Thammanat Dropped from Paetongtarn’s New Cabinet

[webfact]

Picture courtesy: Thai Rath

 

Thailand's controversial political heavyweight Thammanat Prompao, the acting agriculture minister, has been dropped from the new Cabinet being formed by newly-appointed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

 

"They (Pheu Thai) don’t want him," said Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, leader of Palang Pracharath Party, in an interview with Channel 3.

 

Prawit confirmed that Palang Pracharath will remain in the Pheu Thai-led coalition, dismissing earlier reports that it would be expelled due to conflicts with Thaksin Shinawatra, the de facto leader of Pheu Thai. Informed sources indicated that the decision to exclude Thammanat was made after Prawit and Thaksin reconciled their differences over a phone call.

 

Earlier, there were reports that Prawit’s younger brother, Pol Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwan, would be dropped from the new cabinet line-up. Patcharawat is currently acting as the minister of natural resources and environment.

 

Thammanat, aged 59, was jailed for four years in 1994 for his involvement in a heroin smuggling case in Australia. Opposition politicians in 2021 unsuccessfully attempted to have the Constitutional Court declare him unfit for office.

 

The court ruled it did not recognize Thammanat's conviction since the verdict was delivered in a foreign country. He has consistently denied any involvement in the drug smuggling case, maintaining that he was caught with flour, not heroin.

 

The decision to drop Thammanat is said to be motivated by concerns that he might pose legal troubles for Prime Minister Paetongtarn. Just last week, the Constitutional Court ordered the dismissal of Srettha Thavisin as prime minister, finding him guilty of a serious breach of professional ethics by appointing Phichit Chuenban, the Shinawatra family's lawyer, to the Cabinet in April. Phichit was jailed for six months in 2008 for contempt of court related to a bribery attempt, reported Thai PBS.

 

Palang Pracharath was one of the parties that Paetongtarn vowed not to cooperate with during her election campaign last year due to their association with the 2014 military coup. As prime minister, she may face questions about reversing this stance.

 

Prawit, who did not attend the special House meeting last Friday to vote on Paetongtarn's nomination for prime minister, reportedly sent a bouquet of flowers to congratulate her.

 

Despite the friction, Palang Pracharath will submit its list of proposed cabinet members to Prime Minister Paetongtarn tomorrow. This will include Patcharawat as deputy prime minister and natural resources and environment minister, Santi Promphat as agriculture minister (replacing Thammanat), Atthakorn Sirilatthayakorn as deputy agriculture minister, and Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn as deputy public health minister.

 

-- 2024-08-20

 

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[Artisi]

No loss. 

[harada]

Back to the flour business for Tham. 

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

He has consistently denied any involvement in the drug smuggling case, maintaining that he was caught with flour, not heroin.

 

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Palang Pracharath was one of the parties that Paetongtarn vowed not to cooperate with during her election campaign last year due to their association with the 2014 military coup. As prime minister, she may face questions about reversing this stance.

Prawit has too much influence for Thaksin to push him aside... 

[Artisi]

34 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Prawit has too much influence for Thaksin to push him aside... 

They should all be pushed aside, preferably over a cliff like senseless lemmings. 

[nobodysfriend]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The decision to drop Thammanat is said to be motivated by concerns that he might pose legal troubles for Prime Minister Paetongtarn.

 

The cleansing is under way ... all political opponents will be eliminated , one by one ...

That is what totalitarian leaders do .

[hotchilli]

12 minutes ago, Artisi said:

They should all be pushed aside, preferably over a cliff like senseless lemmings. 

The rest of the world evolved,Thailand is still ruled by dinosaurs.

[Andycoops]

The last PM loses his job because he appointed a convict into a government post.

 

The acting agriculture idiot is a convicted drug smuggler but remains in the government.

 

Only in the amazing hub of corruption, Thailand.

[stoner]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thammanat, aged 59, was jailed for four years in 1994 for his involvement in a heroin smuggling case in Australia.

 

pfffffft. 

[JBChiangRai]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The court ruled it did not recognize Thammanat's conviction since the verdict was delivered in a foreign country.

 

So, no organisation in Thailand requires a police clearance certificate from a foreign country  because they do not recognise any verdict in a foreign country?

[nobodysfriend]

40 minutes ago, Artisi said:

like senseless lemmings. 

 

When the lemming population becomes so big that the natural resourced to feed them are not sufficient any more , they tend to reduce their own overpopulation by committing collective suicide .

I would not call this senseless .

And would like to recommend it to another species that poses a danger to their own environment ...

[mfd101]

So when does Prawit appear in court on the assault charge?

[Will B Good]

 

 

 

OMG...........well done.....thrilled at that news.

 

 

 

 

[klauskunkel]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Prawit reportedly sent a bouquet of flowers to congratulate her

although he would have preferred to slap her head

[john donson]

3 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

 

When the lemming population becomes so big that the natural resourced to feed them are not sufficient any more , they tend to reduce their own overpopulation by committing collective suicide .

I would not call this senseless .

And would like to recommend it to another species that poses a danger to their own environment ...

 

what happens outside of ... stays in ...

[Scouse123]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Thammanat, aged 59, was jailed for four years in 1994 for his involvement in a heroin smuggling case in Australia. Opposition politicians in 2021 unsuccessfully attempted to have the Constitutional Court declare him unfit for office.

 

 

 

It is like something from a comic strip.

 

How can these people profess to be judges and courts, leading a country, with decisions like this.

 

The country is a laughingstock in the wider world.

 

 

 

[Scouse123]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

The court ruled it did not recognize Thammanat's conviction since the verdict was delivered in a foreign country. He has consistently denied any involvement in the drug smuggling case, maintaining that he was caught with flour, not heroin.

 

That's it then, I am taking up flour smuggling, it sounds profitable.

 

If the country doesn't recognise foreign convictions, why does it ask expats to provide police clearance certificates showing no convictions, from their home countries when requesting visas?

 

 

 

 

[sammieuk1]

Should be called peacock land where corruption is on full display all day every day put that in the next phone call🤔

[Artisi]

8 hours ago, Andycoops said:

The last PM loses his job because he appointed a convict into a government post.

 

The acting agriculture idiot is a convicted drug smuggler but remains in the government.

 

Only in the amazing hub of corruption, Thailand.

You can bet the appointment he made was at Thaksin directive, planned to scuttle him to make room for his younger puppet. 

[nakhonandy]

17 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

 

That's it then, I am taking up flour smuggling, it sounds profitable.

 

If the country doesn't recognise foreign convictions, why does it ask expats to provide police clearance certificates showing no convictions, from their home countries when requesting visas?

 

 

 

 

It only applies to us foreigners,  Thai are exempt. 

[Jim Blue]

On 8/20/2024 at 6:17 AM, hotchilli said:

 

It s an easy mistake ...

[Hunz Kittisak]

On 8/20/2024 at 7:20 AM, hotchilli said:

Prawit has too much influence for Thaksin to push him aside... 

No yet but soon 

Let Thaksin consolidate his grip then I’m sure he will come for revenge