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The Move Forward Party (MFP) will submit an urgent motion asking the House of Representatives to pass a resolution seeking a public referendum on rewriting the constitution.

MFP list-MP Parit Wacharasindhu said yesterday the proposed referendum would ask people if they agree with setting up a charter-rewriting assembly, with members publicly elected to draft a new constitution.

He said two key elements must be addressed — whether the charter should be entirely rewritten and if the writing body should be directly elected.

He said these are the questions put forward in the opposition-sponsored motion approved by the House of Representatives last November that the Senate shot down.

Mr Parit said the party has been campaigning for a rewrite of the 2017 charter because it lacks legitimacy and contains several flaws that have led the country into a political crisis.

If the resolution is passed by parliament, the cabinet will be asked to arrange the referendum. He said that if people agree with entirely rewriting the charter, three rounds of referendums are required.

The MP said he hopes other parties pledging to amend the charter will support the motion so the issue can be debated, even though the Senate can still reject it. He insisted the charter rewrite would not change the country’s governing system, when quizzed about critics’ concerns that Chapters 1 and 2 could be affected.

Chapter 1 contains sections defining Thailand as a single, indivisible kingdom with a democratic regime and the King as the head of state. Chapter 2 contains sections pertaining to the royal prerogatives.

According to the MP, Section 255 of the current charter prohibits changing the country from a democracy with the king as head of state and the type of state from a single state.

“Whenever a new charter was written in the past, Chapters 1 and 2 were revised, but it didn’t lead to a change in the governing system. Moreover, the charter allows changes to be made to the two chapters, but not without a referendum,” he said.

Ageing society needs a different approach

Thailand needs to make elderly care a national agenda item with integrated approaches adopted to ensure senior people get the care they need regardless of where they live, according to the Ministry of Public Health.

The nation is already a fully-fledged aged society, with the elderly demographic now standing at around 13.5 million, or 20% of the population, said Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.

This year has been dedicated to preparing Thailand for how to cope more efficiently with the challenges associated with ageing.

Efforts to protect their rights will be improved and resources pooled and exploited more efficiently, Mr Anutin said.

Certain laws, for instance, will be amended to allow more migrants to work in sectors facing a labour shortage. The amendments will also help retirees continue working where appropriate, he said.

“Not all retired people have to stop working and stay home doing nothing. Neither do they have to work as hard as they used to when they were young and risk hurting their health in a work-related accident,” said Dr Thongchai Keeratihuttayakorn, director-general of the Department of Medical Services.

Regular health checks can measure elderly workers’ ability to keep working safely.

Existing funds and new sources of financing will be managed together to create jobs and build more elderly care facilities designed for local communities across the country, Dr Thongchai said.

Community- and home-based care and telemedicine services also will play a key role in Thailand’s elderly care in the years to come.

These are the responsibility of various state agencies including the National Health Security Office and local administrative organisations nationwide.

A state-run sheltered home for the elderly will be opened in every tambon nationwide to take those who do not have anyone to look after them at home, said Mr Anutin.

MFP will try to reprise Pita motion

The next round of voting for a prime minister is likely to take place on Tuesday after the Constitutional Court yesterday dismissed the Ombudsman’s petition on the rejected renomination of Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat.

The court’s unanimous decision is seen as clearing the way for the process to select a new leader to proceed. The selection was on hold pending the court’s ruling on parliament’s decision on July 19 to reject Mr Pita’s renomination.

Citing the court’s decision, parliament president Wan Muhamad Noor Matha said yesterday parliament’s rejection of Mr Pita’s renomination is considered valid but parliament’s legal team will meet today to study the court’s decision.

He would then meet parties and senators to discuss the vote.

He said a prime ministerial candidate is not legally required to outline his vision before parliament although some senators have demanded Pheu Thai’s Srettha Thavisin to do so and address questions they may have.

The two prime ministerial candidates on offer in 2019, Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha and Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, did not present their vision before the vote, said Mr Wan.

In dismissing the petition brought via the Ombudsman, the court said the three petitioners were not directly affected by parliament’s decision. The complainants were Pornchai Theppanya and Boonsong Chalaythorn, who both voted for the MFP in the May 14 general election. Another complainant was MFP MP Panyarut Nuntapusitanon.

They said parliament’s rejection of Mr Pita’s renomination affected their constitutional rights. They also sought a court order for parliament to put off the vote pending its ruling.

However, the court said the prime minister is selected under Section 272 and Section 159 of the charter and any candidate put forward must be nominated under Section 159.

In this case, the three petitioners were not named as prime minister candidates by any party and were not nominated for the vote in parliament either, so their rights were not directly affected.

Shortly after learning of the ruling, Mr Pita said he would not a file a fresh petition with the court because he believed the matter should be settled by parliament, not the court.

MFP MP Rangsiman Rome said the party would submit a motion asking parliament to review its rejection of Mr Pita’s renomination again.

He said the party’s move was not an attempt to create political trouble and he expected parliament to correct its mistake.

“This is a matter of principle. We’re not doing it for our own gain or to have Mr Pita renominated.

“A prime minister candidate, regardless of the party, will benefit from this motion except those who have a hidden agenda,” he said.

With the prime minister voting coming up, Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul reiterated yesterday that negotiations over the allocation of cabinet seats should take place before the vote.

He denied reports the party and Pheu Thai could not reach an agreement on the distribution of positions, but said the party should be allowed to continue working in ministries it holds now for the sake of continuity.

Meanwhile, the court yesterday also gave the MFP and its leader another 30 days to give a statement in a case that could lead to the party’s dissolution.

The case was filed by Theerayut Suwankesorn, a lawyer well known for his defence of Suwit Thongprasert, an ex-activist monk formerly known as Phra Buddha Isara.

Mr Theerayut asked the court to rule if the MFP’s policy on Section 112 of the Criminal Code, better known as the lese majeste law, was an attempt to overthrow the constitutional monarchy.

A former event organiser, cleared by a court of charges of colluding to siphon 1.6 billion baht from a university, is pressing for compensation and a return of some of his assets that were impounded during the investigation.

Pada: Seeking justice

Pada Buakhao has formally petitioned the Justice Ministry seeking justice after he was acquitted by a lower court of being complicit in swindling 1.6 billion baht from King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL).

The ruling was upheld by the Appeal Court and the prosecution did not take the case to the Supreme Court. The acquittal ruling handed to Mr Pada was final.

The embezzlement scam came to light after KMITL filed a complaint with the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) on Dec 16, 2014, against the former manager of Bank of Ayudhya’s Big C Srinakarin branch, as well as the head of KMITL’s financial division.

The university said it had found financial irregularities and asked police to investigate.

Their probe pointed to Mr Pada’s involvement in the disappearance of the technology institute’s money between 2012 and 2014. He reportedly worked as an event organiser with the university.

Now that the case against him has been thrown out, Mr Pada said he was entitled to compensation for the four years he spent in detention as a suspect.

In his petition, Mr Pada asked the ministry to approve the awarding of damages.

Worapan Kladwang, a justice specialist at the Rights and Liberties Protection Department, said the compensation rate for detention is 500 baht per day due to the loss of opportunity to make a living, as well as a one-off sum of 100,000 baht in lawyer’s fees.

Mr Pada also asked the ministry to help him recover some of his belongings impounded during the investigation, which are now unaccounted for. He claimed they were worth about seven million baht.

In total, 40 of his belongings were seized. However, it is unclear how many he has been unable to recover.

600km route linking six provinces will improve access to tourist attractions

An impact study will be carried out on a proposed Andaman coastal road project linking Ranong and Satun provinces, according to the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP).

The two-lane road covering 600 kilometres is expected to improve tourists’ access to attractions in six provinces — Ranong, Phangnga, Phuket, Krabi, Trang and Satun, said Punya Chupanit, the OTP director.

Recreation areas, parking, viewpoint stops and possibly a bicycle lane will be included in the project. The office is now looking for a consultant to conduct the study, he said.

The Ranong-Satun road was approved by the cabinet in October 2021 and the Transport Ministry assigned the OTP to carry out a feasibility study, including project planning and the environmental impact assessment (EIA) study.

A budget of 80.75 million baht was set aside for the feasibility study, which will take 18 months, Mr Punya said.

If the contract can be signed this month, the feasibility study can get under way next month and be completed by March 2025.

He said the OTP will hold three public hearings to which citizens, local administrators and provincial chambers of commerce are expected to be invited.

The office will submit the study results to the Transport Ministry for cabinet approval.

The Department of Highways and the Department of Rural Roads are the main agencies expected to manage the project. The Department of Rural Roads has experience with the Transport Ministry’s Thailand Riviera project, proposed in 2022 to boost tourism in the Andaman region, Mr Punya said.

Cases noted among HIV-positive males as BMA steps up prevention campaign among high-risk groups

A total of 136 monkeypox cases have been found in Bangkok, including some among HIV-positive patients, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

Of the total number of cases, 133 are male and three female, BMA spokesman Aekvarunyoo Amarapala said on Wednesday, adding that 117 are Thai nationals and 19 are foreigners.

He said the BMA surveillance database showed that 121 of the patients identified as homosexual and some were also HIV-positive.

Mr Aekvarunyoo said the BMA has a proactive surveillance system in which it tracks an outbreak from case reports and from individual investigation of every mpox case. 

As well, the BMA is working with district offices and NGOs to promote mpox prevention in high-risk areas such as spas and saunas. Prevention is also promoted in specialised clinics that treat sexually transmitted diseases and HIV patients, as well as dermatologic clinics, to curb the number of new cases. 

As part of the prevention campaign, people are encouraged to avoid sex with strangers and avoid contact with people who appear to have visible rashes or mucosal lesions. It is recommended to wash your hands frequently and avoid sharing items for personal use with strangers.

Even though condoms can prevent STDs, mpox is found to be transmissible through skin contact, Mr Aekvarunyoo added. 

“People with high risk of mpox will develop a rash or mucosal lesions on the genitals, anal area, mouth or other body parts,” he said.

“Anyone who has a history of close contacts with mpox cases must observe if they develop a fever, body ache, rash or mucosal lesions within 21 days. It is recommended to seek medical help immediately.”

Men slain in separate shootouts with soldiers were wanted for several violent crimes

Two insurgents wanted for a string of violent attacks in the restive southern provinces were killed in clashes with security officers in Nong Chik district of Pattani on Wednesday.

More than 50 paramilitary rangers were deployed to Koh Moh Kaeng village in tambon Tha Kamcham at around 4am on Wednesday following a tip-off from local residents that suspected insurgents were hiding inside a house.

While officers were surrounding the house, some men jumped from a window to flee to a nearby rubber plantation. They opened fire to cover their escape, prompting the soldiers to return fire.

After the exchange of gunfire, one armed man was shot dead. Seized from his body was an M16 rifle.

He was later identified as Wae-useng Dueraheng, 33, of Nong Chik district. A criminal record showed he was wanted on four arrest warrants in security cases.

Authorities said Wae-useng was implicated in the killing of two paramilitary rangers in Nong Chik district on Sept 11, 2018; a gold shop robbery in Na Thawee district of Songkhla on Aug 24, 2019; the fatal shooting of Supawadee Rithphet in tambon Bang Khao of Nong Chik on April 23, 2019; and a shooting attack on Sananwit Wongsakon in tambon Lipasa-ngo of Nong Chik on April 2, 2014.

At around 5am, security officers asked local leaders to help persuade other people inside the house to surrender. Kosem Muneemusee, 53, and three family members subsequently ran out.

During questioning, Mr Kosem told officers that he and his family members lived in the house. Two days ago, he came back from work and found two men inside. The strangers asked to stay and he did not question them much until soldiers surrounded the house on Wednesday.

At around 6am, the officers were still trying to persuade the other man who was hiding inside to surrender. However, there was no response.

Lt Gen Santi Sakuntanak, the Fourth Army commander, instructed soldiers to try to negotiate with the suspect to surrender to prevent losses on both sides.

At around 10am, soldiers decided to conduct a raid and asked the owner about the layout inside the house. They searched all the rooms but did not find the suspect.

They later spotted a modified section at the back of the house. When they pulled back the linoleum they found a makeshift wooden door that led to a secret room. The suspect, who was hiding in the room, immediately opened fire. The officers returned fire and kept asking him to surrender. However, the man fired more shots.

After a clash that took about one hour, the man was shot dead.

Authorities identified the suspect as Roki Sidae, 32, of Nong Chik. Seized from his body was a 9mm handgun with a box of ammunition.

He was wanted on three arrest warrants in security cases: an arson attack on a convenience store at a PTT station in Nong Chik on Nov 2, 2016; a bomb attack on the Nong Chik police station on Jan 18, 2019; and a bomb attack on a Bangchak petrol station in Nong Chik on Aug 17, 2022.

Pol Maj Gen Piyawat Chalermsri, deputy commissioner of the Provincial Police Region 9, and Pattani police chief Pol Maj Gen Arsan Chansiri, inspected the scene of the clash on Wednesday.

Pol Maj Gen Piyawat asked officers to search areas in tambon Tha Kamcham for other suspected insurgents who might be in hiding in houses in the area.

Since January 2004, the southern border provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat have been the scene of sectarian armed conflict that has claimed over 7,000 lives, about 90% of them civilians.

Police seized four illegal mobile phone transmission antennas and ordered corrections to 23 licensed antennas in Sa Kaeo province that had been turned to serve call scammers across the nearby border.

Details were released on Wednesday by a deputy national police chief, Pol Gen Torsak Sukwimol.

He said police had examined mobile phone antennas in Aranyaprathet district, looking for signs they were being misused by call scammers based in a “neighbouring country”.  Aranyaprathet district borders Cambodia.

They found 27 antennas that were suspiciously turned towards the neighbouring country, apparently to serve call scammers based there who used mobile phone services to deceive people in Thailand.

Four of the 27 transmission antennas were illegally installed, and police seized them. The 23 others were licensed but illegally turned to face across the order.

Police ordered the mobile phone operators that supervised the improperly positioned antennas to make corrections to stop the extension of mobile phone connectivity outside the country, Pol Gen Torsak said. He did not identify a mobile phone service providers.

During the operation, police also arrested people who were selling illegally registered SIM cards at Rong Kluea market, which is on the Cambodian border.

The deputy national police chief said police were taking similar action elswhere along Thailand’s borders as part of efforts to combat call scams.