No Invite Yet, But Prem Will Be At Flood Function, Thai Govt Says

[webfact]

No invite yet, but Prem will be at flood function, govt says

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Privy Council president General Prem Tinsulanonda will attend a government function this Friday to thank officials and volunteers involved in flood relief efforts, senior government figures said yesterday.

However, Prem's close aide said yesterday that HM the King's chief adviser had not yet received any invitation from the government to attend the event.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said the government had invited Prem to preside over the event, entitled "Love Thailand, Move Thailand Ahead", to be held at Government House on Friday evening.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na Ranong said Prem had agreed to take part in the function. "There is no problem. He will certainly come," Kittiratt said, referring to Prem.

Kittiratt had called on Prem and extended the government's invitation himself, according to caretaker government spokeswoman Thitima Chaisang. "General Prem accepted the invitation. There is no need for a formal letter of confirmation. The words by the Privy Council president are as strong as a mountain," she said.

The prime minister will also attend the function, which will be her second public meeting with Prem. The first was a gala event last month hosted by the Army.

ACM Prajun Tamprateep, head of the Privy Council President's Office, said yesterday his office had not received any letter of invitation for Prem to attend the function this Friday.

"I cannot tell whether General Prem will be able to attend," he said, adding that the Prime Minister's Office secretary-general Bantoon Suphakwanit should be able to give a better answer.

Bantoon said the government assigned Kittiratt to extend the invitation himself and Prajun had just phoned to inform that Prem agreed to attend the function.

The government is hosting the event to thank all groups involved in tackling the severe floods last year, according to PM's Office Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan. He said the function was aimed at restoring confidence in Thailand.

Among the guests will be foreign diplomats, business people, senior bureaucrats, privy councillors, Cabinet members, the heads of independent organisations and military commanders, according to Niwatthamrong. The event will be broadcast on Modernine TV and Thai PBS.

Niwatthamrong said there was no political implication in the invitation to Prem, who was previously accused by Pheu Thai Party politicians and their red-shirt supporters of being behind the coup in 2006 that overthrew the government of Thaksin Shinawatra.

"This is a good opportunity for all groups of Thais to unite for our country's progress," he said.

Red-shirts' spokesman Worawut Wichaidit said the group would not interfere with the government's decision to invite Prem to preside over the event. "If [it] is aimed at reconciliation, the red shirts will not oppose it. We see it as a good thing," he said.

Meanwhile, Democrat Party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut yesterday criticised the government for holding a party at a time when many victims were finding it hard to recover from the flood and still had not received the Bt5,000 in aid promised by the government.

-- The Nation 2012-02-07

[FOODLOVER]

Curious as to who would be in charge of protocol in the Shinawatra administration? Seems since it is an official function that will be attended by foreign diplomats, business people, senior bureaucrats, privy councilors, cabinet members, the heads of independent organisations and military commanders, one should send a formal invite, no?

Edited February 7, 2012 by FOODLOVER

[REM]

Curious as to who would be in charge of protocol in the Shinawatra administration? Seems since it is an official function that will be attended by foreign diplomats, business people, senior bureaucrats, privy councilors, cabinet members, the heads of independent organisations and military commanders, one should send a formal invite, no?

Agreed!

[moe666]

Nah, its Thailand. I was driving by and saw all of the cars outside and thought I would come in for a drink, no problem.

[FOODLOVER]

Nah, its Thailand. I was driving by and saw all of the cars outside and thought I would come in for a drink, no problem.

Do balloons tied up out front constitute a formal invitation in Thailand?

[janverbeem]

Nah, its Thailand. I was driving by and saw all of the cars outside and thought I would come in for a drink, no problem.

Do balloons tied up out front constitute a formal invitation in Thailand?

At least in Pattaya it counts that way

[steveromagnino]

In pattaya the traditional custom of a roasted pig on a spit and bunch of whiny expats holding up the bar scowling at anyone who comes in would seem to the protocol for an invitation du jour.

In this case, as always, the usual idiocy of organising a thank you party but without inviting locals who contributed a bunch more than most of the foreign community that attends these sorts of shindigs is par for the course, but not entirely unexpected in the heady world of diplomacy and talking <deleted> that goes alongside these sorts of events paid by the long suffering Thai tax payers with no actual results.

I think in true Pattaya tradition, a post event party involving KY, beer bottles and some loud Isaan music would be the sort of event this government needs to really put things over the edge.

In this case they call it the Love Thailand Move Ahead Party. The after party the more raunchy one could be the

LOVE THIGH LAND. BOOZE AND HEAD PARTY.

It can be held at Superpussy, although one hopes that the fire hazard created by the Patpong night market has been addressed (officials take note).

But I don't give a hoot!