CHIANG MAI – How many prime ministers are actually in Thailand? Many people satirised and joked about this as Thailand’s top politicians, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and former Prime Minister candidate Pita Limcharoenrat, visited Chiang Mai last week.
Of course, PM Srettha needed to get there immediately after finishing his trip to Germany and France, as Chiang Mai is one of the world’s most polluted cities.
Pita’s colleagues stated that he had planned to visit Chiang Mai for some time, but many people thought he had to go there to maintain the Move Forward Party (MFP) popular, as the MFP currently has seven out of ten MPs in Chiang Mai, where the Pheu Thai Party had dominated.
Thaksin Shinawatra, 75, the most controversial leader, simply wanted to visit his home province after spending at least 15 years abroad as a fugitive. His visit was personal, but he emphasised the PM.25 problem resulting from the current forest fires, as did Prime Minister Srettha and Mr. Pita.
Live and let live
Thaksin continued his public appearances since leaving detention on February 18. He flied to Chiang Mai on March 14, with his daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the Pheu Thai Party leader, and her family.
“Please understand and sympathize with the 75-year-old who has left his homeland for a long time. Who doesn’t like my face, just disregard. We can live separate lives,” he said.
Thaksin went to pay respect to the graveyard of his parents at the top of a mountain on the west side of Huai Mae On Reservoir in Nong Hoi Village, On Nuea Subdistrict, San Kamphaeng District. His ex-wife Khunying Potjaman na Pombejara was present along with his extended family.
On that day he joined dinner with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and former prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, his brother-in-law, at Somchai residence inside Summit Green Valley Golf Course, Mae Rim District, on Friday, March 15.
Thaksin told reporters on another day that he didn’t give any particular advice to PM Srettha during the dinner together. He just joked to Srettha not to work beyond midnight otherwise he would have to charge overtime payment.
As for his health, which is a controversial issue that people have doubted him not acually illed, Thaksin said that previously, he was suffering from a serious disease, but strong support helped to improve things significantly.
“However, I continue to experience nerve compression in the bones of my neck and back, as well as symptoms from my COVID-19 infection. At that time, the symptoms were severe. I had to stay in the ICU for 9 days, and my insides were impacted. I still have black spots on my lungs and when I am feeling the pain neck and back, I need to use pain relief spray regularly,” Thaksin said.
The 1997 crisis comparison
The former prime minister also stated that now the most important issue is PM 2.5 dust, which is a concern whether the environment can be returned to a moist and green environment, bringing the air back to good condition.
He believes the Prime Minister Srettha has plans to revive the economy. Because if the economy is good, everything else will be fine too. It is equivalent to stating, “An army must march on its stomach.” “It will be difficult if your stomach is not full.”
He has understood that the government’s work now is more challenging than it was during the 1997 Asian financial crisis (the Tom Yum Kung crisis). Because it’s more complex and challenging. Political parties and government officials must collaborate since the task is more difficult than ever.
However, Pita disagreed with Thaksin. He stated that the current scenario differs from that of 1997. If we say it’s the same, we’ll make the erroneous correction. Now that the economy has been in decline for ten years, the problem is structural; exports and the production sector remain unchanged.
“I’d want to invite the administration or Mr. Thaksin to explore new economic methods to address these issues. GDP alone does not measure inequality. The most important thing is to establish a road map that outlines what will be done, when, and who will assist. But at the present, if there is nothing other than a digital wallet, that is being talked over,” he said.
Should or should not declare a disaster state
Pita’s latest trip to Chiang Mai is described as “a mission of forest fire extinguishing and solving the problem of PM2.5.” He shared a photo of himself using equipment to extinguish a fire in Mae Wang District with the caption “words are not as good as the eyes see.”
Then he gave an interview, claiming that the government should declare Chiang Mai a disaster state in order to spend the central budget, and allow state agencies to be more effectively mobilized to tackle forest fire, agricultural waste fire, and PM2.5 microdust particles.
However his suggestion has been critised that he did not understand the law of state of calamity declaration and its effects.
Nirat Phongsitthaworn The governor of Chiang Mai argued that the laws for declaring a dust-related calamity do not specify how much the authorities can pay for it. As a result, the declaration does not benefit government agencies’ budgets. He proposed a central budget to hire staff for fighting fires and monitoring the forest, including gas, water, food, and other expenses, which the government approved.
The Chiang Mai governor also stated that the main cause of the problem between January and February 2024 was burning in agricultural areas. During the time, the Chiang Mai administration had practically complete control of.
“However, as we enter March, we must focus on managing forest fires. Chiang Mai province has the country’s largest forest acreage, at 90%, or approximately 12 million rai. Currently, the area of burning can be reduced by up to 70%,” he stated.
Avoid severe consequences
Chairman of Chiang Mai Tourism Council Phallop Sae Jiw is another one who urged the government not to declare a state of calamity in Chiang Mai because it would severely affect the tourism industry, thus adding to the problems facing the province.
Prime Minister Srettha stated that the government had approved the central budget for forest fire extinguishment, which was set to be disbursed on March 16; therefore, he saw no reason to declare a disaster area at this time. After listening to thoughts and proposals from all relevant sectors, he was concerned that if the declaration is made, it would have even more severe consequences.
“What will happen after that is that it will affect the number of foreign tourists who have purchased insurance from home. If they are travelling in a disaster zone or emergency area, their insurance will not cover them instantly. Of course, Chiang Mai Province will lose tourists who plan to visit in the short and long term. “We are concerned here,” Srettha stated.
Acknowledging that the level of air pollution in Chiang Mai is the worst in the world often, PM Srettha argued the situation is better than the same period last year or a third fewer heat spots now.
He said a holistic approach to tackling forest fires, agricultural fires, and PM2.5 must continue, as must the importation of corn from neighbouring countries to be used as animal feed during the dry season from January 15 to the end of April because the visibility is now very low and it’s affecting the economy, including tourism.
Srettha added that he also discussed the matter with Cambodian PM Hun Manet about the burning of agricultural waste in Cambodia, but it cannot be solved easily.
“We are doing good, but we have to do more,” he told related officials and ministers.
I don’t mind being compared
The PM also responded to Pita’s simultaneous trip to Chiang Mai to follow up on the forest fire crisis, saying, “I look at it positively. I believe it was more of a coincidence. Let us help each other since the people will profit the most. If Mr. Pita experiences anything and the government continues to perform poorly, please let me know. I will listen to whatever he recommend. We shall accomplish whatever is possible.”
The Prime Minister also stated that he did not mind being compared to Mr. Thaksin or Mr. Pita, as long as they made Thai people smile.
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