Some of the directives issued under Section 44 by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, as the chief of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), will be made into law, including orders invoked to tackle illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing and fix aviation safety problems.
Maj Gen Athisit Chainuwat, an assistant spokesman for the government, said Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam had informed the cabinet of the results of the NCPO's meeting on Tuesday.
The NCPO agreed that 62 of the orders will be made into law. Relevant ministries will be responsible for taking steps to turn these orders into legislation, Maj Gen Athisit said.
Section 44 existed under the previous interim charter and has been carried over to the present constitution. It gives Gen Prayut absolute power to issue orders.
He invoked this special power to fix aviation safety problems and overhaul the sector after the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) imposed a red flag ban in 2015. In October 2017, the ICAO lifted the flag, which meant airlines registered in Thailand were able to operate and expand their services both inside and outside the country.
The NCPO chief also issued a Section 44 order to tackle IUU fishing after Thailand was issued a yellow card on April 29, 2015, with a ban on all Thai seafood exports threatened unless the issue was resolved.
On Jan 8 this year, the European Union delisted Thailand from yellow-card status in recognition of progress made.
Speaking after Tuesday's NCPO meeting, Gen Prayut said he has set up a working panel to consider which orders and announcements issued since the 2014 coup are no longer necessary and can be revoked.
Those deemed necessary will be revised and made into law, Gen Prayut said.
Since the NCPO staged the coup, it has issued 128 announcements and 213 orders.
Another 194 orders have been issued by Gen Prayut under S44.
Meanwhile, Col Sirichan Ngathong, a deputy spokesman for the NCPO, said the council would publicise the work it has done to solve the country's problems since the regime seized power.
