Prayut boasts of his govt’s achievements ahead of voting
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha held forth for more than an hour listing his government’s achievements in the final session of the censure debate on Friday night.
According to Prayut, his government has successfully achieved the following over the past eight years:
• Removed the “red flag” status given by International Civil Aviation Organisation in October 2017 by enhancing Thailand’s aviation safety and security standard.
• Upgraded from Tier 2 Watchlist to Tier 2 in the 2022 Trafficking in Persons Report due to increased efforts in tackling human-trafficking issues.
• Pulled the national carrier, Thai Airways International (THAI), from bankruptcy. The airline has been following a rehabilitation plan over the past year, and its cash flow and financial status have improved. It is believed that THAI will pull out of the rehabilitation process by 2024.
• Formed the National Land Policy Committee to allocate over 1.2 million rai of land to underprivileged people for farming and reducing land-related disputes. The committee will continue allocating land to those in need until the target of 5.7 million rai is reached.
• Built infrastructure. By the end of 2021, Thailand had 11,583 kilometres of highways and motorways, marking an increase from just 4,271km in 2014. More than 200km has been added to the railway system in the past eight years. Suvarnabhumi Airport’s capacity has been expanded to 139 million passengers from 118 million in 2018. Progress in several mega projects, including the 500km Thailand-China link and high-speed railway linking three airports.
• Developed the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) in 12 targeted industries, created over 100,000 jobs in the past five years and promoted investment worth more than 5.3 trillion baht since 2014.
• Set up infrastructure for a digital economy by developing financial systems such as PromptPay, 5G technology and e-services for individuals and businesses.
• Setting Thailand on the track to becoming a carbon-neutral society by promoting the electric vehicle industry, a bio-circular-green economy and moves to expand forest areas from 31.8 per cent to 40 per cent by 2036.
• Passing legislation to reduce social and economic disparity and provide assistance to vulnerable groups, especially in calculating loan interest and allowing the cultivation of 58 cash crops.
“I believe what the government has done are just first steps in a long journey. I am proud of what I have done, and I know what I’m doing,” Prayut said. “Nobody can live forever, but Thailand must always stand strong. I want every efficient person to continue these projects, work together for the sake of the country, so you can stand tall and say that ‘I am proud to be a Thai’.”
Prayut pulled through the censure debate with 256 votes.