New ministers prepare for first Cabinet meeting
SOME new ministers yesterday trickled into Government House to assume their next roles and prepare for their first Cabinet meeting today.
Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak was the first to come into work early yesterday, and later joined others to worship and pay tribute to shrines in the compound.
Energy Minister General Anantaporn Kanjanarat then came to clear out his office in Command Building 1, where he worked as an adviser to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and president of the Budget Scrutiny Committee.
Anantaporn reportedly went to see Prayut before leaving.
Deputy PM ACM Prajin Juntong was the third to appear, wearing a blue tie sporting the Royal Air Force logo.
“My future tasks may be different from what you media have assumed,” he said, implying that he might not be in charge of infrastructure and transportation. And as a practitioner, I’m capable of administrating,” he added, dropping a card identifying him as the transport minister, his previous post, on his way to Command Building 1.
Another Deputy PM ADM Narong Pipatanasai came next, in the afternoon to move into his new office at Command Building 1. His decorations included a figurine of ADM Prince Abhakara Kiartivongse, known as “The Father of the Royal Thai Navy”.
Narong will reportedly use the room vacated by foreign minister, who is now Deputy PM General Tanasak Patimapragorn, on the third floor.
Tanasak will shift to the former office of ousted deputy PM MR Pridiyathorn Devakula on the fourth floor of the building, while Somkid will take over the old office of PM’s Office Minister ML Panadda Diskul.
In another move, Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, who is also defence minister, said he had submitted the annual list of military appointments to the prime minister, who will then forward the list for royal endorsement.
He was confident that the new military chiefs would be acknowledged by all parties. “If the military accepts that, so why wouldn’t others? We’ve done everything legitimately.”
General Teerachai Nakwanich was tipped to become Army chief, while Prayut’s younger brother General Preecha Chan-o-cha was reportedly slated for permanent secretary of the Defence Ministry.
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