By Thai Newsroom Reporters
THE PHEU THAI-LED CABINET under Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is speculated to be reshuffled for the first time early next month with key ministerial seats to be swapped between the Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai, according to partisan sources.
Paetongtarn’s father/de facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra who allegedly pulls the strings behind his daughter/ “puppet” prime minister was quietly reshuffling the cabinet after he had taken a pivotal role in power play, albeit in hush-hush, surreptitious fashion, to manipulate a previous one with Paetongtarn’s predecessor/real estate mogul Srettha Thavisin named head of government following the 2023 election. The new cabinet lineup is expected to be announced to the public early next month.
In the imminent cabinet reshuffle, Thaksin would probably manipulate to have the interior minister’s seat currently held by Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul returned to the Pheu Thai, core of the coalition government, the partisan sources said.
Unresolved conflict of interest between the Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai, the second largest coalition partner under de facto party boss Newin Chidchob, notwithstanding, the latter would probably be given either the transport minister’s seat or public health minister’s seat in exchange for the interior minister’s seat, according to the partisan sources.
Thaksin has finally opted to not kick out Newin’s camp from the Pheu Thai-led coalition despite being viewed as a thorn in the side of government for fear of unwanted backfire, given the Bhumjaithai being invariably viewed as an ultra-conservative protege of super-elite, powers-that-be.
The Bhumjaithai had been earlier in charge of those major cabinet seats which are usually allocated the lion’s share in the annual government budget at their disposal.
Meanwhile, certain Pheu Thai-attached figures are anticipated to lose their current cabinet seats and either be given another one or simply kicked out of the Paetongtarn cabinet, the partisan sources said.
That would refer to Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira, Commerce Minister Pichai Naripthapan, Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, Tourism & Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong and Agriculture & Cooperatives Minister Narumon Pinyosinwat, who concurrently acts as leader of the Klatham, among others.
CAPTIONS:
Top and Front Page: Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. Photos: Thai Rath
Insert: De facto Pheu Thai boss Thaksin Shinawatra. Photo: Thai Rath
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