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Bangkok Post
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Bangkok Post
No chance of reunion with Pheu Thai, says Bhumjaithai chief
Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul has firmly ruled out the possibility of the party rejoining the Pheu Thai-led coalition, saying that Bhumjaithai's departure indicated both parties could no longer work together due to diverging political directions. Speaking in Si Sa Ket where he was helping campaign for the party's by-election candidate on Tuesday, Mr Anutin made it clear that there would be no political reunion and insisted that the party had made the right decision by leaving the coalition government. 'There's no such thing as begging someone to come back. We didn't leave because we were playing hard to get. We left because we believe our directions had diverged,' he said. Two issues in particular triggered the decision to move to the opposition on June 18: Pheu Thai's decision to wrest control of the Interior Ministry from Bhumjaithai, and the fallout from the leak of an embarrassing phone call between Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and former Cambodian premier Hun Sen. Mr Anutin also brushed aside comments made by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the de facto head of Pheu Thai, expressing a willingness to mend ties. Bhumjaithai had already sacrificed its popularity once by joining the Pheu Thai-led coalition, said Mr Anutin. Thaksin also stirred the pot further by remarking that 'a politician's son' had boasted recently that his father would be the prime minister within three months. It was assumed he was referring to Mr Anutin, who denied that his son has ever said any such thing. In any case, he said, 'There's nothing wrong for politicians to aspire to be prime minister as the more responsibility you have, the more you could serve the country. 'What's wrong with having ambition to be the prime minister? I believe Thaksin once had that ambition when he entered politics and he achieved it. He should be seen as a role model for younger generations.' In a related development, Pheu Thai heavyweight Prasert Jantararuangtong dismissed accusations by Bhumjaithai that his party was attempting to buy 'cobras' — the local name for political defectors. The Aug 10 by-election in Constituency 5 of Si Sa Ket is being held to fill the seat left vacant following the death of Pheu Thai MP Amorntep Sommai on June 27. Pheu Thai is backing Phurika Sommai, daughter of the late MP, and Bhumjaithai is campaigning for Jintawan Traisaranakul, daughter of former MP Thira. Mr Prasert expressed confidence that Pheu Thai would retain the seat, but acknowledged that the party faced challenges due to growing tensions along the Thai-Cambodian border and the fallout from the Paetongtarn phone call. He said the party would clarify the issue to voters and believed the voters would see through all the talk. Speaking later on Tuesday at party headquarters in Bangkok, Mr Anutin dismissed reports suggested that at least three Bhumjaithai MPs were planning to leave. He said he had not personally checked on whether there were any 'cobras', and it was not something he wanted to do. Representing the people in constituency is an honour, he said, and being a cobra is betraying the people. Ever since it joined the opposition benches, Bhumjaithai has found itself under attack by Pheu Thai. The transfer of several senior Interior Ministry officials, for example, is an extraordinary thing that would never have happened on his watch. He said the officials worked to their ultimate capacity to serve people, not politicians. The long-running dispute over the status of a large tract of land in Khao Kradong district of Buri Ram is also back in the news now that Bhumjaithai is no longer in charge of the Interior Ministry. At issue are 900 land title deeds that the Supreme Court deemed unlawful in a 2021 ruling, including 20 deeds covering 288 rai of land linked to the Chidchob family, a major player in Bhumjaithai. The Department of Land, under the ministry, has declined to nullify the deeds. Interior Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has given the department seven days to explain why it has failed to comply with court rulings. Mr Anutin maintains that the department has already done the things necessary to comply with the court ruling. Anyone who disagrees should learn about what a minister can and cannot do in such a case, he said.
Bangkok Post
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Bangkok Post
Safer tourism needed now
The ongoing altercation between suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and her former interior minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, about the reduced volume of Chinese tourists recently is getting uglier -- with no foreseeable end in sight. Mr Anutin started the war of words a few days ago by blaming the Pheu Thai Party-led government's policy of promoting legalised casinos for scaring away Chinese tourists, one of the nation's top foreign markets. Ms Paetongtarn hits back by blaming the ministry under Mr Anutin's tenure for failing to improve tourists' safety. She accused Mr Anutin of having deliberately dragged his feet before cutting electricity and internet signals to Myawaddy, a town in Myanmar where many scam group operators and casinos are located. Many foreigners, including Chinese nationals, have been duped into working there under false pretences, and then effectively kidnapped to work for these call scam groups and other networks. Mr Auntin refused to take such criticism quietly, saying the decision to cut electricity and internet signals between two states rests with the National Security Council, which is chaired by the prime minister. It is a shame that our taxpayers and tourism operators have to listen to our leader and a lawmaker blame each other like this in public. It begs the question of whether ministries fully understand the scope of their work and have a sense of team spirit. It is the Royal Thai Police (RTP) who are responsible for the safety of tourists and the public, while immigration police, who fall under the RTP, must screen them. But the primary responsibility for promoting and developing tourism in Thailand rests with the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS). Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior focuses on local administration, internal security, and public works, with some involvement in tourism through its role in local communities and infrastructure. As such, it is shocking to hear Ms Paetongtarn claim the Ministry of Interior is responsible for safeguarding tourists here. The police play a key role in providing safety for tourists. But recently, there have been reports of Thai police extorting bribes from them for minor felonies such as smoking vapes, as well as offering VIP services to Chinese tourists in exchange for money. Worse still are the reports of Chinese nationals being kidnapped here by gangsters, including their own compatriots. A recent case in Ubol Ratchathani province saw seven Chinese men kidnapped by eight people, including four police officers and one ranger, who were later arrested for allegedly trying to extort them out of 2 million baht. This problem has existed for years, and the previous administration led by Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha also failed to tackle it. Meanwhile, immigration police graft and fake national ID cards or illegal permits issued by the Ministry of the Interior allow many foreigners to live and operate underground businesses here. The onus now falls on Interior Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who also serves as the acting premier. What is concerning is that he seems more preoccupied at present with removing high-ranking officials with ties to the opposition Bhumjaithai Party. The government needs to work harder to safeguard tourists. Pheu Thai must also stop playing politics for a while and refocus on serving the country's interests.
Bangkok Post
09-07-2025
- Business
- Bangkok Post
Opposition blames tourism losses on casino policy
Anutin Charnvirakul, former interior minister who leads the now opposition Bhumjaithai Party, blames a sharp drop in Chinese arrivals and losses in the Thai tourism sector on the government's ignorance of Chinese President Xi Jinping's repeated warnings against its casino legalisation policy. Anutin Charnvirakul, former interior minister and leader of the now opposition Bhumjaithai Party, blames a sharp decline in Chinese arrivals and losses in Thailand's tourism sector on the Pheu Thai-led government's dismissive attitude towards Chinese President Xi Jinping's repeated warnings against its casino legalisation policy. Bhumjaithai had been pressured to leave the coalition government because it did not support the government's bill for the legalisation of entertainment complexes and casinos, Mr Anutin wrote on his Facebook post early Wednesday morning. Although the government intended to withdraw the bill from the House on Wednesday, its entertainment-casino policy had already caused great damage to the country's tourism industry, he wrote. According to Mr Anutin, during Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's meeting with Chinese President Xi in Beijing, China, in February 2025, the Chinese leader three times reiterated his request for Thailand to abandon the entertainment complex-casino policy; 'otherwise, the Chinese government would need to implement measures to significantly reduce Chinese travel, trade and investment with Thailand.' Mr Anutin also claimed to have attended the meeting and recorded the details. Despite this, the government submitted the entertainment complex-casino bill as a top priority in the House on Wednesday. "The gesture of the Thai government, which appeared to ignore and fail to value the opinion of the Chinese leader, and the rushed submission of the entertainment complex (casino) bill on top of the agenda in this House session, are certainly causes of the current sharp decline in Chinese visitors," the Bhumjaithai leader wrote. "The severe consequence is the absence of about 90% of Chinese visitors, which has caused great damage to tourism-related operators, people in the service sector, hotels and the sales of Thai products, souvenirs, foods and drinks, retail shops and stalls. All of these are affected to an unprecedented degree." The government's duty is to ensure security and generate income for Thai people, not to serve a small group of investors who are insignificant compared to the Thai population, Mr Auntin stated. In the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Deputy Finance Minister and Pheu Thai Party deputy leader Julapun Amornvivat said the cabinet wanted to withdraw the bill so that new ministers and the public could study it further. He insisted that entertainment complexes could serve as man-made attractions to stimulate the economy. Withdrawing the bill might also help reduce societal conflicts in Thailand, he added. Mr Julapun noted that Bhumjaithai supported the bill when it was part of the coalition government. Bhumjaithai MP Paradorn Prissananantakul told the House he wanted the government to permanently scrap the bill rather than merely withdraw it. He claimed that Chinese authorities discourage Chinese citizens from investing in or visiting casinos abroad, which has contributed to the reduced Chinese arrivals in Thailand. Mr Paradorn stated that Bhumjaithai opposed the entertainment complex bill, but the government rushed it into the House. He questioned whether the decision to withdraw was related to Prime Minister Paetongtarn's leaked phone conversation with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen, implying it was driven by political considerations. Mr Paradorn said that the government had just lost 69 Bhumjaithai votes in the House and suggested the withdrawal was an attempt to secure enough votes for eventual passage.
Online Citizen
24-06-2025
- Health
- Online Citizen
Thai health minister reaffirms move to reclassify marijuana as narcotic, blocking Bhumjaithai's bill
Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin has confirmed the Thai government's plan to reclassify marijuana as a Category 5 narcotic, a decisive reversal of the cannabis liberalisation policy introduced in 2022. In a statement made on 18 June 2025, Somsak reiterated his intention to prohibit recreational cannabis use and criticised the Bhumjaithai Party's cannabis policy as the cause of widespread regulatory and social issues. He also declared that the party's Cannabis Control Bill, aimed at regulating the plant's use post-decriminalisation, would not be passed under the current government. According to The Nation, speaking at Government House, Somsak described the Bhumjaithai-led bill as 'a daydream' and said its proposed enactment was unrealistic given the current administration's stance. According to Somsak, the initial failure to enact proper regulations after cannabis was removed from the narcotics list in 2022 led to a chaotic situation, with over 10,000 cannabis shops operating without clear oversight. The plant had been removed from Category 5 of the Narcotics Code under the leadership of Anutin Charnvirakul, then Public Health Minister and leader of the Bhumjaithai Party. Anutin's push was initially justified as promoting medical use and economic growth, but critics argue it inadvertently created a legal grey area that fuelled unregulated access. Somsak accused Anutin of failing to issue the necessary ministerial regulations to control cannabis use, which he claims undermined public safety and regulatory discipline. He denied that his current crackdown on cannabis is politically motivated, despite its timing shortly after Bhumjaithai's exit from the ruling coalition. 'This is not political. It's a chronic problem. The government has received a large number of complaints related to cannabis abuse,' Somsak stated. The Srettha Thavisin administration had previously designated cannabis as a 'controlled herb' under the Traditional Thai Medicine Wisdom Protection Act. While this allowed cannabis shops to operate, Somsak noted it lacked adequate legal frameworks to restrict usage to medical contexts. On 17 June 2025, Somsak signed an order requiring anyone seeking to purchase cannabis for medical purposes to present a doctor's prescription and a certified medical condition. New rules will also be introduced for cannabis shops. These include mandatory on-site doctors, monthly inspections, and a strict two-strike policy under which licences will be revoked if shops are found in breach twice. The regulation will be enacted via ministerial directive following public consultations, which were held from 22 May to 10 June. According to Somsak, the majority of public opinion supported stricter cannabis controls. The tightening of cannabis policy has led to renewed tensions with Bhumjaithai. Supachai Jaisamut, a senior figure in the party, has criticised the Ministry of Public Health for failing to establish proper regulation following cannabis's delisting. He reiterated that Bhumjaithai supported cannabis use solely for medical purposes and had sought to manage its use via the 2021 Cannabis Control Bill. He further highlighted that the bill had received parliamentary approval, including votes from Pheu Thai MPs, pointing to political inconsistency. The cannabis issue has exposed deeper rifts within the government. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who took over as prime minister after Srettha's departure, initially attempted to strike a balance by supporting cannabis for medical and economic purposes. However, with Bhumjaithai no longer part of the coalition, Somsak has returned to a stricter approach, supported by Prime Minister Paetongtarn, who instructed him to conduct reviews and enforce tighter controls. Discussions between Somsak and Paetongtarn's advisory team concluded on 14 May 2025 that cannabis should be limited strictly to medical use. The reclassification of marijuana under Category 5 is expected to proceed in the near future, though no exact timeline has been given. The announcement signals a full-scale rollback of cannabis liberalisation in Thailand and marks a definitive end to Bhumjaithai's flagship policy, at least under the current administration.
The Star
18-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Thai Cabinet rift over Interior Ministry post risks shaking ruling coalition
BANGKOK: Thailand's ruling party and its top coalition partner are clashing over a key ministerial post, as a looming cabinet shakeup by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra threatens to shift alliances and unsettle the conservative establishment. The feud between Thailand's ruling Pheu Thai Party and its conservative coalition partner Bhumjaithai escalated this week, with Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul (pic) threatening to quit the alliance if he loses the Interior Ministry post. The ruling party has countered by warning it may expel Bhumjaithai if it rejects a proposed swap of two Pheu Thai posts for Anutin's role by Thursday (June 19), according to a local media report. "Bhumjaithai certainly won't give it up,' Anutin told reporters after a cabinet meeting Tuesday when asked about the feud. "If you don't keep up your end of the bargain, it will be difficult for you to form a government in the future.' Paetongtarn didn't respond to questions from reporters on Wednesday about Anutin's threat. The risk of a fresh spell of political instability may weigh on foreign investors who have dumped Thai stocks on concerns the US threat of a 36% tariff will worsen the outlook for growth and hurt company earnings. Thailand's benchmark stock index is down 20% this year and is among the worst performers globally. Bhumjaithai's exit, though unlikely to bring down the government, could weaken the fragile coalition formed through a deal between royalist conservatives and ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the ruling party's key power broker. The pact let Thaksin return from 15 years of self-imposed exile after he fled in 2008 to avoid corruption charges. The interior minister post, which oversees local administration, is seen as one of the most powerful roles in the cabinet. It offers access to local power brokers seen as crucial to shaping future elections, with the next vote expected in 2027. Without Bhumjaithai's 69 lawmakers, the Pheu Thai-led coalition would hold only a slim majority, down from nearly two-thirds of the 500-member House of Representatives. That could complicate passage of key bills in July, including a controversial proposal to legalise casinos and the next fiscal year's budget. For now, it's unclear if the parties can mend ties after past clashes over charter changes and cannabis laws. Tensions rose further this week as Anutin and other Bhumjaithai officials were summoned in a Senate vote-rigging probe, which he called a political attack. Anutin said the Interior Ministry issue wasn't discussed in his talk with the prime minister and that he was responding to media speculation. Pheu Thai Party faces other issues, legal troubles for both Paetongtarn and Thaksin, sluggish economic growth, and growing pressure to address border tensions with Cambodia and trade talks with the US. "It's better to stick together based on agreements and understanding,' Anutin said. - Bloomberg
