Khaosod Political News Digest: June 4, 2024

Anutin Charnveerakul, Srettha Thavisin, and Wissanu Krea-ngam

Khaosod Political News Digest on June 4, 2024

PM satisfied with govt’s 6-month performance

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin expressed satisfaction with the government’s 6-month performance in agriculture, drug seizures, and combating cybercrime. However, he highlighted the need to focus on improving education and reducing household debt, as it is a significant burden on the people.

Regarding the economy, he noted that efforts to attract investors through the BOI and Thai trade negotiations are ongoing. Meanwhile, Thailand needs to stimulate production, create jobs, and explore new global markets to address the low capacity utilization in the industrial sector.

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He also mentioned the government’s support for the “Equal Marriage Act” draft, aimed at promoting diversity.

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Wissanu returns to start his job at the Government House

Government chief legal advisor Wissanu Krea-ngam, who was also chief legal advisor to the junta, attended the Cabinet meeting for the first time. He insisted that his return to work this time does not have any negative impact on the nation. There is nothing to be excited about being an ordinary advisor, not a political official advisor. He will mostly work from home and will come to the Government House only on Tuesdays.

He also denied he accepts the job in exchange for the government’s promise to procure him a kidney for a transplant.

He said he has already reviewed the defence paper of PM Srettha Thavisin to be submitter to the Constitutional Court but will not divulge on the details because it may affect the case.

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Please use facts, not politics to justify cannabis, says Anutin

Interior Minister Anutin Charnveerakul, the man who, as Public Health Minister two years ago, successfully pushed for the decriminalization of marijuana for medical purposes, warned on Tuesday that the current government’s move to recriminalize marijuana for recreational purposes will affect the economy negatively. He urged those against cannabis to use facts and not politics in deliberating the issue.

“To those who say medication costs have gone up as a result [of healing those affected by marijuana], I can also say that there were plenty who recovered from cancer by using cannabis, or countless now enjoy a better quality of life. Many recover from Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s, not to mention the contribution made to the economy,” said Anutin, adding that those who want to recriminalize marijuana will have to answer to people who have invested money in the weed trade and industry.

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Tax measures to encourage tourists in low season

The Thai Government cabinet meeting on June 4, 2024, approved draft legislation related to tax measures to boost domestic tourism. These measures include tax benefits for individuals and juristic partnerships traveling to less visited areas, especially during the low season from May to November.
This decision comes as part of the government’s strategy to leverage tourism to stimulate economic growth, following the finance ministry’s urgent recommendation and subsequent forwarding of it to the Council of State. These initiatives could generate 1,500 million baht in taxes, with expectations that full government support could increase this revenue further, particularly for secondary cities/provinces.

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EC urged to investigate alleged fake senatorial candidates

Pheu Thai Party MP Chaturon Chaisaeng called for the Election Commission to seriously probe the allegation made by some that at least over a hundred senatorial candidates were, in fact, fake candidates who filed their candidacy in order to manipulate the upcoming indirect elections. In these elections, peers from the same 20 professional sectors will vote to choose winning candidates to advance to the second and third rounds.

Chaturon said this could lead to a failed election with no new Senate.

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