Prayut has democracy wish for the New Year

“I wish the best for all of us in the New Year. The country moves forward with little or no conflicts towards [a] permanent democracy,” he said.

Speaking during his weekly television programme “Return Happi-ness to the People” yesterday, Prayut warned people to travel with extreme caution in a bid to prevent road accidents during the New Year holiday.

He thanked police and military personnel who have to work during the long holiday on trying to make the roads safer.

The PM also expressed concern over people breaking the law during the holiday period.

“If people do not follow the law, the law will be less sacred. Please do not break the law. How can we live in a lawless land?” he said.

He said people must know the law and, as such, should be aware if they break the law. “You want to express your political opinion, claiming democracy. But is it time to do that? Your actions break traffic laws. Then you have to realise that you violate [the] rights of other motorists.”

He said that some Thais did not believe in the justice system because they did not understand justice procedures. “We have unreasonable fear. We fear police because we do not know that the justice system gives you the right to prove you are innocent,’’ he said.

He said some people did not understand they had the right to participate in government projects, while the government would start such projects to reflect local desires.

“We must have public hearings to get the nod from the locals. If they agree then we can start the project. This is cooperation and [the public is] taking part in the project,’’ he said.

Prayut pointed out the government’s seven key points aimed at maintaining economic stability, which he said required the collective effort from all economy-related agencies. 

He said the first strategy involved opening the doors to trade and economic cooperation, especially for the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal. 

The second strategy centres on market expansion through the utilisation of market demand, which will be used as a tool to determine domestic production of exported goods and services. 

The third strategy pertains to border trade promotion, making Thailand the Asean’s hub for trade and investment. The fourth strategy seeks to provide support for Thai entrepreneurs in foreign countries. 

The fifth strategy involves adjusting Thailand’s trade infrastructure and promoting six sectors – healthcare, entertainment, logistics, education, hospitality, and professional services. The sixth strategy seeks to increase the role of small and medium-sized enterprises in a bid to create new businesspeople and drive innovation. 

The last strategy aims to create added value for exported products. 

The government will help turn producers into designers who can create their own brands, Prayut said. 

He also said Thailand was in dire need of skilled workers ahead of the full implementation of the Asean Economic Community, which begins at the end of the month. 

He said preparing skilled labour for the industrial sector was a major challenge. The country also needs more researchers and developers for the industrial and service sectors. 

Prayut said it was crucial that Thailand produced more technicians in the fields of electric rail, road transport, water transport, and air transport. Without a skilled workforce, he feared Thailand would not be able to keep up with the expansion of the AEC.