DE FACTO Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra said at a rally for his party’s candidate in the upcoming election for Chiang Rai’s Provincial Administrative Organization chairman today (Jan. 5) that he is confident Thailand will be debt-free by 2027, TV Channel 7 said this evening.
In drumming up support for Mrs. Salakcharit Tiyapairat in the local election Thaksin said as he is now adviser to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in his capacity as Asean chairman he will be discussing raising the price of rubber.
Pheu Thai is also currently trying to reduce monopolised export of rice so that in future Thai people could export it themselves, he said.
This is the year to seize the opportunity and next year Thailand will start having money to pay off its debts and by 2027 Thailand would have cleared all its debts, he said, also pointing out that Pheu Thai did not create this debt but inherited it.
Thaksin also said that drug dealers have been making money from youths for a long time and it should be enough because drug addiction leads to brain deterioration and reduces the sense of right and wrong.
His daughter, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, will seriously tackle the drug problem and those who are influential will be dealt with.
He also said that as people have been scammed by call centres which are located in Myanmar’s Myawaddy township, opposite Thailand’s Mae Sot border town, he is negotiating with the neighbouring country to move against them and if they cannot handle it Thailand will send help in doing so.
The former prime minister also said Pheu Thai will bring online gambling above ground with those under 20 years being forbidden from betting and while those above 20 would be allowed to do so should they become addicted they will be sent for psychiatric treatment.
Legalising online gambling will help the state collect more taxes with there currently being 150 billion baht in circulation, he added.
CAPTION:
De facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra addressing a rally in Chaing Rai today, Jan. 5, 2025. Photos: Naewna
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