BANGKOK — Thailand's military junta leader and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha took his new Cabinet ministers to Siriraj Hospital yesterday to take oaths before the King of Thailand, who reportedly did not give a speech as is tradition.

"His Majesty the King did not give any speech," said Deputy Prime Minister Visana Krua-ngam.

King Bhumibol usually gives a brief, scripted speech to newly sworn-in Cabinet members and Prime Ministers. 

It was the first time the 86 year old monarch has made a public appearance since he was admitted to Siriraj Hospital earlier this month, reportedly for an annual medical examination.

His Majesty previously spent several years at Siriraj Hospital to undergo surgeries and other medical operations. Prior to his most recent hospital stay the King Bhumibol was recovering at his summer retreat, Klai Kang Won Palace.

On his birthday last year, 5 December 2013, His Majesty the King appeared to struggle through a speech given to an audience of government officials and military commanders. An official later explained that it was normal for an elderly person to have difficulty reading a script.

His Majesty the King's health is a cause of anxiety for many Thais. The monarch has been on the throne for more than 60 years and is widely credited with bringing stability to the kingdom. 

First Cabinet meeting next week

Prime Minister Prayuth, who also chairs the junta's National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and serves as commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army, said the new Cabinet will meet for the first time on 9 September. 

Prior to the formation of the new interim government, Thailand was under the sole rule of the NCPO, which seized power from the elected government on 22 May.

Yet nearly one-third of the new Cabinet members are former or active military officers, and the NCPO has retained the power to unilaterally intervene into government affairs at any time.

Asked by a reporter yesterday how he felt about leading the nation's semi-civilian government, Gen. Prayuth replied, "I feel that I have to work hard from now on."

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BANGKOK — Thailand's military junta blocked a panel discussion on human rights in Thailand earlier this week because of concerns over the spread of “false information,” a spokesperson said today.

"We had to be careful about the discussion topic, to make sure that it would not [defame] other individuals or organisations," explained Col. Winthai Suvaree. "The discussion could have lacked sufficient facts or contained unreliable information not supported by clear evidence."

He continued, "That information may have also only presented a one-sided perspective full of prejudice. It may have caused misunderstanding in society about certain individuals or organisations."

Col. Winthai was referring to a panel discussion titled “Access to Justice in Thailand: Currently Unavailable," that was slated to feature representatives from Amnesty International Thailand, the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, and Cross Cultural Foundation on 2 September. 

A few hours before the event, the junta’s National Council For Peace and Order (NCPO) sent a letter to the organisers, "asking for their cooperation" to cancel the talk. Policemen also arrived at the venue of the talk – the Foreign Correspondent Club of Thailand (FCCT) – to make certain the discussion did not take place.

Organisers said the panel was planning to discuss obstacles to justice in post-coup Thailand, such as the NCPO’s decision to try dissidents in military court and arbitrarily detain hundreds of activists, politicians, and academics. 

However, Col. Winthai said any complaint about perceived "injustice" under the NCPO should be submitted directly to the junta through regional government agencies. 

"Those who are responsible in the relevant issues will urgently resolve the problems in an appropriate manner," Col. Winthai told reporters. "I believe this effort will adequately meet the need for information … in contrast to the aforementioned activity [the panel discussion]."

The NCPO spokesperson also claimed that the event’s organisers only notified authorities a day before the talk was scheduled to take place, which did not give the NCPO enough time to consider the content and "intention" of the event.

"We were concerned that the activity may involve politics. Relevant officials had to carefully consider it," Col. Winthai said.

Tuesday marked the second time security officers have entered the FCCT, long known as a sanctuary for free debate in Thailand, in the last four months. On 27 May, soldiers stormed the FCCT and detained former Minister of Education Chaturon Chaisaeng as he was speaking to a crowd of foreign journalists about why he did not surrender himself to the NCPO. 

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SUPHANBURI — Twenty-eight Thai men have been arrested for posing as monks and temple assistants to collect donation money that they allegedly used for gambling, pornography, and narcotics.

Soldiers from 19th Cavalry Battalion raided a motel in Uthong district, Suphanburi province, early this morning to arrest the suspects, who were living in 14 rooms.

The suspects confessed that 18 of them shaved their heads and donned saffron robes to disguise themselves as monks, while the other 10 posed as their temple assistants. Manote Intaraklai, 47, identified himself as the ringleader and told soldiers the group used the donation money to buy food, pornography, and narcotics. They also used the money to gamble, Mr. Manote said.

Mr. Manote said he led the group out every day to ask for alms and donations around Suphanburi and neighbouring provinces. The "monks" donned their disguises on the way to the town centre, Mr. Manote added.

Soldiers found monk outfits and equipment, playing cards, porn DVDs, and 140,000 baht inside the rooms rented by the fake monks. Seven vehicles, thought to be used by the fake monks, were similarly confiscated by the soldiers. One of the group’s members also tested positive for illicit substances.

The suspects have been charged with fraud and drug abuse. It is not clear what prompted the soldiers to raid the premises.

BANGKOK — The Office of Attorney-General has postponed its decision on whether to pursue charges of corruption against former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in court, citing an incomplete investigation.

Wanchai Rujanawong, a spokesperson for the Attorney-General office, said the AG and the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) will form a joint committee to strengthen the case against the former leader, who the NACC says failed to stop alleged corruption in her government's rice-pledging policy that cost the state more than 500 billion baht in damages.

The NACC is now requesting the Attorney-General take up the case and try Ms. Yingluck in court. If found guilty, the former Prime Minister faces up to 10 years in prison.

However, Mr. Wanchai explained today that the case filed by the NACC is incomplete. He said the NACC’s file only included photocopies of the cover pages – not content – of reports published by the Thailand Development and Research Institute (TDRI) that allegedly expose the corruption in the rice-pledging scheme.

According to Mr. Wanchai, the NACC must also prove that Ms. Yingluck had the authority to put an end to the alleged corruption and neglected to address abuses she was aware of.

"Further investigation is needed, otherwise the court may acquit her," Mr. Wanchai said. 

The rice subsidy scheme – a key policy of Ms. Yingluck’s administration – involved purchasing rice from farmers at almost twice the market price. The policy caused huge financial losses for the government and incurred harsh criticism from a number of financial experts. Earlier this year, thousands of rice farmers marched to Bangkok after the government failed to pay them on schedule.

In July, Ms. Yingluck insisted on her innocence and vowed to contest the NACC's accusations in court. She has been maintaining a low profile since the military seized power and toppled her government on 22 May.