On May 23rd, 2024, at 4:30 PM (Japanese local time), Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, while on an official visit to Japan, spoke to the press about the Thai Constitutional Court’s consideration of a petition against him regarding the appointment of former Minister Pichit Chuenban.

Earlier that day, the Constitutional Court voted six to three to proceed with the petition against Srettha. However, by a narrow margin of five to four, the judges opted not to suspend him from his duties as Prime Minister during the investigation. The court granted him a 15-day period to respond to the complaint from the date he received a copy, as reported by Thai national media.

Srettha informed the media that he would consult with his legal team in response to the court’s order for an investigation. He underscored his responsibility as Prime Minister to govern the country and confront its challenges. While acknowledging that legal scrutiny is part of a political career, Srettha emphasized the importance of transparency and clarity in handling such matters.

“It is crucial to provide clarity to the public.”

Despite recognizing the difficulty in satisfying all political factions, Srettha appealed for trust in his leadership, emphasizing the well-being of Thai citizens as his foremost priority. He also expressed willingness to address any no-confidence motions in parliament, respecting the legislative process.

Srettha highlighted the roles of both the Legal Affairs and Executive Divisions in ensuring fair and thorough oversight. As part of the Administrative Division, he pledged to elucidate matters comprehensively and transparently to the public.

National News:

On May 21, 2024, at 11:30 AM, Thai national media reported that the Talufa Group held a protest at the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission (OPDC). They aimed to submit a letter to Mr. Somkid Chuekong, the deputy secretary-general of the Thai prime minister for political affairs, demanding justice in the investigation of Ms. Netiporn “Bung” Sanesangkhom’s death.

The activist group gathered at the OPDC to hear about the progress in Netiporn’s case. However, after an hour of protest, no official responsible for the case appeared to receive the letter.

The group then moved to the Government House, where police officers prevented them from entering due to an ongoing cabinet meeting.

The Talufa Group publicly stated that the Pheu Thai Party had previously committed to considering amendments to Section 112 (Lèse Majesté) and granting amnesty to political prisoners under the same section. Despite the Pheu Thai Party being in power for ten months, there had been no response from the party, according to Thai national media.

After protesting in front of the Government House, the activists returned to the OPDC and successfully submitted the letter to Somkid.

Previously, a lawyer from the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights representing Netiporn had questioned the Thai Corrections Department regarding the cause of her death. However, the report was still pending, leaving the circumstances of Netiporn’s death in doubt, noted Kritsadang, the lawyer from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.

National—

On May 21st, 2024, Mr. Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, the Deputy Governor for International Marketing in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas, requested financial support from the Thai government to bolster tourism markets through mutually beneficial alliances.

Despite the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) receiving only a small portion of government funding, the TAT collaborated with various partners to promote remote marketing, particularly with international and domestic airlines, Siripakorn stated.

The TAT supported flights to both primary and secondary cities in Thailand. However, Siripakorn emphasized that the Thai government should increase financial support to enable more promotional activities with airline partners.

As Thailand approaches its high season in winter, there is an expected gradual recovery of airlines, with new airlines reportedly being approved to operate.

Furthermore, the TAT is exploring ways to assist airline operators in accessing Thailand’s aviation hubs via inter-indicators, Siripakorn added.

From April 2nd to 5th, 2024, over 20 airline representatives, in cooperation with public and private sectors, recognized the potential of Thailand’s aviation market and new routes during a meeting. Siripakorn reported that, with the high season approaching, four airlines are interested in launching new routes, offering a total of 200,000 seats by the end of the year.

Expanding flights to Thailand aligns with the Thai government’s strategy to enhance connections between Thai airports and international airports such as Istanbul-Bangkok and United Arab Emirates-Bangkok, along with charter flights. Additionally, new routes are now available from Middle Eastern airlines, Air Arabia, Air Canada, and others, Siripakorn noted.

Siripakorn also mentioned that in 2024, the TAT aims to generate tourism revenues totaling three trillion baht from both foreign and Thai tourists. However, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has set a higher goal of 3.5 trillion baht.

“It is possible to generate over 3.5 trillion baht if the government approves financial support for the TAT,” asserted Siripakorn.