Category: Government

Tanat Thanakitamnuay was addressing a crowd of anti-government protesters in Bangkok on August 13 when he was hit by a projectile that his family says permanently blinded him in one eye.

The incident occurred near Din Daeng intersection, a hotspot of tense confrontations and clashes between crowd-control police and young demonstrators calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Also known as “Hi-so Look Nat”, 29-year-old Tanat became the first high-profile protester to fall victim to what his supporters describe as police brutality after anti-Prayut demonstrators returned to the streets in early August.

Loss of eyesight

His family and supporters are convinced that Tanat was hit by a tear gas canister or rubber bullet fired by police. That claim was rejected by Metropolitan Police, who argued that the wound inflicted on his eye socket resembled the slingshot injury incurred by a crowd-control policeman recently.

Tanat’s family announced on his Facebook account last Thursday that he sustained a semi-circular cut to his right eyebrow, apparently caused by the impact of a blunt cylindrical object. His doctors concluded that he has lost sight in his right eye permanently, the statement added.

Tanat first made headlines in 2010 when, as an 18-year-old, he drove his Porsche into a crowd of red-shirt protesters. He later denied having any intent to harm them.

Three years later, he became famous for joining street rallies held by the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), whose months-long protest against the Yingluck Shinawatra government culminated in the May 2014 military coup led by then-Army chief Prayut.

Ferrari-driving protester

The young man was featured in a VICE News report titled “Driving Ferraris with the Thai Royalists” released on YouTube in April 2014. The 25-minute video about “the rich and powerful royalists of Bangkok” described him as a Ferrari-driving multimillionaire leader of the PDRC.

In 2019, Tanat contested in the general election as a Democrat Party candidate but failed to get elected. He left the party after its MPs voted to support coup leader Prayut as prime minister after the election.

Tanat drew the media spotlight again in early August when he led a “car mob” rally through Bangkok’s wealthy Thong Lor neighborhood calling for Prayut’s resignation. In its August 9 report on the event, VOA News called him a “former royalist hardliner”.

Earlier, he wrote an “apology to the Thai people” in a Facebook post dated July 30. “I am ashamed that I was partly responsible for bringing Thailand to this low ebb today,” he said.

Switching sides

Describing himself as a “reformed salim”, Tanat also apologized to ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his sister ex-PM Yingluck for insulting them during his time as a PDRC protester. He said he had been misinformed about them. Both siblings now live in self-exile overseas after fleeing corruption charges brought in the aftermath of military coups against their governments.

Protesters use the slang term “salim” to refer to conservatives, royalists, supporters of the Prayut government, and basically everyone who disagrees with the anti-establishment movement.

On August 22, shortly after being discharged from hospital, Tanat rejoined the street protest sporting a grey suit, a camera around his neck, and an eye patch. This getup was viewed by many as a stunt aimed at mimicking the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. But Tanat denied he was mocking anyone. Among the demands of anti-establishment protesters is reform of the monarchy to make it more accountable and transparent.

His quick recovery from the supposedly serious injury also led to skepticism among some critics, who challenged him to prove he was actually blinded in one eye.

Tanat is often described by the media as “the scion of the family that controls Noble Development PCL”, a leading property developer in Thailand. However, the company – which is listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand – said in a statement dated July 30 that none of Tanat’s family members are major shareholders or hold executive positions.

Noble said Tanat’s father Kitti, the company’s founder, only holds an honorary position as “chairman emeritus” of the company.

Records show Tanat is a major shareholder and board director of a telecoms firm and a property business that are both in the red, according to Isra News.

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS)

As a prolific writer and editor, Suchart Sawasdsri was honored with the role of the national artist (literature) in 2011. However, as a keen political observer and critic, he is on the verge of losing this honor and becoming Thailand’s first-ever ex-national artist.

“The Culture Ministry has yet to officially inform me of my ‘depraved behavior’,” Suchart said in a Facebook post over the weekend. The 76-year-old’s post referred to news that the National Culture Commission (NCC) had resolved to cancel his status as a national artist.

According to a Culture Ministry regulation that was amended last year, national artists can be stripped of their status if they display “depravity” or have been sentenced to jail in a final court ruling.

Many say Suchart is being punished for his political views, which include outspoken criticism of the establishment in recent years. He has also voiced support for students protesting against this government and has openly called for the removal of Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha.

What did Suchart do?

Though he was born well before the digital age, Suchart has become a keen user of social media, mainly Facebook. Many of his posts deride the government, especially Prayut.

Among them is an August 14 post that reads: “Prayut can face legal action just for his vaccine mismanagement, not to mention other violations.” Another post on the same day asked if Prayut remembers telling then-PM Yingluck Shinawatra in 2014 to take responsibility for the injuries and deaths of protesters.

On August 18, Suchart posted that Malaysia’s premier had just stepped down for his mistakes, yet Prayut still considers himself “an angel”.

Comments from Suchart have also touched on the topic of monarchy reform.

Artist with political convictions

Born in 1945 to a father who was a medic and a mother who was a farmer, Suchart graduated with distinction from Thammasat University’s Faculty of Liberal Arts. He joined protests against dictatorship in 1973 and 1976 and built a network of friends featuring some who are now prominent and powerful individuals.

However, some of these ties have since frayed, with Suchart asking why these former comrades no longer believe in the social and political causes they once fought for.

Suchart joined the yellow-shirt People’s Alliance for Democracy rally against Thaksin Shinawatra’s government but then felt disillusioned by the subsequent military coup against Thaksin in September 2006. The artist now believes that those who take the wrong side should express remorse.

“I believe in freedom, equality, and fraternity,” said Suchart, who now writes under the pseudonym Sing Sanam Luang, or “Lion of the Royal Field”.

Some critics view his political comments as being “too strong” and even label him the “unpatriotic national artist”. But Suchart disagrees.

“Chart [‘the nation’] means the people. Why would I hate Chart [myself] or the people?” he asked. “I stand by the people, regardless of how others see me.”

In Thai, the word “suchart” can be translated as “good nation”.

People’s artist?

News that Suchart may be stripped of his status as a national artist spurred many to speak out in his defense. Leader of the opposition Move Forward Party, Pita Limcharoenrat, was quick to name him the “people’s artist”, support echoed by Wongthanong Chainarongsingha, co-founder of The Standard media agency. The student-led United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration also gave its unequivocal backing.

While his reputation as “people’s artist” maybe something to be proud of, it carries no tangible benefits. In contrast, the official status of the national artist comes with a string of privileges, including a monthly subsidy of Bt25,000 and medical coverage of Bt100,000 per year – both for life.

Thailand has named 331 national artists since the tradition was inaugurated in 1985, but only 165 are still alive.

Three winners of the prestigious SEAWrite awards – Veeraporn Nitiprapha, Uthis Haemamool, and Sakul Boonpathat, who is also president of the Thai Writers Association – have joined calls for NCC to rescind its decision to strip Suchart of his national artist status. Chamnan Chanruang, former deputy leader of the now-defunct Future Forward Party, has launched an online petition to have the NCC dissolved over this controversial move.

Literary achievements

Suchart has penned many books, including “Khwam Ngiab” (Silence), “Khwam Ngiab Nai Khwam Nbiagb” (Silence within Silence), and “Khwam Wang” (Emptiness). He also served as editor of several journals and magazines including “Sangkhomsart Paritat”, “Lok Nangsue” and “Ban Mai Ruu Roy”, and helped found the “Chor Karakade” awards.

The artist has also earned a name for his translations of sci-fi novels, poems, and existentialist literature.

Suchart won the Sriburapha Award in 1997 before being named national artist. Inaugurated in 1988 in honor of Kulap “Sriburapha” Saipradit, the award recognizes excellence in journalism, writing and/or the arts.

Suchart’s literary fame reached its peak in 2011 when he was named national artist for making “huge contributions to the literary world by sharing knowledge and revealing ‘truths’ to society”.

“He has armed the new generation with intellectual weapons and inculcated them with ideologies about rights, freedom, humanity, and courage to fight against injustice. He has inspired young people to search for the meaning and value of life and to pay attention to the world and the society they live in,” the NCC said in conferring the award.

Suchart is also credited with opening the door for Thai readers and writers to high-quality Thai and foreign literature.

The national artist is also recognized for having created forums for hundreds of writers from the young generation, helping them to hone their storytelling skills. Many Thai literary artists consider him a dynamic force in the realm of literature, with his style, format, and content influencing a whole generation of young authors.

These efforts have won him acclaim from literary and academic circles both in Thailand and overseas.

Suchart is married to Wanna Sawasdsri (Tappananont), who writes under the penname “Sridaorueang”.

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS)

Both anti-government protesters and the authorities may need to reassess their strategies of using force, as the political tension is expected to drag on for quite some tine, a political science professor said, amid daily gatherings that resulted in violent clashes between hardcore protesters and police leading to some injuries in the past few weeks.

While the gatherings of mainstream protest groups have been largely peaceful since early last year, their protests became increasingly aggressive, with attempts to remove barbed wires and other barriers and push pass through the police to enter certain areas.

It has however become another story altogether when hardcore elements, many of whom vocational students and alumni, began joining the gatherings and used explosives and slingshots, and throwing hard objects like bricks at the police.

In a video interview with Thai PBS World, Dr. Titipol Phakdeewanich, a political scientist at Ubon Ratchathani University in Thailand’s northeast, shared his view on the situation, saying the protests are not so different from last year and earlier this year, except for more violent actions, as their demands remain roughly the same, which are to seek the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, and the reform Thai political institutions including the monarchy.

But the protesters may need to rethink the strategy in terms of allowing the hardcore groups to join, to be able to convince the conservatives and others to join their movement in the long run, the academic said.

“At this stage, they should also reassess their strategy and see this as kind of a long-term movement. So, you can’t just only use aggressive strategies to end it, because I don’t think we can just end the protest or get the demands of the protesters (answered) so soon from the government,” said Dr. Titipol.

Saying the protesters have already shed light on the problems with the government and systematic and structural problems in the society, the protesters can still make their desire happen with a less violent approach. “I think this would significantly contribute to a future reform of the Thai political power structure,” he said.

“To a certain extent, it (violence) would also undermine the credibility of the movement. But I think it wouldn’t have a big impact on the perception of the pro-democratic movement because they actually don’t see this as a problem.”

Asked whether police response, with the use of tear gas, rubber bullets, water cannons, and batons, and sometimes even with physical force, has been proportionate, the analyst said “most of the time, it is too much.”

“In Thailand, the concept of human rights is not actually acknowledged by Thai government officials, not just the police. So that’s why the way they see the movement is just a group that is opposing the government, but they don’t see the protesters as a group that is actually exercising their freedom of expression and calling for more democracy for the country,” said Dr. Titipol.

“And this is one of the main problems why they are overreacting, because they see the protesters as a threat to the state which is not always the case,” he added.

With many of the core leaders of the mainstream groups being charged and detained by police, the protests have become increasingly leaderless, with new groups emerging, such as the “Talufah” which was formed earlier this year, led by Jatupat “Pai” Boonpattararaksa, who is currently detained, and the “Talugas”, the hardcore vocational student group.

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS)

Three anti-government protesters, including a leader of the vocational students, who form the hard core element of the “Talufah” demonstrators engaged in street battles with the police in the past weeks, have been arrested by police, Pol Maj-Gen Piya Tavichai, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, told a news conference today (Thursday).

He said that one of the three detainees, Thanadet Srisongkhram, aka “Mon Vocational”, had a warrant issued for his arrest by the Dusit District Court, allegedly for his involvement in a string of protests held in the Dusit District of Bangkok.

The two other detainees have not yet been identified.

The deputy commissioner said that two police officers were injured during clashes with protesters from the Talufah group at Din Daeng intersection yesterday (Wednesday), after they had tried to breach the police cordon to access the outbound lane of Vibhavadi Rangsit highway and head for the residence of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in the barracks of the First Infantry Regiment of the Royal Guards.

The protesters pelted the police with bricks, large firecrackers, slingshots and flares, while the police responded with teargas and rubber bullets.

Pol Maj-Gen Piya said that, since the protests re-emerged in July, police have arrested 187 of the 444 protesters on the police’s wanted list.

Regarding the 14-year old, who was shot during a protest on Monday near Din Daeng police station, he said that the boy’s father told the police that he does not believe officers were responsible for the shooting, adding that Din Daeng police will question the victim as part of their investigation.

Meanwhile, motorists have been advised to avoid several roads around the Democracy Monument late this afternoon, because a protest group is intending to rally there.

Roads to be avoided include all of Rajdamnoen Avenue, Lan Luang, Dinso, Tanao, Nakhon Ratchasima, Prachathipatai and Phra Pinklao Bridge.

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS)

The constitutional amendments bill, which passed its first reading in a joint sitting of Thailand’s House and Senate in late June, has been sent to House Speaker Chuan Leekpai to be added to the meeting agenda for its second and third readings.

Already vetted by a joint panel of 30 MPs and 15 senators, the bill, which was proposed by Democrat Party leader Jurin Laksanavisit, is the only one of 13 drafts overwhelmingly endorsed by 342 MPs and 210 senators. The other 12 drafts were automatically dropped.

The bill seeks to amend Sections 83 and 91 of the current charter. In essence, it seeks to increase the number of MPs from 350 to 400 and to reduce the number of party-list MPs from 150 to 100. It also seeks to restore the two-ballot electoral system, one for constituency seats and the other for party-list seats.

More importantly, the proposed amendment of Section 91 seeks to replace the complicated way of calculating the party-list seats with a simple method based on the nation-wide party-list ballots won in the election. The complicated calculation of party-list seats in the last election denied the Pheu Thai party, which came first in the poll, of most party-list seats it should have won.

On top of Sections 83 and 91, the scrutiny committee went further, to amend Section 85 of the charter, by stipulating that a candidate who receives more votes, excluding the “Vote No” votes cast, will be declared the winner.

The average number of people to be represented by one MP will be calculated from the census taken a year before the election year. In case a province has a population fewer than the average number eligible for an MP, that province can have one MP.

The scrutiny committee also added a clause to the provisional chapter of the Constitution that changes to the election law must be completed within 120 days of the promulgation of this amendments bill.

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS)

At least three anti-government protest groups will hold what they call “car mob” protests in Bangkok and the neighbouring province of Ayutthaya this afternoon (Sunday), to demand the ouster of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Nattawut Saikuar, former core member of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) and a leader of one of the protest groups, earlier said that the protests, one led by himself, the second led by political activist Sombat Boonngarm-anong and the third by the “Talu Fah” group, will be peaceful as the groups will avoid sensitive areas, such as Government House and the prime minister’s residence at the First Infantry Regiment of the Royal Guards’ barracks, to avoid confrontation with the police.

Protests on August 10th, 11th and 13th, by the hard core Free Youth movement, the “United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration” and the “Talu Fah” groups were marred by violence, which saw street battles with crowd control police and the torching of police trucks and kiosks at Din Daeng intersection and areas around the Victory Monument.

According to Nattawut, a coordinator of today’s protests, the three groups plan to gather at different locations and will simultaneously start the procession of cars and motorcycles at 3pm.

One group will gather at Ratchaprasong intersection and the convoy will head toward Lumpini Park, turning left onto Rama 4 Road toward Phra Khanong intersection and onto Klongton Road, running along toward Klongton intersection, then turn left to head back to Ratchaprasong intersection.

The second group will converge at the Democracy Monument. The group will cross the Pinklao Bridge, run along Boromratchachonnani Road, make a U-turn in front of the old southern bus terminal into Charan Sanitwong road toward Rama 7 Bridge, making a U-turn under the bridge onto Charan Sanitwong road, cross the Pinklao Bridge and return to the Democracy Monument.

The third group, led by Sombat, will gather in Ayutthaya province before heading for Lat Phrao intersection via the Asia highway and Pahonyothin Road.

The three groups will stop at Ratchaprasong intersection, the Democracy Monument and Lat Phrao intersection until 6pm, when all the vehicles will sound their horns until the end of the broadcast of the national anthem to mark the end of today’s protests. Then they will all disperse.

Meanwhile, Mr. Seksakol Atthawong, vice minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office, said today that he will lodge a complaint with the Crime Suppression Division police tomorrow seeking the prosecution of Mr. Nattawut for allegedly defying the Emergency Decree, the Communicable Disease Control Act and the Criminal Code.

He will also ask the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) to investigate the finances of the former UDD leader and his associates.

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS)

Young hard core anti-establishment protesters, many of them vocational students, clashed with crowd control police at Bangkok’s Din Daeng intersection again this evening (Sunday), as they tried to breach a wall of shipping containers and a police cordon blocking access to the out-bound side of Vibhavadi Rangsit highway.

These protesters did not join the three “car mob” convoys, organized by former red-shirt leader Nattawut Saikuar, Sombat Boonngarm-anong and the “Talu Fah” group, which were separately heading for the Ratchaprasong intersection, the Democracy Monument and Lat Phrao intersection, after travelling through the streets of Bangkok and Thonburi.

The young protesters gathered at Din Daeng intersection during the afternoon and, at about 5.30pm, tried to remove one of the shipping containers, in order to march toward Prime Minister Prayut Chan-op-cha’s residence inside the nearby barracks of the First Infantry Regiment of the Royal Guards.

Crowd control police responded, starting with teargas and followed by rubber bullets and high-powered water cannons. The protesters reportedly fought back with “ping pong” bombs, flares, giant firecrackers, bricks and sling shots.

Nattawut had said earlier that the three groups of protesters would avoid Government House and Din Daeng intersection, to prevent a confrontation with the police. He assured that the protests by the three groups would be peaceful and would disperse at 6pm, after sounding their vehicle horns in a symbolic gesture of protest against Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Hearing of the clashes at Din Daeng intersection, Nattawut rushed to the scene in a pickup truck and told the young protesters to disperse.

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS)

Crowd control police fired teargas and rubber bullets at hardcore protesters this evening, as the demonstrators tried to breach a wall of shipping containers, placed at the main Din Daeng intersection in Bangkok to prevent them from moving toward the First Infantry Regiment of Royal Guard barracks, where Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has his residence.

The protesters refused to disperse after leading members of the “Talu Fah” group, which organised the protest today, announced an end to the rally when they realised that the peaceful protest they had promised might turn violent. They responded with sling shots and flares aimed at the police.

Protesters started gathering around the Victory Monument at about 1.50pm, for the 3pm scheduled start of the rally. At about 3.40 pm a pickup truck arrived at the monument with mangosteen and longan, the fruits that are suffering massive price drops, which were then poured onto the road surface before being set alight, as a symbolic protest against the government’s failure to solve economic problems.

A leader of “Talu Fah” told Thai PBS reporters at the scene that the protest today would be peaceful and that they are demanding the prime minister’s resignation adding, however, that some protesters had resorted to violence in protests on Tuesday and Wednesday.

At about 4.20pm, the group announced that they would head for the prime minister’s residence, only to discover that access was, again, blocked by police, razor wire and a row of shipping containers, backed up by water cannons.

Some protesters tried to pull a container down with ropes and the police, deployed on an overpass, started firing teargas and rubber bullets at them.

At about 5.25pm, a leader of the Talu Fah group announced an end to the protest, which had started to turn violent, but hardcore protesters defied the announcement and engaged the police in street battles. At least two people have been injured and sent to hospital.

Heavy rain was reported, forcing several protesters to take cover under the expressway but, when rain stopped, they regrouped at the wall of containers to confront the police.

At about 6.25pm, two containers were removed to allow police and water cannon trucks to advance toward the remaining protesters.

In the meantime, members of the media were told to sit down, as the police moved in to flush out the hard core elements among the protesters.

A police booth, at Ratchathewi, was set ablaze again today after the same action earlier this week. The group has not yet succeeded in marching to Mr. Prayut’s residence to demand his resignation.

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS)

Police are considering taking legal action against the parents of young protesters who vandalised public property during recent protests in Bangkok.

Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Pol Maj-Gen Piya Tavichai told a news briefing today (Thursday) that several of the suspected vandals are teenagers and some had previouslybeen arrested for similar offences, adding that this is the reasonpolice are considering the filing of criminal charges against their parents, for their failure to restrain their children in accordance with the child protection law.

Thirteen protesters are in police custody in connection with the violent protest at Din Daeng intersection and at the Victory Monument yesterday. Several motorcycles were also confiscated.

Hard core protesters fought running street battles with crowd control police yesterday and the day before at the Victory Monument and Din Daeng intersection. The protest yesterday was organized by the “Talu Fah” group, while the one on Tuesday was led by the “United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration” group. Both are closely connected with the anti-establishment Ratsadon group.

Pol Maj-Gen Piya said that eight police officers were injured yesterday, mostly by shrapnel from flares and giant firecrackers,allegedly hurled at the police by some protesters, adding that two of the injured had allegedly been assaulted by protesters.

He expressed regret over one protester who sustained serious injuries when a giant firecracker accidentally went off on his hand.

Last night, forensics officers examined property, allegedly damaged by protesters, to search for evidence.

A police tow truck, parked under the Din Daeng expressway,was set ablaze and two police booths, at Ratchathewi and Pathumwan intersections, were damaged and an air-conditioner was smashed. Several traffic control panels were also vandalized.

A police officer told Thai PBS reporters that a gang of motorcyclists arrived at a police booth, dismounted and started to attack it, claiming that they intended to incite unrest.

Source: Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS)

The southern border province of Yala has prepared to open and introduce its new tourist sites, when the COVID-19 situation eases.

Deputy Governor of Yala Patimoh Sadiyamu led a team of local personnel from both the public and private sectors to inspect new tourist attractions in Raman and Yaha districts and plan to work out some routes for one-day trips to various local tourist sites.

In Raman district, they visited the Tohni mountain in Kota Baru subdistrict to view the beautiful “sea of clouds” on the hill, which is about a 15-minute drive from the town of Yala.

The team also visited the Kota Baru Cultural Museum, which is set to become a learning and tourism center, with pictures, documents, and paintings displaying local art, culture, history, and lifestyle. Kota Baru is an old town recognized for its fine jewelry in the past.

In Yaha district, the team visited the moon observatory on the Pare mountain, where local Muslims in Yala and nearby areas get together to watch the new moon in order to set significant days for Islamic religion.

They also proceeded to the Ban Tachi community in Tachi subdistrict. Interestingly, this community has more than 100 jeeps to take tourists to visit local waterfalls and fruit orchards, where visitors may taste such local fruit varieties as durian and mangosteen.

Another attraction is a mountain landscape, where visitors may appreciate the beautiful scenery of Yala and the nearby province of Songkhla. This landscape is about 400 meters above sea level, and at the scenic viewpoint, visitors may have a clear view of both the amazing sunrises and sunsets.

The Deputy Governor of Yala said that local officials would discuss with villagers to set directions for local tourism development. More importantly, local residents must be encouraged to participate in the management of their tourist sites on a sustainable basis.

Source: The Government Public Relations Department