By Thai Newsroom Reporters
FORMER PRIME MINISTER THAKSIN Shinawatra yesterday (July 13) suggested his successor Prayut Chan-o-cha talk with him via a Zoom cloud meeting about ways and means to address the pandemic situation.
During a live online chat from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates with his staunch supporters calling themselves CARE Group in Bangkok, Thaksin who has been taking self-exile in the Middle East state since the 2006 coup which deposed him from power, said Prayut may directly talk with him via Zoom so he could give him advice about what to do in effectual response to the sustained pandemic situation in Thailand.
Thaksin said he is practically working from Dubai and does not need to resume premiership and only wants to give some good advice to Prayut who has been continually pressed by his critics and street protesters to step down due to his allegedly mishandling the pandemic situation, resulting in highly increased numbers of cases of infection and fatalities throughout the country.
Thaksin commented he has regarded Prayut, who rose to power following the 2014 coup which deposed the ex-premier’s sister Yingluck Shinawatra from premiership, virtually as a younger brother, given their having graduated from the same Pre-Cadet Military School.
Meanwhile, Thaksin called on Prayut to dissolve the Centre for the COVID-19 Situation Administration which he concurrently chairs and instead provide the Public Health Ministry with full authority to address the pandemic situation.
The ex-premier reassured he will certainly return home ”through Suvarnabhumi airport’s front gate” but declined to say when. He said he preferred to not cause trouble which might probably arise if he came back for the time being.
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Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Photo: Siam Rath
