Thai Gang Kidnapped a “Grey” Chinese Man in a Box for Ransom

By

-

17 April 2023, 21:39

thai abduct chinese14 — Mr. Kob confessed that Mr. Guy had hired him and Mr. Joe to put Mr. Wang down in a plastic box.

In another case, a Chinese visitor was kidnapped in Thailand for ransom. A Thai group was implicated in this recent case. The victim’s ex-girlfriend was one of them. The perpetrators in previous incidents were mostly Chinese.

In this case, Chinese man Yu Jie reported to the Lumpini Police Station on April 15 that he could not contact his Chinese friend named Wang Nanfeng for several days. But then, on April 16, Mr. Wang video-called Mr. Yu, saying, “You don’t have to file a report. The kidnappers will release me if you transfer the money.”

However, Mr. Yu feared for his friend’s life because Mr. Wang’s face was bruised. So he informed police about this.

Maj. Gen. Noppasin Poolsawat, deputy commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, then commanded an investigating team. He announced on April 17 that several of the suspects had been apprehended. After using CCTV footages in front of the lift on the 17th floor of the condominium in Lumpini area as evidence, it is shown that the victim is being shoved into a large plastic box.

The inquiry discovered that the kidnapped Mr. Wang had been in a relationship with his Thai girlfriend, Ms. Nampetch, 24, for more than a year, but they had broken up for around 3 months before getting back together.

Ms. Namphet knew that Mr. Wang had a lot of money and property. He has done “grey business,” and the Chinese government had a warrant out for his arrest. So she thought Mr. Wang would not dare to tell the cops anything. Then she made plans with her Thai boyfriend, Mr. Guy, aged 24.

On April 14th, around 7:00 p.m., Mr. Guy and two other men, Mr. Kob, 27 and Mr. Joe, 30, arrived at Mr. Wang’s Sathorn condominium and then used the key card that Ms. Nampetch had given them to go up to the room on top of the condo before locking Mr. Wang, tying hands and feet, and putting him in a plastic box, moving it in a car before driving out of the condo to lock the victim in Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province.

CCTV video showed that Kob who was wearing a white-and-black T-shirt and a cap, and Joe, who had long hair, were using a cart to move a big plastic box inside the lift. As soon as he pushed the elevator button, the box’s lid went up, so Kob had to use his hands to press and close the plastic cover. He then pushed the elevator button to go to the parking lot on the ground floor.

They helped each other lift the box onto the back of a Mercedes-Benz, which was waiting in a parking lot. Guy then drove to Hua Hin and took Wang to a resort for detention. Later, June, who was also being charged, drove to the resort to join the others.

The perpetrators then threatened and physically beat Wang, forcing him to video call Yu and ask him not to report it to the police. Then, the perpetrators made Wang transfer money to Kob’s account twice: the first time, he sent 2 million baht; the second time, he sent an extra 900,000 baht; and the third time, he sent 1.03 million baht to the account of another woman named Ms. Ta, 28; bringing the total ransom to 3.93 million baht (114,000 U.S. dollars).

When the perpetrators got the money they wanted, they brought Wang to release him at a restaurant. The police followed up until they found him, helping and arresting one suspect, Kob. Later, the police applied to the court to approve the issuance of four arrest warrants, consisting of Guy, Joe, June and Miss Ta. The police were later able to arrest one more June and seized the ransom amount of $2.3 million.

Kob confessed that Guy had hired him and Joe to put Wang in a plastic box, lying on one side with legs bent, feet tied, and hands tied behind the back. They closed the lid of the box and brought it down to the parking lot.

thai abduct chinese5 — Several of the suspects had been arrested.

Kob claimed that when they took the victim to Hua Hin, they opened the box’s lid so Mr. Wang could breathe and pull out the rope. Wang had some resistance, but he didn’t fight. He was always aware of what was going on. And when they got to the resort, Kob said he did not physically assault the victim.

Kob declined to answer questions about how much he was paid for participating in this crime and why he decided to join it.

Ms. Nampetch was the last person arrested in a gang of six on the evening of April 17 at the accommodation in ThongLor area. It turned out that she was a contestant for a well-known stage beauty queen, Miss Grand Suphan Buri 2020.

All the 6 suspects arrested are as follows:

Ms. Phetlada Saengsakul (Namphet), 24 years old
Mr. Supaphon Halman (Boss or Guy) 24 years old
Mr. Nattapat Sawasdee (Kob), 27 years old,
Mr. Nuttaphong Khongkhamyu (June), 24 years old
Ms. Sarita Donmuang (Ta) 28 years old
Mr. Thanayut Ponnaku (Joe), 30 years old

thai kidnap chinese7 — Ms. Phetlada Saengsakul

For Wang, the Chinese man who had been kidnapped, he is accused of fraud worth 12 million yuan, or about 60 million baht, for which the Chinese authorities have already issued an arrest warrant. But he has not received a red notice in Interpol, So he could travel to Thailand without a history of such arrest warrant. He is being held at the customs office so that he can be forced to leave the country.

_____

Sega Sammy To Buy “Angry Birds” Developer Rovio for $775 million

By

Kyodo News

-

17 April 2023, 20:04

Japanese game and entertainment company Sega Sammy Holdings Inc. said Monday it will acquire Finland-based Rovio Entertainment Oyj, developer of the “Angry Birds” mobile game, in a deal worth about 706 million euros ($775 million) to expand in the fast-growing mobile gaming market.

Sega Sammy said it will launch a tender offer around May 8, paying 9.25 euros per share of the Finnish company that is most famous for the smash-hit title in which players put a bird in a slingshot to hit targets.

Rovio is a leading player in mobile games with a track record of over 5 billion downloads, according to Sega Sammy. “Angry Birds,” its best-known title, was released in 2009 and has since spawned various entertainment, anime and consumer products.

“In the rapidly growing global gaming market, the mobile gaming market has especially high potential, and it has been Sega’s long-term goal to accelerate its expansion in this field,” Sega Sammy President and CEO Haruki Satomi said in a statement.

Satomi also said he is confident that combining their companies’ “brands, characters, fanbase, as well as corporate culture and functionality” will create synergy effects.

The Japanese firm said the deal has the support of Rovio’s board of directors and some of its shareholders, whose holdings amount to a total of about 49.1 percent. The tender offer is expected to close around July 3.

Sega Sammy, known for its Sonic the Hedgehog video game series, also said it will launch new titles utilizing Rovio’s know-how in mobile game operations.

“I grew up playing Sonic the Hedgehog,” Rovio CEO Alexandre Pelletier-Normand said in a statement. “Combining the strengths of Rovio and SEGA presents an incredibly exciting future.”

Sudan Battles Intensify on 3rd Day; Civilian Deaths Reach 97

By

Associated Press

-

17 April 2023, 14:56

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — Sudan’s embattled capital awoke Monday to a third day of heavy fighting between the army and a powerful rival force for control of the country, as the weekend’s civilian death toll rose to 97.

Airstrikes and shelling intensified in parts of Khartoum and the adjoining city of Omdurman. Rapid, sustained firing was heard near the military headquarters, with white smoke rising from the area. Residents hunkering down in their homes reported power outages and incidents of looting.

AP23106598974115 — This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows fires and smoke at Khartoum railway, Sudan, Sunday April 16, 2023. (Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies via AP)

The clashes are part of a power struggle between Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, the commander of the armed forces, and Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, the head of the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group. The two generals are former allies who jointly orchestrated an October 2021 military coup that derailed Sudan’s short-lived transition to democracy.

Both men have dug in, saying they would not negotiate a truce, instead engaging in verbal attacks and demanding the other’s surrender. Still, both have powerful foreign backers, making them potentially susceptible to mounting diplomatic pressure.

Since fighting erupted on Saturday, 97 civilians have been killed and hundreds have been wounded, said the Sudan Doctors’ Syndicate, a pro-democracy group monitoring casualties.

AP23106438998422 — Smoke rises from a central neighborhood of Khartoum, Sudan, Sunday, April 16, 2023, after dozens have been killed in two days of intense fighting..(AP Photo/Marwan Ali)

There has been no official word on the number of fighters killed.

Footage posted online Monday purported to show RSF barracks in Omdurman. The bodies of dozens of men in camouflage uniforms were seen sprawled on beds and the floor of a medical ward and in a sandy outdoor area. Another video showed civilians inside the base, apparently looting food.

The authenticity of the videos could not be confirmed independently, but they surfaced after the military said it has targeted RSF bases with airstrikes. Mohmed al-Mokhtar al-Nour, an RSF adviser, told the Al Jazeera satellite network Sunday that RSF forces have withdrawn from the camp.

The doctors’ group said a stray shell struck a hospital south of Khartoum on Monday morning, without causing causalities.

The chaotic scenes of fighting with tanks, truck-mounted machine guns, artillery and warplanes in densely populated areas of the capital are unprecedented. Sudan has a long history of civil strife, but much of that has taken place in remote tribal areas, far from Khartoum.

AP23105459336254 — Smoke is seen rising in Khartoum, Sudan, Saturday, April 15, 2023. Fierce clashes between Sudan’s military and the country’s powerful paramilitary erupted in the capital and elsewhere in the African nation after weeks of escalating tensions between the two forces. (AP Photo/Marwan Ali)

The violence erupted during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan which ends later this week and is capped by the three-day Eid al-Fitr holiday.

On Sunday, the warring sides agreed to a three-hour pause in fighting to allow civilians to stock up on necessities. Compliance was spotty, and there were reports of casualties during the humanitarian pause.

Top diplomats urged the sides to stop fighting, including the U.S. secretary of state, the U.N. secretary-general, the EU foreign policy chief, the head of the Arab League and the head of the African Union Commission. The U.N. Security Council was to discuss the developments in Sudan later on Monday.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken renewed his call for a truce and a return to negotiations during a meeting of the Group of Seven wealthy nations in Japan on Monday.

“People in Sudan want the military back in the barracks,” he said. “They want democracy. They want the civilian-led government, Sudan needs to return to that path.”

The fighting also spread to the war-wrecked western Darfur region, and areas of northern and eastern Sudan, near the borders with Egypt and Ethiopia. Over the weekend, the World Food Program suspended its operations in Sudan after three of its employees were killed in fighting in Darfur.

In recent months, negotiations had been under way to get back on a path to democracy. Under international pressure, Burhan and Dagalo agreed to a framework agreement with political parties and pro-democracy groups.

However, the deal was vague on key points of dispute, including how the RSF would be integrated into the armed force and who would have final control. The signing of the deal was put off repeatedly, amid rising tensions between Burhan and Dagalo.

___

Jack Jeffery reported from Khartoum and Samy Magdy reported from Cairo.

A Japanese Tourist Is Saved From Heatstroke in Sukhothai

By

Khaosod English

-

17 April 2023, 14:20

Local people in Sukhothai Province saved the life of a 70-year-old Japanese male tourist who suffered from heatstroke while falling on the footpath at the entrance of Soi Sangkhalok Road Ban Mai Traphang Thong Community, Old Town Subdistrict, Mueang District, Sukhothai Province, at 2 p.m. in the afternoon on April 15.

A Japanese man lied motionless and unable to move. He appeared exhausted, panting, short of breath, and unable to speak, with his right hand’s fingers gushing and a large laceration on his leg. The reporters then called the police and requested an ambulance, as well as phoning the resort where the Japanese man was staying.

People in the neighbourhood came to help the Japanese man while he waited for rescue, providing him with inhalers, balm, a damp cloth, and towels. They also used salt water to clean his wound, let him drink sweet water, and poured water on the chilly cement floor. The symptoms of the Japanese man began to improve.

When the police came, they rushed him into the car and switched places with the ambulance on the way. At that time, a lot of people came to play Songkran water, causing a traffic jam of more than 3 kilometres.

As of April 17, it is learnt that this Japanese tourist had been hospitalised for one night at Sukhothai Hospital, with the resort’s owner handling additional help before boarding an aircraft to Chiang Mai. Getting ready to return to Osaka, Japan.

“He was very fortunate that some people arrived on the scene and assisted him in a timely manner.” “If you encounter 20-30 minutes later, it could turn into a sad story,” said Mr. Phubet Faithes, a Sukhothai province reporter.

____

Green and Purple Ballot Papers for the Thai General Election

By

Khaosod English

-

17 April 2023, 13:32

The Election Commission has unveiled examples of ballot papers on Monday. The purple sheet is for constituency-based MPs and contains no name of the candidate or party’s name or symbol while the green paper is for party-list MPs and contains the name of the party and party symbol.

The move came after the commission disqualified 71 MP candidates in 71 provinces on Sunday due to the lack of qualifications. Those disqualified can petition the Supreme Court within seven days. Now there are 4,710 candidates left in the constituency elections.

The general election will take place on May 14, and more than 52 million people are eligible to vote in the House of Representatives, which has 500 members, all of whom are democratically elected: 400 members were elected through single-member constituency elections, while the other 100 were elected through party list parallel voting.

The prime minister is selected by a vote in a combined session of the newly elected lower house and the 250-seat Senate, a conservative body whose members are appointed. In 2019, the Senate unanimously backed Prayut Chan-ocha.

_____

Pope Slams ‘Insinuations’ Against John Paul II As Baseless

By

Associated Press

-

17 April 2023, 03:12

Vatican Pope — Pope Francis delivers his speech as he recites the Regina Coeli noon prayer from the window of his studio overlooking St.Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis on Sunday publicly defended St. John Paul II, condemning as “offensive and baseless” insinuations that recently surfaced about the late pontiff.

In remarks to tourists and pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square, Francis said he was aiming to interpret the feelings of the faithful worldwide by expressing gratitude to the Polish pontiff’s memory.

Days earlier, the Vatican’s media apparatus had described as “slanderous” an audiotape from a purported Roman mobster who insinuated that John Paul would go out looking for underage girls to molest.

The tape was played on an Italian TV program by Pietro Orlandi, brother of Emanuela Orlandi, the teenage daughter of a Vatican employee who lived at the Vatican. The disappearance of the 15-year-old in 1983 is an enduring mystery that has spawned countless theories and so far fruitless investigations in the decades since.

AP23106391104014 — People gather as Pope Francis recites the Regina Coeli noon prayer from the window of his studio overlooking St.Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Francis noted that in Sunday’s crowd in the square were pilgrims and other faithful in town to pray at a sanctuary for divine mercy, a quality John Paul stressed often in his papacy, which spanned from 1978 to 2005.

“Confident of interpreting the sentiment of all the faithful of the entire world, I direct a grateful thought to the memory of St. John Paul II, in these days the object of offensive and baseless insinuations,” Francis said, his voice turning stern and his words drawing applause.

Last week, Pietro Orlandi met for hours with Vatican prosecutors who earlier this year reopened the investigation into his sister’s disappearance. Italy’s Parliament has also begun a commission of inquest into the case.

Emanuela vanished on June 22, 1983, after leaving her family’s Vatican City apartment to go to a music lesson in Rome. Her father was a lay employee of the Holy See.

Among the theories about what happened to her have been ones linking the disappearance to the aftermath of the failed assassination attempt against John Paul in 1981 in St. Peter’s Square or to the international financial scandal over the Vatican bank. Still other theories envision a role played by Rome’s criminal underworld.

AP23106386155365 — Pope Francis delivers his blessing as he recites the Regina Coeli noon prayer from the window of his studio overlooking St.Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, April 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

The recent four-part Netflix documentary “Vatican Girl” explored those possible scenarios and provided new testimony from a friend who said Emanuela had told her a week before she disappeared that a high-ranking Vatican cleric had made sexual advances toward her.

Her brother has long insisted the Vatican knows more than it has said. The Vatican prosecutor in charge of the probe says the pontiff has given him free rein to try to find the truth.

While at the Vatican last week, Pietro Orlandi provided Vatican prosecutors with an audiotape from a purported Roman mobster insinuating that John Paul would go out looking for underage girls to molest. The Vatican’s editorial director in a scathing editorial noted the insinuation lacked any “evidence, clues, testimonies or corroboration.”

Writing in the Vatican’s newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, Andrea Tornielli said “no one deserves to be vilified in this way, without even a shred of a clue, on the basis of the ‘rumors’ of some unknown figure in the criminal underworld or some sleazy anonymous comment produced on live TV.”

John Paul’s longtime secretary, Polish Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, also criticized the insinuations as “unreal, false and laughable if they weren’t tragic and even criminal.”

Pietro Orlandi’s lawyer, Laura Sgro, has insisted her client wasn’t accusing anyone.

An American Tourist Asks the Media to Help His Case in Phuket

By

Khaosod English

-

17 April 2023, 02:29

phuket american4 — Mr.Bryce Alan Terzian

Mr.Bryce Alan Terzian, 33, an American tourist, told reporters in Phuket that he reported to Chalong Police Station, Muang District, Phuket Province, that he was attacked in a pub in Rawai Subdistrict, Muang District, Phuket Province, on April 8, 2023, around 4:00 a.m.

He was concerned that the matter would not be pursued because the story had been ongoing for 7 days, but no action had been taken by the police.

Bryce said he had an argument with a DJ. In the pub before being dragged by the guards who later stomped on his body until he was injured. His nose was broken, he had to go to Chalong Hospital for treatment.

Bryce claimed he had an argument with a DJ in the pub and was dragged by guards, who stomped on his body until he was injured. His nose was fractured, and he needed to be treated at Chalong Hospital.

To authenticate the information for the media, the family of a Thai friend later requested CCTV footage as well as confirmation of injuries treatment at the hospital.

“I came to Phuket and Thailand for the first time. Everyone here is very nice. Everyone in the pub is good except that DJ. If I go back to the country, I will come back to travel again. I love Thailand.” Bryce said.

Archeologists In Italy Unearth Ancient Dolphin Statuette

By

Associated Press

-

16 April 2023, 15:20

Italy Ancient Discovery — This undated photo shows a terracotta figurine of Eros riding a dolphin found in a newly discovered sanctuary, which dates from the 5th century B.C., that was first identified in 2019 along the ancient city walls of Paestum, Southern Italy. The excavations of the sanctuary in the ancient city of Paestum have unearthed seven terracotta bull heads and a figurine of Eros riding a dolphin that shines new light on the religious life and rituals of the ancient Greek city, culture ministry officials said Saturday, April 15, 2023. (Paestum Velia Archeological Park via AP)

ROME (AP) — Excavations in southern Italy have unearthed terracotta bull heads and a figurine of the Greek god Eros riding a dolphin, shining new light on the religious life and rituals of an ancient city, culture ministry officials said Saturday.

It’s the first trove of artifacts identified from a sanctuary in the ancient Greek city of Paestum, which dates from the 5th century B.C. Paestum, famed for its three massive Doric-columned temples, is near the archaeological site of Pompeii, but farther down the Almalfi coast.

AP23105601871567 — The excavations of the sanctuary in the ancient city of Paestum have unearthed seven terracotta bull heads and a figurine of Eros riding a dolphin that shines new light on the religious life and rituals of the ancient Greek city, culture ministry officials said Saturday, April 15, 2023. (Paestum Velia Archeological Park via AP)

The small temple was first identified in 2019 along the ancient city walls but excavations were halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Italian Culture Ministry said in a statement.

Excavations yielded several small terracotta figurines in the first months of resuming work, the Ministry said. Archeologists found seven bull heads found around a temple altar as if placed there on the ground in a form of devotion.

A dolphin statuette found in the first trove of artifacts appears to be from the Avili family of ceramists whose presence had never before been documented in Paestum, the statement said.

Limited excavations began at the temples in the 1950s, and the ministry believes more treasures can be found in the area.

Ancient Romans controlled the city by around 275 B.C., renaming it Paestum from the Greek “Poseidonia,” in what had before been Magna Graecia.

AP23105601928297 — This undated photo shows a terracotta statue found in a newly discovered sanctuary, which dates from the 5th century B.C., that was first identified in 2019 along the ancient city walls of Paestum, Southern Italy. . (Paestum Velia Archeological Park via AP)

AP23105601879645 — This undated photo shows an architectural element with a leonine protome drip found in a newly discovered sanctuary, which dates from the 5th century B.C.. (Paestum Velia Archeological Park via AP)

AP23105601924895 — This undated photo shows a terracotta bull head found in a newly discovered sanctuary, which dates from the 5th century B.C., that was first identified in 2019 along the ancient city walls of Paestum, Southern Italy. (Paestum Velia Archeological Park via AP)

Pita and Pheu Thai Lead the Matichon-DailyNews Polls

By

Khaosod English

-

16 April 2023, 13:54

After the Eligible Thai voters had invited to take part in Matichon Group-Daily News online poll the first round, starting Saturday April 8-14, 2023, with the two questions:

Who will you support as PM in the general election?
Which political party will you vote for?

The results were published on Saturday, April 15, and showed that Move Forward Party PM candidate Pita Limjaroenrat came out on top in the first question and Pheu Thai Party led in the second question, out of a total of 84,706 online respondents during the period.

The biggest group of the online respondents are between 42-57 year old or Gen X (35.08%), followed by baby boomers or those age between 58-76 with 27.63%, followed by Gen Y, or those between 26-41 (26 50%), Gen Z, 18-25 (9 77%) and Silent Gen or those 77 year old and older (1.02%).

Most respondents are from Bangkok followed by nine of the following provinces: Nonthaburi, Chiang Mai, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakarn, Chonburi, Buriram, Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen and Songkhla.

Move Forward Party PM candidate Pita Limjaroenrat was the leading candidate whom people wanted to be a prime minister. Pita receives 29.42% of support. At Number Two is Pheu Thai Party PM candidate Paetongtarn Shinawatra with 23.23%, followed by Pheu Thai Party’s second PM candidate Srettha Thavisin at 16 69%.

Incumbent Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha of the United Thai Nation Party is at Number Four with 13.72%, followe by 2 97% of undecided voters.

Anutin Charnveerakul of Bhumjai Thai Party is at Number Six at 2.94% and Thai Liberal Party’s Sererpisuth Temeeyaves at 2.25%. Sudarat Keyuraphan of Thai Sang Thai came at Number Eight with 1.90%, followed by Korn Chatikavanij of Chart Pattana Kla Party with 1.40% and former deputy junta leader Gen Prawit Wongsuwan of the ruling Phalang Pracharath Party with 1.24%.

For the party which people prefered to vote for, Pheu Thai receives 38.89%. At Number Two is Move Forward Party with 32.37%, followed by United Thai Nation Party at 12.84%.

Bhumjai Thai Party is at Number Four with 3.30%, followed by decided voters at 2 21%, then the Democrat Party at 1.83%, Thai Sang Thai 1.73%, Thai Liberal Party 1.63%, Phalang Pracharath 1.55% and Chart Pattana Kla 1.14%.

This polls were organized by two Thai newspaper giants: Matichon and Daily News on the theme: “Which party – who is the next prime minister?” The second round, also online, is expected to begin on April 22.

______

Opinion: What Can We Expect If Prayut, Prawit, Pita, Paetongtarn, Anutin or Srettha Becomes PM?

By

Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

-

16 April 2023, 12:00

Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha joins the waterfight on Khaosan Road on Apr. 14, 2023.

While I definitely have no crystal ball as to who will become the 30^th PM of Thailand, I think it is time to consider the leading candidates and what kind of PM they might become if the person wins.

PM Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha (again): Do I really need to elaborate on what PM Prayut will be like after these eight years? The moody former coup leader has shown us more than enough. Expect more of the same, mediocre economic management, friendly to Burmese junta, clueless on how to tackle PM2.5 micro dust particles and more – but not quite.

Not quite because PM Prayut will only have two years left to “serve” under the current junta-sponsored constitution. This means Prayut could be thinking about his legacy, not wanting to be remembered most as a coup leader and more of a statesman. Or the moody former dictator could become reckless during this last ride in power.

Already, the party which supports him as PM candidate suggests they will launch a harsh crackdown on anti-monarchists.

United Thai Nation Party leader Pirapan Salirathavibhaga said at a recent campaign rally in Bangkok.

“Go live elsewhere if you don’t like [Thailand and the monarchy]… But Thailand must remain as it is forever. If the United Thai Nation forms the next government, we will harshly deal with those who hate [their own] country and are anti-monarchists,” Pirapan said on April 8. That sounds like a policy to freeze Thailand into conservatism.

Will PM Prayut see through a major crackdown on anti-monarchists and risk even more reactions by the young monarchy-reform movement? Well, under him, hundreds have already been charged over the past few years and ultra-royalists may support him as the most ‘credible’ PM candidate to go very hard on anti-monarchists.

The next PM Prayut will likely have to rely on coalition partners, however, as the conservative pro-army party has split into Phalang Pracharath and the United Thai Nation. He will have to rely on most of his 250-appointed senators to vote for him to become PM again and that is not guaranteed. Even if he made it, this could weaken Prayut’s ability to take any executive decisions as the next PM considerably.

PM Gen. Prawit Wongsuwan: The former deputy junta leader and caretaker deputy PM is the leader of the ruling Phalang Pracharath Party and he can count on the support of the 250-junta-appointed senators to help him becomes PM.

He is very eager to become the next PM to the point where earlier this week, he told the press his went through a medical checkup and declared physically fit and mentally sharp, despite him have been often quoted by the press as saying “I don’t know” when asked about various political and public issues over the years.

The party vows to transcend the protracted political divide plaguing Thailand over the past two decades and it means we can probably hope that PM Prawit will be less of a hardline leader than Prayut.

PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra: Expect more ousted and fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra if the 36-year-old daughter of Thaksin becomes PM. Paetongtarn has exhibited a common touch with the grassroots while campaigning contrary to the aloof image of past PMs like Abhisit Vejjajiva or even Prayut.

The fact that she is the next PM means the risk of another widespread anti-Thaksin, anti-Shinawatra, street protests cannot be ruled out as a good sector of the Thai population suffer from prolonged severe allergy to anything Shinawatra. It will be a challenge for her to win the middle ground in order to focus on the economy, something the Pheu Thai Party has a proven track record.

While Paetongtarn is an unknown quality and could be too young and inexperienced to the eyes of some, the Pheu Thai’s second PM candidate, Srettha Thavisin, is widely rumoured to be the real PM candidate for the party.

PM Srettha Thavisin: The 60-year-old former real-estate tycoon is expected to be the business-friendly face of the Pheu Thai Party. With no past political beef, PM Srettha will be much more palatable to anti-Thaksinites and able to focus on the economy – at least at the very beginning of his time.

It is not clear to what extent Thaksin can direct Srettha if the latter becomes PM, but a good sector of the old elites will find Srettha more palatable than Paetongtarn. Caveat: Watch out for a possible dissolution due to its controversial policy to handout 10,000-baht worth of digital money to everyone 16 and older, however.

PM Anutin Charnveerakul: This is a wildcard, but a conservative poll called Super Poll, suggested after asking over 6,000 respondents between April 5 and 13 and Anutin’s Bhumjai Thai Party came second behind Pheu Thai with 121 MP seats out of 500 total seats. This means both Phalang Pracharath and United Thai Nation parties will need Anutin who can work with both sides, and he may become PM.

More marijuana trade and promotion can be expected as it was Anutin’s signature policy to “successfully” decriminalized marijuana for medical purposes which led to de facto recreational use. Just chill and see what business friendly PM Anutin means to Thailand.

PM Pita Limjaroenrat: Pita is another unknown quantity as PM as the man who should have represent the party as PM candidate should have been Thanathorn Juangrungruangkit but through a political accident (or political assassination plot), Thanathorn was banned from politics for 10 years after the 2019 elections for loaning money to his own Future Forward Party.

The party was dissolved due to that act and became the Move Forward Party led by Pita. The Harvard-educated politician is young at 42 and seems to be a moderate with no history of opposing the 2014 coup when he was a businessman, but the party’s progressive stance against the lese majeste law, its pledge to reform the controversial law as well as to reform the armed forces means PM Pita and his government will be automatically be regarded as the mortal enemy of the army and the deep state.

Some are already saying this is the PM and a Move Forward-led government will pose the highest risk of seeing yet another military coup and it is ironic because it is this very party which pledge to send the generals back to the barracks and create civilian supremacy over the military.

Though unlikely to become PM because polls suggest the party will win much less seats than Pheu Thai, a possible PM Pita will make for a period of wild political experimentation.

Hot News

LATEST NEWS