New-look cabinet to set policy agenda

PM to lead meeting on Saturday to fine-tune new government’s policy statement

The newly appointed cabinet, led by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, is expected to hold a special meeting on Saturday to prepare a policy statement outlining the government’s objectives.

His Majesty the King has approved the 35-member cabinet, and the official list of 35 ministers was published in the Royal Gazette on Wednesday. Ms Paetongtarn and the ministers are scheduled to take the oath of office at Ambara Villa in Dusit Palace at 5pm on Friday.

The government is required to present its policy statement to parliament before starting work. Ms Paetongtarn is expected to deliver the statement on Sept 11 and officially take up her role on Sept 16, with the first official cabinet meeting scheduled for Sept 17.

At the top of the government agenda is the Pheu Thai Party’s flagship digital wallet handout, which is expected to begin before the 2024 fiscal year ends Sept 30.

However, there will be changes to the programme, Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat admitted on Wednesday. For a start, not all of the money distributed will be digital; many needy recipients in the first phase will probably be given cash.

A supplementary bill seeking to increase the budget for the current fiscal year by 122 billion baht to partially fund the handout scheme has already passed through parliament.

According to a government source, the policy statement is an updated version of the one presented by former prime minister Srettha Thavisin, with five or six issues designated as urgent.

“The digital wallet policy will be included, but it is likely to be revised,” the source said.

Ms Paetongtarn was selected by the House of Representatives as prime minister on Aug 16 to replace Mr Srettha, who was dismissed by the Constitutional Court for a “gross ethics violation” over his decision to appoint Pichit Chuenban, a former convict, as a PM’s Office minister.

The Paetongtarn cabinet now has the support of 322 MPs in the House after being joined by long-time rival, the Democrat Party, while excluding a faction in the Palang Pracharath Party headed by Gen Prawit Wongsuwon.

Pheu Thai, the core coalition party, has 17 cabinet positions, ministers and deputy ministers, with the remaining 19 portfolios divided among its coalition partners.

Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who will hold the defence portfolio, said on Wednesday that the special meeting on Saturday will allow coalition parties to discuss and fine-tune government policy before delivering it to parliament.

Mr Phumtham said the coalition partners have been working together for more than a year, and disagreements will be resolved to find common ground.

He also said the policy statement will serve as a framework and will not include specific details.

“We’ve talked about it, and there’s almost nothing new. Although it’s a new cabinet, the framework remains unchanged. Some details could be adjusted due to a changing situation,” he said.

Mr Phumtham said the prime minister is quick to understand key points and is proven to be a skilled public speaker, so she does not need coaching before addressing parliament or answering MPs’ questions.

Family business

He also called on critics not to judge a book by its cover, responding to criticism that the new cabinet is a “family cabinet”. The criticism came after former ministers — possibly spooked by the Srettha ruling and its implications — stepped aside to let family members fill their positions.

Chada Thaised, an influential figure from Uthai Thani who was considered a likely target of an ethics probe, has stepped aside so that his daughter can take the post of deputy interior minister.

Thamanat Prompow, meanwhile, is notorious for a heroin trafficking conviction that was deemed insufficient grounds to disqualify him from public office in Thailand because it happened in Australia. But he too might fall afoul of the new ethics regime, so he has bestowed a deputy agriculture minister’s post on his brother.

Mr Phumtham insisted that the ministers were selected based on their qualifications, regardless of their family connections.

Akanat Promphan, secretary-general of the coalition United Thai Nation (UTN) Party, who will assume the industry portfolio, brushed aside criticism on Wednesday that he has betrayed his past efforts opposing Yingluck Shinawatra after he decided to join the cabinet.

Mr Akanat, the stepson of longtime Democrat power-broker Suthep Thaugsuban, was a key member of the now-dissolved People’s Democratic Reform Committee, which held street protests seeking to oust the Yingluck administration and ultimately set the stage for the 2014 military coup.

“Making a decision isn’t easy, but I can assure you this is the best option at this moment,” Mr Akanat said.

“Threats and challenges facing the country have changed, and it’s time to close ranks.”