Dr Panitan, the government spokesman

Thailand’s general election has been set to be held on July 3 after His Majesty the King yesterday endorsed a Royal decree to dissolve the House of Representatives and set the date for the country’s ballot casting.
Government Spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said yesterday during a news briefing that the country’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej has already endorsed the Royal decree which would come into effect today and the election will be held on the date.
The announcement by Dr Panitan was prior to the nationally televised address of Prime …

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Monday gave a keynote speech at the annual dinner of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT) at the Intercontinental Hotel in Bangkok. The Thai premier had once again met with FCCT members and guests after 14 months, and this year’s speech of his seems to have reflected a lot of things, not only in relation to what have been going on and what will be happening in Thailand but also, of course, what the Oxford-educated prime minister of Thailand is thinking now.
Here is the …

Q1 (by Nirmal Ghosh, Straits Times): Since assuming office you’ve spoken of reconciliation. Yet one and half years later, we see Thailand even more divided. There’s no sign of any reconciliation. It seems as if there is suppression of the elements that you are talking about, part of the Red Shirt movement, the leadership, and so forth. How realistic is this reconciliation plan of yours given this history?
PM Abhisit: Well, first, I’ve always talked about reconciliation that is based on the rule of law.  Every time that we took an initiative …

PM Abhisit (centre) is seen briefing the foreign press about the recent Bangkok violence
Last Saturday, ten days after the violent riot in Thailand’s capital city of Bangkok ended with arson attacks and lootings, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva had an official meeting with the representatives of foreign media, after a briefing to foreign envoys and representatives of international organisations, to explain what had happened during the two-month-long protest of a group called the “United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD)” or the “Red Shirts” and what the government plans to do …

 
On January 14, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has accepted an invitation of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT) to deliver a keynote address to FCCT’s members and guests at a gathering at the Grand Ballroom, Intercontinental Bangkok.
Here is the full text of his address entitled “Meeting the Challenges of Change”:
 
Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
 
It’s a great pleasure for me to be back here again in this forum. I suppose you want to make it as an annual forum. I wondered about that, I actually asked Khun Panitan (Dr. …

The newly formed New Politics Party (NPSP) yesterday picked Sondhi Limthongkul, a core leader of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), as its first leader during the general meeting in Bangkok.
Media mogul Sondhi, the founder of Manager Media Group, received a total of 1,741 votes in the non-contested election to lead the NPSP which has been formed in early June this year by PAD leaders and members.
According to the party’s bylaws, Sondhi later hand-picked Somsak Kosaisuk as his deputy, Suriyasai Katasila as the party’s secretary-general and ten other persons, including …