Barkar Nash (Page 1,060)

Inclusion of PPRP, UTN parties in alliance is ‘main reason’

Red-shirt co-leader Nattawut Saikuar, secretary-general of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), has declared an end to his role as director of the Pheu Thai Family, citing the inclusion of Palang Pracharath and United Thai Nation parties in the coalition government proposed by the Pheu Thai Party as the main reason.

“For me, the decision to end my role as director of the Pheu Thai Family is an injury in my heart. This is my home. I was born here, grew up here and have been fighting here. All the people in this house are my brothers. But when the time comes, I have to make a decision,” he said.

Mr Nattawut was speaking during an online news programme on YouTube hosted by TV presenter Sorayuth Suthassanachinda on Monday morning.

He said he had informed senior figures in the Pheu Thai Party of his decision. They included Paetongtarn Shinawatra, head of the Pheu Thai Family, Srettha Thavisin, the party’s prime ministerial candidate, and former prime ministers Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra.

Asked whether his decision was a result of Pheu Thai having included the Palang Pracharath and United Thai Nation parties in the coalition it is forming, Mr Nattawut replied, “That is the main reason.”

He said he was confident Mr Srettha would finally get parliamentary endorsement as prime minister.

Mr Nattawut reassured red-shirt members of the UDD who remain staunch supporters of Pheu Thai that his decision would not cause any damage to the party.

He said he had waited before announcing his decision, until he was sure the party had managed to garner sufficient votes for Mr Srettha to be elected prime minister.

Mr Nattawut said he would also ask Move Forward, with 151 MPs, to support the push for amendment of the constitution and legal action against those responsible for dispersing past UDD protests, resulting in deaths and injuries.

Srettha Thavisin, Pheu Thai’s main prime ministerial candidate, on Sunday defended his business track record and expressed hope that his nomination would be endorsed by parliament during a vote on Tuesday.

The property developer-turned-politician was recently accused by whistleblower Chuvit Kamolvisit of unethical business dealings, including land deals, while working with real estate developer Sansiri, raising the question of whether Mr Srettha can be trusted running the country.

In response, Mr Srettha said that as a political figure, he is open to criticism.

However, he is confident that he and Sansiri never engaged in any shady land purchases, noting he had adhered to good corporate governance for over three decades. He denies Mr Chuvit’s claims.

Mr Srettha resigned from all positions at Sansiri in April ahead of the May 14 general election to pursue his political ambition with the Pheu Thai Party.

He said he had clarified the matter raised by Mr Chuvit and believed MPs and senators would use discretion when voting. He said he had complete trust in the Pheu Thai Party, which was negotiating with prospective coalition partners.

He added that key policies of every potential partner would be incorporated into government policies and Pheu Thai’s controversial digital wallet programme would be accepted and implemented by its allies.

He declined to disclose information on the allocation of cabinet seats, an issue being discussed on social media. “Don’t be hasty. Let’s take it step-by-step. But I’m confident that Pheu Thai and its partners will propose qualified people,” he said.

Pheu Thai list-MP Sutin Klungsang said on Sunday the party has met all conditions raised by MPs and senators, and that he sees no reason why Mr Srettha will not be elected on Tuesday.

He said Mr Srettha’s qualifications were examined before he was named as candidate. The party also looked into the allegations made by Mr Chuvit and found them to be untrue, he added.

In other news, the Democrat Party, with 25 MPs, will hold a meeting today to decide how to vote in the PM selection, a source said.

One group of MPs who opposed joining the Pheu Thai-led bloc might ask the Democrat Party to abstain from voting or allow a free vote on the matter, the source said.

Other reports say that as many as 21 Democrat MPs want to support a Pheu Thai candidate so the party is invited to join the government.

A source from the Pheu Thai Party said there is lobbying for the defence portfolio to be set aside for the Palang Pracharath Party, which has yet to join the Pheu Thai-led alliance but has shown support.

Senators want to hear him at meet

Senators now expect Pheu Thai Party’s prime ministerial candidate Srettha Thavisin to respond in parliament to questions about his ethical standards following various accusations made against him.

They want to hear from him before they decide whether to support him in tomorrow’s prime ministerial vote. Mr Sretta has previously expressed some reluctance to show, as he is not an elected member of the House or Senate.

Pheu Thai needs about 60 votes from the 249-member Senate for its prime ministerial candidate to win the parliamentary vote and become Thailand’s next prime minister.

In the case the candidate nominated for Tuesday’s vote fails to muster enough support from the Senate, that candidate cannot be re-nominated, in line with the precedent set on July 19, when the nomination of Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat for a second vote was rejected.

Senator Somchai Sawangkarn on Sunday said he wanted a clear answer from Pheu Thai as to which of its three prime ministerial candidates will actually be nominated.

He was responding to rumours that the party was considering swapping Mr Srettha with either Paetongtarn Shinawatra or Chaikasem Nitisiri, after accusations by whistleblower Chuvit Kamolvisit against Mr Srettha raised questions over his business dealings.

If Pheu Thai wants to switch to a new candidate, the Senate should be informed in advance so it will have enough time to prepare to scrutinise the candidate’s qualification before the vote takes place, said Mr Somchai.

“If senators are left with insufficient time to examine the new candidate’s qualification, they might not vote for him or her,” he said.

“If Pheu Thai insists on nominating Mr Srettha, he should come to Tuesday’s joint sitting of the House of Representatives and the Senate to deliver a statement demonstrating his vision as a would-be prime minister, and respond to questions which may be asked before the vote,” Mr Somchai said.

Mr Srettha’s response to Mr Chuvit’s accusations was not enough to address the questions the public may have about the alleged misconduct, said Mr Somchai.

He added that many senators who had already promised to throw their weight behind the party are now doubting their position because of the accusations made by Mr Chuvit.

He was referring to alleged tax evasion carried out by Sansiri Plc, the property development company for which Mr Srettha had served as CEO prior to throwing his hat in the political ring.

“The chances [of Mr Srettha winning the support of the senators] stand at fifty-fifty.

“It will largely depend on how the party handles the situation in the days to come,” he said.

Sen Seree Suwanpanont said if Mr Srettha doesn’t show up to answer questions in person, the senators will have to base their decision only what Mr Srettha’s representative has to say.

In addition to questions surrounding Mr Srettha’s ethics, a number of senators are eager to ask the Pheu Thai’s candidate about the party’s plan to implement its 10,000-baht digital wallet policy, to ensure the policy won’t hurt the country’s finances, he said.

Meanwhile, Sen Direkrit Jenklongtham said he believed most MPs and senators will base their decision on two factors — the candidate’s qualifications and whether or not the candidate’s party has the support of the lower House.

Aside from these two factors, the Senate will also take into consideration the candidate’s ethical and moral standards, along with his or her vision on how to implement the government’s core policies, said Mr Direkrit.

With regards to Mr Srettha’s vow to rewrite the constitution immediately after the government takes office, the senator said he will have to explain why the charter needs to be rewritten in such a rush, and what benefits the amendment would bring the public.

He encouraged Mr Srettha to attend Tuesday’s meeting, calling it a good opportunity for him to convince MPs and senators that he is suited to be the next prime minister.

Meanwhile, Ms Paetongtarn said Pheu Thai still hopes to see Mr Srettha win the forthcoming vote.

Allowance ‘not meant for’ House custodians

Deputy House Speaker Padipat Suntiphada has come under fire after spending his parliamentarian allowance on treating 370 caretakers for an all-you-can-eat buffet on Friday evening.

Each custodian received a voucher bearing Mr Padipat’s signature, which was used to dine at a moo krata (barbecue and hotpot) restaurant in the Bang Pho area near parliament. Each meal costs 269 baht, or about 99,530 baht for a total of 370 people.

Mr Padipat, a Move Forward Party member, said it was a sort of meeting to listen to the opinions of those who worked in parliament. He said his allowance for being a representative was about 2 million baht a year, and he would not spend all of it.

“I use the allowance because the 370 caretakers are my guests,” he said, adding that instead of holding a formal meeting, dining together is a type of informal meeting where their voices can be heard.

“We must not forget the people who work for us,” he said. “They keep parliament clean. We should thank them and hear their problems as well.”

However, not everyone agreed.

Ex-election commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn on Facebook said on Sunday that it is clearly stipulated in state regulations that the budget must be used for state affairs.

The State Audit Office should investigate Mr Padipat’s action, he said, adding Mr Padipat should return the state budget he spent on the “party” to avoid more problems in the future.

Political activist Srisuwan Janya said he will file a petition against Mr Padipat’s action with the National-Anti Corruption Commission on Monday, accusing him of an ethics violation under 2017 constitution.

“Do not use the state budget to promote yourself,” he said. “This is your party’s policy, don’t you remember?”

“The allowance for being a representative that you have is from taxpayers’ money,” he added. “Don’t use it to publicise yourself.”

A source said ex-House speaker Chuan Leekpai gave lunch boxes to janitors and service staff in parliament in December 2020 as New year gifts.

Siripa Intavichein, acting deputy spokeswoman for the Democrat Party, said Mr Chuan gave New Year gifts to janitors every year using his own money.

Former Democrat MP Issara Sereewatthanawut said Mr Chuan received 500 empty food boxes from a donation so he distributed them to staff.

The moo krata drama followed another where Mr Padipat posted a video of himself drinking beer brewed in his home province of Phitsanulok online on Monday.

Critics questioned whether his action breached the ethics of political office-holders and the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, which curbs alcohol promotions.

The number of people infected with seasonal influenza has surpassed 970,000 so far this year, three times more than for the same period last year, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) says.

Among those infected, one has died — a 39-year-old man with a history of alcoholism and liver disease, said Dr Sopon Iamsirithaworn, deputy director-general of the DDC.

While people in the at-risk group, including those over 65 years old and anyone living with chronic disease, are advised to get the influenza vaccine as soon as possible, everyone else is encouraged to isolate and wear a face mask if infected, he said.

People in an at-risk group can seek a flu shot at the closest state-run healthcare facility, he said.

Frequent hand washing is also recommended as an infection prevention measure, he said.

Despite the triple rise in new influenza cases, the H1N1 strain, which has infected people in Thailand for about 14 years, is still dominant, he said, adding the virus isn’t normally virulent.

While more people are contracting influenza, rumours are going around that people who have recovered from Covid-19 or have been vaccinated may develop severe influenza symptoms upon infection, he said.

This is unlikely to be true because there have been no credible reports on the matter, he said.

Seasonal influenza symptoms include fever, coughing, headaches, muscle and joint pain, severe malaise, sore throat and runny nose, according to the World Health Organization.

The cough can be severe and last two or more weeks, Dr Sopon said. Most people recover in a week without requiring medical attention, he said.

However, influenza can cause severe illness or death, especially among people in at-risk groups, he said.

NARATHIWAT: Some Muno villagers whose houses were destroyed by a fireworks warehouse explosion in Sungai Kolok district’s tambon Muno on July 29 will file a civil lawsuit against the building’s owners.

The blast killed 12 people and injured 389, destroying three schools and damaging 682 homes.

Soldiers, local volunteers, administrative officials and authorities from various related agencies were sent to provide help to the victims and repair houses that were at least 50% damaged.

So far, about 302 houses have been repaired, said the Narathiwat Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office. About 95 houses are yet to be rebuilt after they were destroyed by the explosion, it said.

However, a group of 25 people whose houses were destroyed is planning to file a civil lawsuit against warehouse owners Sompong Nakul, 42, and his wife Piyanuch Puengwirawat, 42.

They were arrested on Aug 6 and charged with negligence causing deaths, importing and/or selling fireworks without a permit and violating the Emergency Decree for the Southern region.

Nifairus Samankunwong, one of the house owners, yesterday told reporters that he never thought such an incident would happen.

He said he insured the house after the area was flooded three years ago, but when the explosion happened, his insurance company refused to cover the damages in full.

“My house is worth 4.5 million baht but the maximum I will receive from the insurance company is 2.9 million baht, while the government offers maximum compensation at 230,000 baht per house,” he said.

“But I may get less compensation from the government because they want to allocate some money to those who do not have house insurance,” he added. “I did not cause the damage and what happened to me is not fair.”

According to a source, the overall compensation being provided to Muno villagers affected by the incident is less than 30% of their property values.

Villagers whose houses have not yet been repaired must rent temporary rooms for shelter.

The provincial Social Development Department provides 3,000 baht per month to 85 families to help them pay for rent. It estimates that it will take about a year to rebuild the houses in the area.

Foreign investment in the first seven months of this year jumped by 17% to 58.9 billion baht, deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said yesterday.

The five countries with the most investors were Japan, with 94 investors who put in 19.89 billion baht, the US (67) with investments of 3 billion baht, Singapore (61) worth 12.92 billion baht, China (28) worth 11.55 billion baht and Germany (16) with investment totalling 1.29 billion baht.

Foreign investment created employment for 3,594 Thai nationals, an increase of 9% for the period, according to Ms Rachada.

In July alone, applications were approved for 51 foreign investors to bring in 10 billion baht to various industries, she said, adding this led to employment of 372 Thais.

A total of 73 foreign investors expressed an interest in investing in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) during January-July, about 19% of the total number of foreign investors, she said.

The investment value in the EEC was 12.34 billion baht, about 21% of total investment value, according to Ms Rachada.

Japan topped the list with value of 5.37 billion baht, followed by China with investment value of 893 million baht, South Korea with investment worth 287 million baht.

The 25 others from various countries had combined investment value of 5.78 billion baht.

She said the businesses they invested in included consulting in management and manufacturing, engineering and technical services, subcontracting services for manufacturing machines, machine parts and vehicle parts.

Ms Rachada said the government’s policy to ease foreign investment was a key factor in attracting more investors to the country.

In addition to generating revenue and creating jobs, foreign investment also led to transfer of knowledge and technology including data analysis for web development and marketing and testing of automobiles and auto parts for research and development, she said.

The government forecast a minimum of 100 billion baht in foreign investment this year.

Last year, investments by foreign investors soared by 56% to 129 billion baht in value, with Japan topping the list in terms of budget to develop businesses in Thailand.

Three parties will field candidates in the Sept 10 by-election in Constituency 3 of Rayong province, the Election Commission (EC) said yesterday, having given candidates from last Tuesday until Saturday to register.

The candidates are Pongsathorn Sornphetnarin of the Move Forward Party; Democrat Banyat Jettanachan; and Pol Sub-Lt Ruangchai Sombatphuthon of the Nation Building Labour Party.

The Constituency 3 election committee will take seven days to check whether any are prohibited by law from running in the election before providing the final list to polling stations. Disqualified candidates can petition the EC within seven days.

The by-election follows the resignation of Move Forward MP Nakornchai Khunnarong on Aug 3, after it was discovered he had served 18 months in prison for theft 24 years ago.

Tens of thousands of people joined an annual alms-offering ceremony in Songkhla’s Hat Yai district, which resumed yesterday after a three-year break due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The activity began at 6am with 10,000 monks from 14 southern provinces, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia walking along the 500-metre Niphat-uthit road in downtown Hat Yai to collect offerings of dried food.

The donated items would be distributed to the monastic community, teachers and soldiers and those in need in the three southernmost provinces and four districts of Songkhla.

Witthaya sae Lim, one of the event’s coordinators, said the alms-giving ceremony has attracted attention from tourists from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Taiwan.

He said the annual merit-making event is a must-see event for visitors to Hat Yai and more than 20,000 visitors are thought to have taken part.

He said the alms-giving ceremony also stimulated the local economy with at least 180 million baht changing hands in tourism-related businesses yesterday.

Mr Witthaya said the participants also joined a charity project to set free 64 cattle targeted for slaughter, adding the animals would be given to farmers.

Cash donations would be also handed over to support activities of monks, teachers, troops and people with disabilities in the restive region, he added.

The alms-giving ceremony, the 20th of its kind, was jointly held by the Fourth Army, Nakhon Hat Yai municipality, the monastic community and the private sector in Hat Yai.