Thai PM shuffles pack and takes key defence post

[hellodolly]

There is no pleasing the negative noddies of the foreign community is there? 18 ministers were changed including many who had drawn the criticism of TVFers. Chalerm is moved aside, which is what they wanted, and the only response is one of negativity.

Paveena Hongsakul, a women's and children's rights advocate, is the new Minister of Social Development and Human Security.Thailand has a serious problem with human trafficking and domestic violence. Now there is a minister that is considered to be one of the strongest advocates in the country and that has the confidence of the organizations both domestic and international that are involved.

A thread on education doesn't go by without comments that educational policy does not reflect Thailand needs. Well now there's an education minister who has some knowledge. Chaturon Chaisaeng, the education minister, has past experience in developing educational policy in response to national economic requirements.

Is it so difficult to recognize that the changes are a positive change?

Now let me get this rite. The last minister of education said the system is not working he wanted to have the teachers and the students learn to think logically and reason things out.

Now he is out surprise surprise and

"Chaturon Chaisaeng, the education minister, has past experience in developing educational policy in response to national economic requirements."

is in

because he has experience in developing a system that dosen't work. Are they going to stop the corruption in the system he is experienced in so they can afford to bring in a system that works?

Highly unlikely as they have just brought in a yes man who while unqualified is suitable.

Yingluck I think took the defense post hoping that she could prevent a coup. In my opinion a waste of time there would not be a coup. She just wants to dainty up the uniforms. Some thing she is suitable to do.

Does any one know if that fellow who was supposed to be very good in the legal system got the job as minister of science. He definatly would be suitable for that.

I suspect just another set of yes Mr T men how high and what color.

[jbrain]

There is no pleasing the negative noddies of the foreign community is there? 18 ministers were changed including many who had drawn the criticism of TVFers.

Any idea why those ministers had drawn critisism from TV members ?

You think the replacements will not be criticized for valid reasons in the near future ?

Edit : Speling

Edited June 30, 2013 by jbrain

[hellodolly]

Another star missing is our favorite. Plodprasop. Unless, I have missed something.

Like I said in a previous thread, get your WP renewed ASAP. I am sure Chalerm will think up some nasty new policy.

I am up for renewal next month, so might make it before he makes things difficult this year.

I shudder to think what the WP requirements will be next year. On the other hand, who knows. They might have another reshuffle by that time.

Or a new election. Or a coup. Or something.

If the work you are doing is of value to the national economy, then there is no need to worry.

What about if you are retired and just spending a lot of money here.

Chalerm was also deputy PM, how the mighty have fallen, the labour ministry! Still a few drops of the ear medecine and he won't know the difference.

I have no doubts that because of all this anxiety, he has been completely minging all weekend. Well at least he was in the privacy of the estate he has acquired (not bad for a Captain Policeman).

Also he dosen't have to go to the southern provinces.

[jbrain]

Another star missing is our favorite. Plodprasop. Unless, I have missed something.

Plodprasop is made minister of excotic animal kitchen, I've heard

[bigbamboo]

Another star missing is our favorite. Plodprasop. Unless, I have missed something.

Like I said in a previous thread, get your WP renewed ASAP. I am sure Chalerm will think up some nasty new policy.

I am up for renewal next month, so might make it before he makes things difficult this year.

I shudder to think what the WP requirements will be next year. On the other hand, who knows. They might have another reshuffle by that time.

Or a new election. Or a coup. Or something.

If the work you are doing is of value to the national economy, then there is no need to worry.

That's what Boonsong thought!

[rubl]

"Deputy Prime Minister Pongthep Thepkanjana said the prime minister had considered the reshuffle "carefully and "selected suitable people" for cabinet posts."

Now I've heard the PM tell us that a reshuffle should be expected after two years (even if it's the fourth) and we have gKid explaining a bit more. What I have missed till now is some reasoning from the PM for the people shuffled out, shuffled in, shuffled vertically or horizontally. Lots of people have their own ideas on this, me included, but I would really like some more detailed explanation from our PM. Surely the reshuffle has some reasoning based on more than just a bit of (Thaksin) suitability? Did she consult with the parties of the coalition?

[Roadman]

"Deputy Prime Minister Pongthep Thepkanjana said the prime minister had considered the reshuffle "carefully and "selected suitable people" for cabinet posts."

Now I've heard the PM tell us that a reshuffle should be expected after two years (even if it's the fourth) and we have gKid explaining a bit more. What I have missed till now is some reasoning from the PM for the people shuffled out, shuffled in, shuffled vertically or horizontally. Lots of people have their own ideas on this, me included, but I would really like some more detailed explanation from our PM. Surely the reshuffle has some reasoning based on more than just a bit of (Thaksin) suitability? Did she consult with the parties of the coalition?

Consult Rubi? Your expectations are for them to apply democratic processes that to date they have not bothered with. But overall agree. As with most appointments musical chairs trough spots from this lot there is no explanations. They all had there numbers punched in Singapore last week by the fugitive "peoples court" convicted criminal who is not really running the country. The puppet PM is as always just delivering someone else's ideas. Yingluck is a discredit to progressive Thai women - very pretty but just a parrot.

[Thai at Heart]

Great so confident

Announced on Sunday evening.

[NongKhaiKid]

Can a Prime Minister be a Defence minister at the same time? a serious question???

Does that also mean she gets double the salary pack, double the benefits and double of everything else?

It has happened before in Thailand so it's possible. It's worth remembering that she's the chairperson of the National Rice Policy Committee but hasn't been to a meeting for some time and her non appearance in parliament is legendary so I see no reason why she can't fit not turning up to meetings as the defence minister into her busy schedule.

Amazing isn't it, for a PM with a track record of dodging issues, taking no role in leadership etc she takes on one of the most important portfolios there is considering the role the military have been given, and taken for themselves, in running of the country.

Surely Mr. T can't believe this will give more control of the military which is difficult at the best of times but with a " no show " PM in charge the army will likely get stronger.

[15Peter20]

Just how will anew Minister of Commerce turn a stinking dunghill into a rose garden? Will he be a magician who can conjure the millions of tons of missing rice and the hundreds of billions of baht?

BTW the suggestion that Chalerm will be dumped is ludicrous; he is Thaksin's man and will not be moved. A fat leech bloated with wealth stolen from the taxpayers of Thailand, only fire will loosen his grip.

I'll give you 8/10 for chutzpah, but your appreciation of the mechanics behind this government is evidently suspect.

Got any more predictions for 'Thaksin's man'?

[noitom]

Effective way to gain access to the hallways at Defense and smoke out any back room meetings regarding a coup.

[NongKhaiKid]

Just how will anew Minister of Commerce turn a stinking dunghill into a rose garden? Will he be a magician who can conjure the millions of tons of missing rice and the hundreds of billions of baht?

BTW the suggestion that Chalerm will be dumped is ludicrous; he is Thaksin's man and will not be moved. A fat leech bloated with wealth stolen from the taxpayers of Thailand, only fire will loosen his grip.

I'll give you 8/10 for chutzpah, but your appreciation of the mechanics behind this government is evidently suspect.

Got any more predictions for 'Thaksin's man'?

I'm interested to see if he will become PTP's angry young man or in his case angry drunk man, will he take every opportunity to snipe prefacing any outburst with " If i was in charge ", " when I was in charge " or will he do the unthinkable and keep quiet, well as much as he can ?

I'm sure he will still find any reason he can to talk to the media and when they want a quote they will go to him irrespective of the issue.

If he decides to take potshots at Yingluck how far can / will he go before really annoying his hero in Dubai, after all he will just his just rewards when Mr. T is back and is true worth recognised. Maybe !

[NongKhaiKid]

BBC World News is covering the Yingluck story as a headline. It's pointed out that she's the first woman to become defence minister and will give her " control over the military that ousted her brother. "

It was also pointed out that the army is due a major re-shuffle in October but nothing more was said.

For those of us here the latter aspect means will she interefere and put or try to put loyalists in the top jobs etc ?

No surer way to anger the military than interfering in the old boys club of promotions and postings.

[ABCer]

Not being a specialist in Thai politics and Ministerial Entities I am just looking at the result end of Thai realities:

Education System - sucks ( unless preservation of status quo is the aim )

Military forces and achievements - sucks ( unless our success in Army control of Internal Affaires is the aim )

Financial success - sucks ( unless a sudden unjustified appreciation of THB is the aim )

Labour and economics - sucks ( unless extensive use of cheap illegal migrants labour is the aim )

Health and social security - sucks ( unless letting God and Family take care of people is the aim )

Law and Law Enforcement - sucks ( unless preservation of Face, Culture and Tradition is the aim )

I think PM will have to personally head the above areas of Thai realities very soon...

But as a Law abiding Farang, graciously allowed to stay here on a yearly basis, I am claiming a Medal For Non-Interference.

Edited June 30, 2013 by ABCer

[Robby nz]

Paveena Hongsakul, a women's and children's rights advocate, is the new Minister of Social Development and Human Security.Thailand has a serious problem with human trafficking and domestic violence. Now there is a minister that is considered to be one of the strongest advocates in the country and that has the confidence of the organizations both domestic and international that are involved.

Was wondering Gerry if you could tell me where this paragon of womans and childrens rights was on the issue of the 10yr old girl that recently gave birth or the little girl who was held as a slave and tortured not so long ago.

Never saw anything in the news from her then.

[15Peter20]

Just how will anew Minister of Commerce turn a stinking dunghill into a rose garden? Will he be a magician who can conjure the millions of tons of missing rice and the hundreds of billions of baht?

BTW the suggestion that Chalerm will be dumped is ludicrous; he is Thaksin's man and will not be moved. A fat leech bloated with wealth stolen from the taxpayers of Thailand, only fire will loosen his grip.

I'll give you 8/10 for chutzpah, but your appreciation of the mechanics behind this government is evidently suspect.

Got any more predictions for 'Thaksin's man'?

I'm interested to see if he will become PTP's angry young man or in his case angry drunk man, will he take every opportunity to snipe prefacing any outburst with " If i was in charge ", " when I was in charge " or will he do the unthinkable and keep quiet, well as much as he can ?

I'm sure he will still find any reason he can to talk to the media and when they want a quote they will go to him irrespective of the issue.

If he decides to take potshots at Yingluck how far can / will he go before really annoying his hero in Dubai, after all he will just his just rewards when Mr. T is back and is true worth recognised. Maybe !

The way I see him, he was like the government's wet nurse for the early years. Wielding authority to project strength in areas where such posturing was at least tolerated by the army.

Now the army are onside with the PTP and more mature types are being drafted in - and taking into account an accumulation of embarrassing episodes he's been involved in - he is less needed. After all, he's also beholden to the same people who control the PTP just like all the other PTP politicians. Maybe he's just been reminded that in fact he's not actually that special. As a footnote, the red shirt contingent never particularly liked him either.

[NongKhaiKid]

Paveena Hongsakul, a women's and children's rights advocate, is the new Minister of Social Development and Human Security.Thailand has a serious problem with human trafficking and domestic violence. Now there is a minister that is considered to be one of the strongest advocates in the country and that has the confidence of the organizations both domestic and international that are involved.

Was wondering Gerry if you could tell me where this paragon of womans and childrens rights was on the issue of the 10yr old girl that recently gave birth or the little girl who was held as a slave and tortured not so long ago.

Never saw anything in the news from her then.

She's a self serving politician so pick the high profile issues and look good, don't touch anything not in the news or which might backfire.

I used to walk around the floor my office was on always carrying a file, everyone thought I was working.

[OzMick]

Just how will anew Minister of Commerce turn a stinking dunghill into a rose garden? Will he be a magician who can conjure the millions of tons of missing rice and the hundreds of billions of baht?

BTW the suggestion that Chalerm will be dumped is ludicrous; he is Thaksin's man and will not be moved. A fat leech bloated with wealth stolen from the taxpayers of Thailand, only fire will loosen his grip.

I'll give you 8/10 for chutzpah, but your appreciation of the mechanics behind this government is evidently suspect.

Got any more predictions for 'Thaksin's man'?

Chalerm is down but not out, where he fully deserves to be.

Thank you for you rating, but if my understanding is suspect, perhaps you can explain how a new minister will solve the rice scam crisis, other than begging for time to come to grips and formulate more lies.

[Ricardo]

So who gets the job of 'Proxy-PM', under the reshuffle ?

[bigbamboo]

BBC World News is covering the Yingluck story as a headline. It's pointed out that she's the first woman to become defence minister and will give her " control over the military that ousted her brother. "

It was also pointed out that the army is due a major re-shuffle in October but nothing more was said.

For those of us here the latter aspect means will she interefere and put or try to put loyalists in the top jobs etc ?

No surer way to anger the military than interfering in the old boys club of promotions and postings.

Deja vu?

[AsterixThai]

This is the largest budget in the Kingdom. There was also a lot of money to be won!

[hellodolly]

"Deputy Prime Minister Pongthep Thepkanjana said the prime minister had considered the reshuffle "carefully and "selected suitable people" for cabinet posts."

Now I've heard the PM tell us that a reshuffle should be expected after two years (even if it's the fourth) and we have gKid explaining a bit more. What I have missed till now is some reasoning from the PM for the people shuffled out, shuffled in, shuffled vertically or horizontally. Lots of people have their own ideas on this, me included, but I would really like some more detailed explanation from our PM. Surely the reshuffle has some reasoning based on more than just a bit of (Thaksin) suitability? Did she consult with the parties of the coalition?

Did she think at all. Wasn't it four days earlier and there was going to be no shuffling at all? I guess it dosen't take long if you are looking for suitable people. For qualified people she would have to do like some of the big companies in the states do they use what is known as head hunters.

[OzMick]

BBC World News is covering the Yingluck story as a headline. It's pointed out that she's the first woman to become defence minister and will give her " control over the military that ousted her brother. "

It was also pointed out that the army is due a major re-shuffle in October but nothing more was said.

For those of us here the latter aspect means will she interefere and put or try to put loyalists in the top jobs etc ?

No surer way to anger the military than interfering in the old boys club of promotions and postings.

Deja vu?

Thailand's version of Groundhog Day

[geriatrickid]

Paveena Hongsakul, a women's and children's rights advocate, is the new Minister of Social Development and Human Security.Thailand has a serious problem with human trafficking and domestic violence. Now there is a minister that is considered to be one of the strongest advocates in the country and that has the confidence of the organizations both domestic and international that are involved.

Was wondering Gerry if you could tell me where this paragon of womans and childrens rights was on the issue of the 10yr old girl that recently gave birth or the little girl who was held as a slave and tortured not so long ago.

Never saw anything in the news from her then.

Maybe you should read the news. The Paveena Foundation is the GO TO group for people who need help;

This kind hearted lady is the only person that takes on some powerful people; A review of the newspapers for the past month offers the following stories;

June 20, 2013: Boonsit Thammarojpinit, son of alleged gambling king,Pajit Thammarojpinit is accused of physical assault and mental trauma by his 21-year old girlfriend, Nattikarn Asawamongkolpan. The Paveena Hongskul Foundation responded and Madame Honskul personally intervened.

June 14, 2013: Pattaya 5* hotel waitress was physically assaulted by a foreign guest. She was severely injured, her relatives pleaded the Paveena Foundation for Children and Women for help. The injuries were so severe the woman had her neck broken and she needs a breathing machine to help her breathe. The Paveena Foundation is helping this person and is advocating on her behalf. Mrs. Paveena visited the victim and her family to offer assistance and support.

It speaks volumes that all someone like you can do is find a way to cast vile aspersions at the one person who has the credibility needed to address the horrible issue of human trafficking and domestic abuse in Thailand.

Read this and you will get an idea as to just how in touch the Paveena Foundation is with the people who benefit most from its assistance.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/Paveena-hires-Samaritan-68020.html

[Robby nz]

It speaks volumes that all someone like you can do is find a way to cast vile aspersions at the one person who has the credibility needed to address the horrible issue of human trafficking and domestic abuse in Thailand.

Like me?

You don't know anything about me.

And how can asking you a simple question be " casting vile aspersions "?

A question that arose from a post that you made and which you did not answer.

Instead quoting other instances.

[Pib]

The list on BP indicates that there are now 3 deputy prime ministers. Can that be right?

2. Pol Gen. Phongthep Thepkanchana, Deputy Prime Minister

5. Phongthep Thepkanchana, Deputy Prime Minister

8. Niwatthamrong Bunsongphaisan, Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister

I think there a more than that at times.

Yea, I think a recent newspaper article says the PM has 4 Deputy PMs.

Correction...I see in today's Bangkok Post that 7 Deputy PMs are named. More is better I guess. Divide out the PM responsibilities to a bunch of deputies...this frees up time for travel for the PM...and most importantly offloads responsibilities. What a job!!!

[rubl]

Regarding gKid's remarks on new Minister of Social Development and Human Security Pavena Hongsakul, this veteran politician and women's rights activist was Minister for Tourism when in 1999 she took umbrage at an Esquire article. Unclear if it was because of "Young British men go in their thousands to get what they cant get at home endless sex with as many beautiful women as they can manage." or "Hongsakul claimed to have seen no evidence of a flourishing sex industry on a recent visit to Pattaya, but the Posts editors knew better: On the same page of the Aug. 12 edition they published a captioned photo of the U.S. aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk, which had just dropped anchor off Pattaya so the boys might enjoy a little wholesome R&R in the exotic East."

The lady was quoted as saying "anyone who tries to sabotage our country by writing such an article will be blacklisted."
http://www.unc.edu/~pcvelich/bangkok/advert.htm

It is to be hoped that she's less blinded by image and more open, this new old Minister and 2004 BKK governor candidate.

BTW the foundation can be found here http://www.pavenafoundation.or.th/

Edited July 1, 2013 by rubl

[rubl]

As for #51 AsterixThai the single largest budget is and will be again the Ministry of Education with 2013/2014 THB 480 billion proposed (with or without their calculation problems). I don't know all budgets but Ministry of Interior may get 320 billion, Ministry of Defence only 178 billion.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/635118-thai-ministries-allowed-bigger-budgets-as-independent-agencies-have-theirs-slashed

Edited July 1, 2013 by rubl

[rubl]

The list on BP indicates that there are now 3 deputy prime ministers. Can that be right?

2. Pol Gen. Phongthep Thepkanchana, Deputy Prime Minister

5. Phongthep Thepkanchana, Deputy Prime Minister

8. Niwatthamrong Bunsongphaisan, Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister

I think there a more than that at times.

Yea, I think a recent newspaper article says the PM has 4 Deputy PMs.

Correction...I see in today's Bangkok Post that 7 Deputy PMs are named. More is better I guess. Divide out the PM responsibilities to a bunch of deputies...this frees up time for travel for the PM...and most importantly offloads responsibilities. What a job!!!

If Dept. PMs fall under the (real) PM, activities rather than ultimate responsibility are offloaded. One might say that because of all those deputies the PM is able to find time to be MoD and probably still retain her valued weekend off.

[kimamey]

Can a Prime Minister be a Defence minister at the same time? a serious question???

Does that also mean she gets double the salary pack, double the benefits and double of everything else?

The PM will get double the aggravation and double the infantile innuendo.

It is not uncommon in a parliamentary democracy to have ministers including the PM to take on multiple cabinet responsibilities.

And no, the pay and benefits are not doubled.

I know it's happened in Thailand before but I'll have to take your word on it not being uncommon in a parliamentary democracy.

I would have thought it possible that she would be entitled to the salary of a defence minister although I don't know for sure. It would be unlikely to be double though.

Edited July 1, 2013 by kimamey