Prayut Cabinet reshuffle: New faces expected

[webfact]

PRAYUT CABINET RESHUFFLE

New faces expected

THE NATION 

 

 

BANGKOK: -- PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha is expected to reshuffle his Cabinet by the end of this month due to the restructuring of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Ministry.

 

The renaming of the ICT Ministry as the Digital Economy and Society Ministry is expected to prompt other portfolio changes.

Uttama Savanayana, the current ICT minister, is likely to be appointed the country's first Digital Economy and Society Minister, while some former generals in the Prayut Cabinet could be replaced by new faces as they have served for more than two years.

However, the prime minister is still uncertain about some portfolio changes, including the crucial Agriculture Ministry. Olarn Pitak, a senior bureaucrat who retires this September, is tipped to be a new deputy agriculture minister to help Agriculture Minister General Chatchai Sarikulya, one of Prayut's close aides.

Critics said General Chatchai needs to improve the Agriculture Ministry's performance, which is crucial to the government's popularity, especially among farmers and low-income people. 

General Chatchai was supposed to be part of an economic team headed by Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, who oversees finance, commerce, industry, ICT and other related ministries, but the Agriculture Ministry is now under another deputy premier, ACM Prajin Juntong, the former Air Force chief.

Prajin also oversees the Transport Ministry, which works closely with the Somkid team. 

A Cabinet source said the Somkid team was in high spirits, especially after the Thai economy picked up in the second quarter of this year, recording a GDP growth of 3.5 per cent amid unfavourable external and export factors. As a result, most key economic ministers will likely remain in their positions. 

However, the Commerce Ministry portfolio could be changed if Somkid proposes Chutima Bunyaprapat, the outgoing permanent secretary for commerce, as a new Cabinet member.

Overall, Prayut has the final say in the upcoming Cabinet reshuffle, but he will leave all key economic portfolios to Somkid's judgement, except the Agriculture Ministry.

The prime minister may use the opportunity to return favours to former generals who support him, meaning those who have already served their time in the government may be asked to leave to clear the way for those who have not been appointed. 

Among potential portfolio changes in this category include deputy education minister General Surachet Chaiwong; Social Development and Human Security Minister Pol General Adul Saengsingkaew; Natural Resources and Environment Minister General Surasak Kancharat and Labour Minister General Sirichai Diskul. New faces will likely join the Cabinet overseeing these ministries in the reshuffle as Prayut prepares for his third year as prime minister.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/New-faces-expected-30294324.html

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2016-09-02

[PatOngo]

Please bring back one old face, Chalerm, along with the minister of tourism, their entertainment value is unmatched.

[kannot]

!!

[jamesbrock]

Ah, rewarding military buffoons with senior government ministries and they wonder why the country is going down the gurgler.

[Srikcir]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The prime minister may use the opportunity to return favours to former generals who support him

More and more the RTM looks, sounds and acts like a political party in its own right.

Albeit, it can forbid any opposition.

[worgeordie]

I thought the other day the P.M. said there would

be no reshuffle of the cabinet ?just shows you 

cannot believe anything you read.

regards Worgeordie

[mca]

New Faces? That's a cabinet meeting I'd love to be a fly on the wall at with Roger de Courcey and Nookie Bear, Showaddywaddy and the Chuckle Brothers.

Edited September 2, 2016 by mca

[williamgeorgeallen]

didnt the good general just say there was to be no re shuffle? and an election last year, this year, and next year? 

[Eric Loh]

How can it possible be new faces when you only have generals in his list and not many of them suitable for cabinet posts. If the cabinet keep reshuffling, the junta will run out of generals to fill the ministerial positions.

[dieseldave1951]

53 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

How can it possible be new faces when you only have generals in his list and not many of them suitable for cabinet posts. If the cabinet keep reshuffling, the junta will run out of generals to fill the ministerial positions.

Na they make new Generals,!!!!!!! simples but not yet they have over 5000 to wade through first

[dwcrist]

1 hour ago, worgeordie said:

I thought the other day the P.M. said there would

be no reshuffle of the cabinet ?just shows you 

cannot believe anything you read.

regards Worgeordie

 

Since day one, this guy has done the opposite of what he's said. Before the coup he said that there would not be coup and he would only provide security. After the coup he said he would not become prime minister. Then he promised elections. Then they had the single gateway yes/no/maybe so fiasco. And now this, just one more "No, I'm not gonna do THAT..... wait, actually I am". Any others I missed?

 

Now he is also saying that he will not hold on to power indefinitely. You know what that means. Hail Caesar!

[Denim]

So the PM might want to return favors to former army generals who have supported him ?

 

New faces ? Hmmmm.......they spelt faces wrong. There is an extra e in it .

[bluebluewater]

I want former Science Minister Plodprasop to make a return.  He was my favorite.

 

You just thought that things could not get more stupid.

[elgordo38]

7 hours ago, jamesbrock said:

Ah, rewarding military buffoons with senior government ministries and they wonder why the country is going down the gurgler.

Yes new faces old friends. Is this not the cabinet reshuffle the PM said a couple weeks ago was not going to happen. Pinnochio's cousin I guess. Quote  Critics said General Chatchai needs to improve the Agriculture Ministry's performance, which is crucial to the government's popularity, especially among farmers and low-income people.  unquote. Sounds like a populist move to me. 

[chickenslegs]

7 hours ago, worgeordie said:

I thought the other day the P.M. said there would

be no reshuffle of the cabinet ?just shows you 

cannot believe anything you read.

regards Worgeordie

 

Yes. pm-prayut-denies-reports-of-upcoming-cabinet-reshuffle

[tbthailand]

12 hours ago, webfact said:

The prime minister may use the opportunity to return favours to former generals who support him, meaning those who have already served their time in the government may be asked to leave to clear the way for those who have not been appointed. 

 

I believe that this form of entrenched nepotism and favoritism in politics is the kind of corruption in our political process that the - ahem - "PM" was determined to "clean up".  

 

It rather looks like the generals are "cleaning up" in a rather different way...  

[anon467848]

If he surrounds himself with 'yes' men, then he will be told every day what he wants to hear. Simples...

[Maybole]

Their faces are all chinese !

[gk10002000]

reshuffle his cabinet.  siiigh.  You mean the cabinet he basically selected and was rubber stamped.  No elected officials anywhere.  Will it get as bad as in N. Korea where that dictator eliminated a guy for appearing to be asleep at a meeting?  Do the ousted guys get a severance package?  What do cabinet members get for pay and benefits and perks?  Is any of the publicly disclosed and verifiable?

[MaxLee]

On 9/2/2016 at 3:43 AM, webfact said:

New faces expected

THE NATION 

 

 

BANGKOK: -- PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha is expected to reshuffle his Cabinet by the end of this month due to the restructuring of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Ministry.

 

New faces expected, yup,.... we know.....