BANGKOK — Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra responded to opposition attacks on Friday evening during a business forum, addressing accusations that have made him a target for over a week and are expected to intensify during the upcoming no-confidence debate in parliament.
“Is this what you call a new generation party?” Thaksin fired back at the People’s Party, commonly known as the Orange Party, which consists of many young members, including those from Generation Y—the same generation as his daughter.
“I honestly ask, what’s the purpose [of debating about me]? I’m not an MP. I’m not a minister. What will this accomplish? Is it to discredit me for the next election that’s still two years away? Be patient, there’s no need to campaign now,” Thaksin said.
The opposition filed a motion for a no-confidence debate against individual ministers on February 27, but specifically requested to debate only Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, while also mentioning Thaksin Shinawatra’s name, which has caused controversy for several days.
House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha sent a letter asking the opposition to remove Thaksin’s name, arguing he is an outsider who would have no opportunity to explain or rebut accusations during the parliamentary debate. However, People’s Party leaders have insisted on keeping his name throughout the week, countering that it doesn’t violate the constitution and criticizing the Speaker for overstepping his authority.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn responded that Thaksin is merely “the father of the 31st Prime Minister” with no connection to the opposition’s accusations. She added, “He’s not the Prime Minister. How can they debate him or ask him to hold a press conference? Only if Hollywood invited him to be an actor would he hold a press conference.”
After heated exchanges between Speaker Wan Noor and opposition leader Natthaphong Ruangpanyawut in parliament, the Speaker maintained that he must follow meeting regulations and is responsible for ensuring smooth debate proceedings without endless protests. He warned that if the opposition remained stubborn, he couldn’t put the motion on the agenda, potentially causing the opposition to miss their opportunity before the session closes on April 11.
Finally, after an internal meeting on March 13, Natthaphong announced they would remove Thaksin’s name and use alternative terms such as “the Prime Minister’s father” or “that man” instead.
Thaksin remarked that the opposition can call him whatever they want, though he’d prefer something “handsome.” After experiencing many political situations, he’s no longer bothered. He added that since the opposition claims to be a new generation party, they should strive to be constructive and credible rather than irritating, which would only harm their party.
When asked about accusations that he controls the Prime Minister from behind the scenes, Thaksin countered by referencing similar allegations against the People’s Party, which is supposedly influenced by Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the former Orange Party leader who was banned from politics for ten years in 2020.
“We should ask whether they [the People’s Party] consulted with the founder of the Future Forward Party. Did they discuss using this issue?” he said.
Thaksin also commented on his daughter’s role as Prime Minister, saying she has to work especially hard now because the economic problems require collective recovery efforts. He compared the current crisis to the 1997 crisis, saying back then it was like fixing a broken roof, which was relatively easy, but today’s problems affect the foundation and require more time to repair. Therefore, the government needs time.
Regarding his daughter being the subject of a no-confidence debate, Thaksin said she already understood this comes with the position. While such debates and accusations are normal in politics, he dismissed the opposition’s suggestion that he should explain himself in parliament: “Is that even within the rules? No one does that. Come on, if you’re the new generation, at least respect the established protocols.”
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