February 5, 2021 Thai Enquirer Summary Political News • Although
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February 5, 2021 Thai Enquirer Summary Political News Although the statement by the army chief Gen Narongphan Jitkaewtae was the top news in Thailand yesterday, the more important news than that was the fact that Public Health Minister Anuthin Charnvirakul accepting that Thailand would not get vaccination started up until at least June 2021 Earlier he had promised vaccination to start on February 14, 2021 but now he says that it is likely to start in June 2021 The army chief spurned criticism of 3 weapons and arms procurement projects worth a combined 6.152 billion baht in the 2022 fiscal year amid the flare-up of the coronavirus outbreak that take a heavy toll on Thai people. The army is facing mounting call from the opposition to suspend its arms purchases. He even likened the necessity of weapons procurements to the need for a household to purchase toilet rolls. “Buying the weapons is like buying things that finishes in a household, it is like when you go to the toilet and need tissue which has is finishing up.” When asked how the army will explain its position on these costly arms procurements, Gen Narongphan Jitkaewtae said he had no plan to explain anything because it is the duty of the government and the parliament to clarify the matter to relevant House committees. When asked if it is necessary for the army to procure military weapons and supplies, Gen Narongphan likened most military weapons to essential home items which can be worn out over time and need to be replaced. Commenting on the ongoing problems in Myanmar which has seen the entire 15- members of security council at the United Nations come out to unanimously condemn the coup, the Thai army’s stance on Myanmar’s military coup, the army chief said the army must maintain Asean’s principle of non-interference in the matter. He insisted that another coup in Thailand was something that had never crossed his mind. He stressed that the military relationship between Thailand and Myanmar remained as good as ever. Progressive Movement co-leader Thanathorn Juangroonruangkit, mother Somporn and younger sister Chanapan could find themselves in hot water after the Royal Forest Department decided to file a complaint with the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division, accusing the 3 of illegally occupying more than 2,000 rai of forest reserve land in Ratchaburi province. The department accused Thanathorn, his mother and his younger sister of illegally occupying connected blocks of land totalling 2,154 rai within a national forest reserve in Rang Bua and Dan Thab Tako sub-districts of Chom Bung district, Ratchaburi, demanding them pay a damage of 147 million baht in a civil lawsuit. The 3 accused had 60 land right documents laying claim the forest land, Cheevaparp Cheevatham, director of the department's Forest Protection and Fire Control Office, said, alleging that the documents were illegally issued. He said Somporn had 53 title documents, Chanapan 5 and Thanathorn 2. The department also plans to file legal suits against 5 land and administrative officials behind the issuance of the illegal documents, Cheevaparp said. Rifts inside the coalition government could grow wider after the Phalang Pracharat Party (PPRP)’s executive committee resolved to field Ayasit Srisuwan to contest a by-election in the constituency 3 of Nakhon Si Thammarat despite knowing that the move could jeopardise its relations with the coalition partner Democrat Party. The PPRP executive board’s meeting yesterday was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, as the PPRP leader, Anucha Nakasai, the party’s secretary-general, and all members of the executive committee. The executive board spent around 1.30 hours to consider a candidate to contest the Nakhon Si Thammarat by-election as the only key meeting agenda. A majority of the PPRP executive committee cast their votes to select Ayasit in a confidential vote, claiming that the PPRP must maintain its support base in the area. The executive board voted for the PPRP to contest the by-election 10-8 with 2 abstention. A war of words broke out between the PPRP and the Democrat Party amid both parties’ refusal to compromise on the by-election in Nakhon Si Thammarat. PPRP MPs in the south told the Democrats that the party should not field a candidate to contest the upcoming by-election because the party’s candidate Thepthai Senpong was convicted of cheating in the Provincial Administration Organisation (PAO) election in the southern province in 2013. Democrat Party spokesman Rames Ratanachaweng responded that the matter had nothing to do with the Democrat Party and told Phalang Pracharat not to show their aggressive manner, asking the party’s senior members to tame their MPs. Democrat deputy leader Nipit Intarasombut came out to slam Rong Boonsuaykwan, PPRP MP for Nakhon Si Thammarat, who played the shame game. Nipit reminded Rong of the incident when a PPRP fellow MP inserted ID cards of other MPs during the budget bill vote in 2020. Pro-democracy Ratsadon (People’s Movement) group Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak yesterday posted a police summons issued by Khlong Luang police station for him to meet investigators today at 10.00 hrs to answer charges of violating the Covid-19 emergency decree and the Flag Act of B.E. 2522. Parit led a group of United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration (UFTD) members and supporters on January 15, 2021 to change the Thai national flag in front of the Khlong Luang police station, replacing it with a red banner with the letters 112, a reference to the lese majeste section of the Criminal Code. Parit said he along with a dozen of student activists were issued police summons to acknowledge charges at Khong Luang police station. He called for the public to wait and see if police may seek their detention when they turn up to answer the charges, citing an order from the high-ups in the government to put student activists and those who support monarchy reform in prison by this March. Economic News Prime Minister and Defence Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha approved in principle the cash handout of 4,000 baht for workers insured in the social security system under Section 33, Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin said, adding that he will submit the cash handout proposal to the cabinet as soon as possible at the cabinet meeting next week February 9. The amount of the cash handout for insured workers is now set at 4,000 baht per person. The only condition is that those with bank deposits exceeding 500,000 baht will be excluded. A weekly payment of 1,000 baht starting next month to a pay-out of 4,000 baht will be transferred through the Pao Tang app, Suchart said. The ministry expects around 9.2-9.3 million people to receive the handout under a budget of 38 billion baht. The ministry will discuss the details of the handout with the Finance Ministry today. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith came out to dismiss criticism that Thailand has now fallen into a bankruptcy status, insisting that Thailand’s financial stability remains strong. The Finance Minister said reasons to justify his claim are: The fact that Thailand’s GDP and revenue continues to see successive growth, citing World Bank data which showed that Thailand’s GDP growth ratios averaged between 1-4.2 per cent from 2013 to 2019, a huge difference from 7.2 per cent growth registered in 2012 when the economy recovered from the 2011 flood crisis. On the basis of its foreign reserves of US$200-300 billion, making Thailand have the ability to pay off debt in the short term of 3 times. The ratio of the country’s public debt currently stands at 50 per cent of GDP, not exceed the 60 per cent ceiling rate. Meanwhile Finance Ministry spokeswoman Kulaya Tantitemit denied widespread reports that Thailand’s economy is deteriorating and the country’s fiscal position is so fragile that it would lead to bankruptcy. Kulaya insisted that the Thai economy continues to see improvements buoyed by an increase in demand for goods locally and overseas based on many key economic indicators in the ministry’s report in December 2020, citing Thai shipments’ expansion of 4.71 per cent in December last year, the 1st time in 8 months. She stated that the Ministry of Finance was also willing to inject more money into the system, if the GDP deteriorates from the projected path of growth. She stressed that Thailand has a strong financial position to support government economic policies and public investment budget disbursement for an economic recovery in the next term. The Ministry of Finance expects the “Rao Chana (We Win)” financial aid scheme to stimulate around 210.2 million baht into the economy. So far, 8.4 million people have registered in the Rao Chana scheme which still opens for registration until February 12, 2021, Finance Ministry spokeswoman Kulaya Tantitemit said. Kulaya also said the ministry is ready to transfer the 1st batch of the “Rao Chana” handout in the total amount of 9.4 billion baht to 13.8 million state welfare smartcard holders today. Welfare smartcard holders with an annual income of less than 30,000 baht will get an extra 700-baht monthly allowance while those with an annual income exceeding 30,000 baht but no more than 100,000 baht will receive an extra 675- baht monthly allowance. Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said the Commerce Ministry had resolved to tackle the global shortage of cargo containers by easing restrictions at Laem Chabang Port in Chon Buri.