New Dept Prime Minister Surapong To Oversee Security And Foreign Affairs: Thailand

[webfact]

Surapong to oversee security and foreign affairs

Piyanart Srivalo

Jeerapong Prasertpolkrung

Anhapat Deechuay

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- New deputy prime minister Surapong Towichukchaikul is expected to be given the job of overseeing security and foreign affairs, a Government House source said yesterday.

The source explained that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra needed to reassign jobs to three new deputies. Apart form Surapong, who is also foreign minister, the other two are Education Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana and Plodprasob Surassawadee.

Phongthep is likely to be given the job of overseeing education, social and legal affairs as part of his duties, while Plodprasob will be put in charge of water management.

Before the latest reshuffle, the previous deputy PM Yuthasak Sasiprapha oversaw security. The PM has allegedly asked Yuthasak to become her adviser on security affairs and he has accepted.

Yuthasak's replacement will be expected to oversee both security and foreign affairs, as in the US.

Deputy prime ministers who have not been moved were likely to keep their previous duties. Kittiratt Na-Ranong would continue oversee economic affairs, while Chalerm Yoobamrung would stay in charge of the Royal Thai Police.

The source said Deputy Prime Minister Chumpol Silapa-archa, who leads the Tourism Industry, will also supervise the Agriculture Ministry.

Cabinet secretary-general Ampon Kitti-ampon said the prime minister had put the weekly Cabinet meeting on hold pending the swearing-in of the new ministers. Yingluck said yesterday that Cabinet would not meet today because the new ministers had yet to take their oath of allegiance to the King. She said they would pick up where their predecessors had left off in terms of projects. Those who had lost posts in Cabinet, would be asked to help in other positions, she said.

In response red-shirts' anger that Jatuporn Promphan had been left out, the premier said the red-shirt leader could take care of his people. "He has worked hard for his people and follows an ideology, so I believe Jatuporn can continue with his mission to take care of his people no matter where he is."

In a separate development, a souce, who asked not to be named, said Tossaporn Serirak, government spokesman The threetime MP was formerly an executive of the nowdefunct Thai Rak Thai Party.

-- The Nation 2012-10-30

[Buchholz]

three new deputies. Apart form Surapong, who is also foreign minister, the other two are Education Minister Phongthep Thepkanjana and Plodprasob Surassawadee

.

Three new Deputy Prime Ministers.

Thaksin's illegal passport-reissuing cousin.

Thaksin's former Personal Spokesman and former Banned For Electoral Fraud.

Thaksin's former Chiang Mai Night Safari Menu Coordinator and current Boat Propeller Science Wizard.

All thoroughly qualified.

Oh, and it's not about Thaksin.

.

Edited October 29, 2012 by Buchholz

[asiawatcher]

Everyone keeps bringing up Jatuporn being left out - who cares? He is a loose canon and continues to incite violence.

[jerrysteve]

Somehowl these little TURDS keep floating to the Top...Under normal situations its the Cream of the Crop that Rises to the Top.

In Thailand it seems its only the TURDS that do this...and Rise to the Cream of the Crap.

Edited October 30, 2012 by jerrysteve

[jerrysteve]

Somehowl these little TURDS keep floating to the Top...

Edited October 30, 2012 by jerrysteve

[siampolee]

There could well be a positive outcome from this fiasco .The puppet master in Dubai has an enormous number of strings to pull, son there wil be an almighty tangle and then we shall see the fun start as the strings knot..

[OzMick]

There is a theory that people are promoted until they reach the level of their own incompetence, at which level they remain. In Thailand, this theory doesn't apply because competence is not one of the selection criteria - well not in practice, anyway. Much more important is "whose mate you are."

Jatuporn is a prime example even though he missed out. Not one shred of solid evidence has been given as to why he should have a cabinet seat (any ministry will do, he's incompetent in all of them), but lots of cries of "He's one of us, he's our mate." Yingluk says he can work for PTP and the reds "wherever he is", I guess that includes a prison cell.

Meanwhile, a Democrat spokesman said red shirt MPs were treated like second-rate politicians. I think he is being overly generous, I'd say they are 3rd rate at best.

[americaninbangkok]

Does that make for a total of six DPMs?! How many DPMs before the PM actually has zero responsibilities?!

[Thai at Heart]

Does that make for a total of six DPMs?! How many DPMs before the PM actually has zero responsibilities?!

No one with any understanding of how to manage anything would set it up this way. It is a complete mess.

[Dap]

There could well be a positive outcome from this fiasco .The puppet master in Dubai has an enormous number of strings to pull, son there wil be an almighty tangle and then we shall see the fun start as the strings knot..

Pretty much looks like the Gordian Knot already. Am thinking the "fun" is frighteningly close.