prepare protesters in case that a military coup is staged. The venue and the timing of the planned protest was announced the Khana Ratsadon (People’s Party) group despite its 15 leaders being charged just yesterday with insulting the monarchy under Section 112 of the penal code during recent demonstrations. This time, the pro-democracy group said on its Facebook page that the new rally would not end today but it will be a protracted one. The Khana Ratsadon group also called on its supporters in “Phra Khanong- Bang Na-Samut Prakan” to gather from 16:00 to 22:00 hrs at Imperial Samrong shopping complex to march to Bang Na intersection to reiterate its 3 demands, according to the group’s Facebook page. The group referred to its supporters who will join this rally as labour workers, students, the red shirts and the Ratsadon “the People”. Meanwhile, the recent movement of military forces, armaments and military equipment from one unit to the other were witnesses yesterday. Col Sirichan Ngathong, deputy spokeswoman, came out to clarify that the movement is for a new army training program scheduled for November 27-29, 2020. The student protest movement has come under criticism from social media as a lot of ‘excesses’ can be seen at the protest sites. Social media was buzzing on how the organizers were buying inflatables of aliens which cost as much as 20,000 baht a piece, and other expensive gimmick are being questioned but the protest leaders are not buying enough equipment for guarding the front-line guards at the protest sites. Social media are raising question to the Free Youth Movement CSILA, a online investigative page, has come out to show pictures and say that the person who created the havoc @ SCB may have been the same person who had done it during the Ramkhamhaeng University incident by the Yellow shirt supporters when they attacked the pro-democracy protestors. This was confirmed by one of the protest leaders who said this morning that an investigation has revealed that those responsible for the bomb and shooting that injured 2 people on Wednesday’s protest at Siam Commercial Bank HQ was a ‘Yellow Shirt’ guard who had tricked into joining the Khana Ratsadorn guard in order to create havoc. At the same time Lumpini police issued 2 new police summonses for pro-democracy activist Jatupat “Pai Dao Din” Boonpattarasaksa and Atthaphol Buaphat when they participated in the anti-government protest in Ratchaprasong intersection on October 25. In addition, the Criminal Court issued a warrant for the arrest of Passapong Kulamornkarn, a security guard of the Ratsadon group, who is suspected of shooting another guard after the end of the protest in the park of the Siam Commercial Bank head office. The court’s arrest warrant was requested by Phaholyothin police. Passapong, a former student of Minburi Polytechnic Technical College, was with a group of vocational students believed to fire shots at a group of rival students. In the light of the police’s push to bring lese majeste charges against Khana Ratsadon group leaders, embattled Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha came out to say that the enforcement of the lese majeste law under Section 112 of the Criminal Code lies in police’s powers and that the government has no authority to interfere with the enforcement of the controversial law. When asked about prominent social critic Sulak Sivaraksa’s call for him to revise the imposition of Section 112, Gen Prayut said he is not the one that imposes this law but law enforcement officials who exercise their powers to impose the law. He feared that he will be violating Section 157 of the Criminal Code for negligence of duty if he sits back and does nothing. Sulak has joined anti-government protesters in calling on Gen Prayut to resign. Army chief Gen Narongphan Jitkaewtae has again denied Twitter report that the army used private firms to carry out information operations (IO) through 17,000 Twitter accounts. Gen Narongphan insisted that the report is “fake news”. He has assigned the army’s spokesman team to clarify the matter. In relation to the matter, Twitter page@SaraAyanaputra yesterday claimed that the Royal Thai Army used 2 apps, Twitter Broadcast and Free Messenger, to coordinate with 17,562 accounts in its IO. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai reassured the public that pro-democracy rallies the international community is not worried about pro-democracy rallies in Thailand. He said political turmoil in Thailand was perceived by the international community as being at the “kindergarten or primary school” levels. On the charter amendment process, Parliament speaker Chuan Leekpai is said to submit letters to the Council of University Presidents of Thailand to invite university presidents to be included in the 21-member reconciliation panel comprising 7 groups. Progressive movement leader Piyabutr Saengkanokkul came out to comment that he does not care about who will sit on the panel but he is more concerned about issues that will be raised by the panel and the scope of the panel’s responsibilities. Piyabutr reiterated 3 conditions for the opposition to join the panel. The 3 conditions are 1. The resignation of Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha and a smooth transition to a new government 2. Charter amendments 3. The monarchy reform. Ahead of the Constitutional Court’s ruling on Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha occupying an army residence scheduled for December 2, Seri Ruam Thai Party leader Pol Gen Sereepisut Temiyavet, as chairman of the House committee on corruption suppression and prevention, has come out to rule that Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o- cha is not entitled to remain in a military residence since he retired as army chief because he was not a state official. Section 128 of the Prevention and Suppression of Corruption Act barred a state official from receiving gifts with a value of more than 3,000 baht; hence, a lengthy stay in state housing beyond legal stipulation is worth more than 3,000 baht, Pol Gen Sereepisut said, warning that the court will likely face a public backlash if it rules in favour of Gen Prayut in the army housing case. Thai Civilised Party list MP and leader Mongkolkit Suksintaranont announced his departure from the coalition government (again). Mongkolkit said he had notified his decision with the coalition parties and he would not return to the coalition bloc as long as Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan- o-cha remains in office as prime minister. He blamed Gen Prayut as the cause of the current political conflict. Mongkolkit also said he had talks with the opposition and plans to defect to the opposition bloc. Mongkolkit said he had been thinking about withdrawing support from the coalition government for quite some time. Other party members also backed the party’s departure, Mongkolkit said, citing that his decision is based on the public’s demand. One has to remember that Mongkolkit, is a 1 man party and has been swinging back and forth from the coalition to ‘independent opposition’ and at times showing 3-finger salute at the rally of the students and then a day or 2 later wearing yellow shirt and on the street with the Yellow Shirt movement. Thailand confirmed on Thursday it had returned three Iranians jailed over a 2012 bomb plot in Bangkok, in an announcement that came after Tehran freed an Australian-British lecturer imprisoned for alleged spying. The country's corrections department said two of the men — Masoud Sedaghatzadeh and Saeid Moradi — were transferred as prisoners while the third, Mohammad Khazaei, was granted a royal pardon in August. Thai officials have not explicitly linked the transfer with the release of Middle East scholar Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who returned to Australia after two years in detention in Iran on espionage charges. But Iranian state TV said Wednesday that Moore-Gilbert was swapped for three Iranians. Economic News Meanwhile, Kalin Sarasin, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC), said the private sector is deeply concerned by ongoing political demonstrations which may affect consumer spending sentiment. He said political rallies started to cause concerns among Thai and foreign investors amid increasing investment activities. He urged the government to seek negotiations with protesters to end rallies in a peaceful manner. Kalin said the TCC is planning to submit a white paper to the government today via Deputy Prime Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow that aims to stimulate the local economy under a “Happy Model”. The Economic and Business Forecasting Centre at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) expects the Thai economic growth in the 4th quarter to recover gradually or see a contraction of around 4-5 per cent in line with the consumer confidence index that edged up thanks to government economic stimulus measures like the co-payment scheme and improved farm prices, said UTCC’s Economic Center Thanawat Polvichai. Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit is stepping up efforts to make a car trade-in proposal a New Year gift to Thais as part of measures to increase car sales, which turned sluggish during the pandemic. The measures are scheduled to be tabled for discussion at the Center for Economic Administration Situation meeting on Dec 2. Among the measures is a move to stimulate car purchases, notably electric vehicles (EVs), through a trade-in scheme worth 100,000 baht for individual car owners. Owners can use the expense as an income tax deduction, according to the National Economic and Social Development Council.

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