Prayut’s protege tipped to be named deputy defence minister

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

NATTAPON NAKPANICH who is largely expected to be named a deputy defence minister in an imminent cabinet reshuffle has been more or less known as a protege of former coup leader-turned-prime minister/now privy councillor Prayut Chan-o-cha, according to a prominent NIDA director.

NIDA’s Political & Strategic Development Project Director Pichai Ratanadilok na Phuket commented today (Apr. 17) Nattapon, a former deputy army chief and current secretary-general to Defence Minister Suthin Khlangsang, could probably manage to serve the interests of the powers-that-be including, among others, the former prime minister to whom he is personally intimate.

Nattapon could practically perform as a link between de facto Pheu Thai boss-cum-convict on parole Thaksin Shinawatra as well as all his men in government and among the ruling party’s rank and file and the former prime minister, currently known as de facto Ruam Thai Sang Chart boss, according to the NIDA academic.

Pichai was responding to hearsay Suthin would likely be reshuffled out of the defence portfolio – the first-ever cabinet seat which he has been assuming in the current cabinet, a reshuffle of which is anticipated to take place sooner than later whilst Pheu Thai-backed Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is largely speculated to assume the defence portfolio in concurrent fashion.

Despite his being attached to the Privy Council since last year, Prayut is desperately looking to have a say over national security-related affairs of the armed services, partisan sources said.

The de facto Pheu Thai boss who has been looking to erase the Pheu Thai image of a “neo-conservative” party would find it “obligatory” for his ruling party to be discreetly associated with ultra-conservative camps such as Prayut’s camp, they said.

Thaksin who had allegedly played his part in the power play literally from a private ward at Police Hospital where he had stayed with contentious privileges for six months for mysterious “illnesses”  had been accused by his critics of manipulating to reconcile with the powers-that-be headed by Prayut who had ironically ousted his sister/deposed prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra in the 2014 coup as army chief.

Prayut had named himself head of the coup junta and then head of a military-installed government until the 2019 election after which he had been named head of a Palang Pracharath-led government.

Nevertheless, Thaksin would ultimately prefer future scenarios in which the Prayut-controlled military commanders could hold tete-a-tete talks with his most highly-placed protege, namely Srettha, in his concurrent capacity as defence minister who would likely be assisted by the Prayut-influenced Nattapon as deputy defence minister, the sources said.

The former real estate tycoon Srettha had been pushed by one of his former personal associates, namely Yingluck, to rise to the elected premiership following last year’s election.

CAPTIONS:

Top and Front Page: Former prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his protege Nattapon Nakpanich. Photo: Amarin TV

Insert: Pichai Ratanadilok na Phuket. Photo: Thai Rath

Front Page: Nattapon Nakpanich. Photo: Naewna

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