The Pheu Thai Party on Tuesday dismissed as groundless a report circulating on social media that Pantongtae Shinawatra, the only son of former premier Thaksin, had been appointed chief of strategy and national economy.
Chayapa Sindhuprai, deputy spokeswoman of the ruling party, posted on X that the report was totally baseless and intended to cause confusion and undermine the credibility of the coalition government.
She said no appointments were made at the Pheu Thai Party’s recent seminar in Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Hua Hin district and that Mr Pantongtae, the elder brother of Prime Minister and Pheu Thai leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra, had no position in the party or the Pheu Thai-led government.
Ms Chayapa’s post was in response to reports circulating on social media after the ruling party’s Dec 13-14 seminar.
A photograph of Mr Pantongtae on board the train to Hua Hin was shared on social media accompanied by a message: “Pantongtae is joining the seminar as “chief of strategy and national economy”.
Legal expert Paisal Puechmongkol also shared the post on his Facebook account, apparently sarcastically congratulating Mr Pantongtae on his new role.
In other news, Election Commission (EC) chairman Ittiporn Boonpracong said on Tuesday that remarks made by Thaksin at the Hua Hin seminar last Friday accusing certain coalition parties of avoiding last week’s cabinet meeting would also be looked at by the EC’s inquiry panel looking into four complaints about Thaksin manipulating Pheu Thai.
Their petitions pointed to the gathering of coalition party leaders at Thaksin’s home before the selection of a prime minister to succeed Srettha Thavisin and to the government’s policy statement to parliament, which is said to be a copy of Thaksin’s vision presented at a forum.
The petitions were lodged by the Thai Pakdee Party, the Palang Pracharath Party, Noppharut Worachitwutthikun, a former key leader of the political group Phirap Khao 2006, and an anonymous individual.
