THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

PM approves new acting ministers following double resignation

PM approves new acting ministers following double resignation

PRIME MINISTER General Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday approved a list of acting ministers in place of two ministers who resigned earlier this week to serve as new members of the Privy Council.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam was assigned to supervise the Justice Ministry, seconded by Minister to the PM’s Office Suwaphan Tanyuvardhana, according to a Cabinet resolution yesterday.
The Education Ministry, meanwhile, will have deputy education minister Teerakiat Jareonsettasin as first acting minister and another deputy, General Surachet Chiawong, as second acting minister, the resolution said.
The appointments followed the abrupt resignation of General Paiboon Khumchaya and General Dapong Ratanasuwan, who had been in charge of the Justice and Education ministries respectively, to become members of the Privy Council following His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s appointment.
This led to speculation that there would be a major Cabinet reshuffle soon, particularly because Prayut has not filled the vacant ministerial post at the recently reorganised Digital Economy and Society Ministry.
The ministry is being temporarily supervised by Deputy Prime Minister Air Chief Marshal Prajin Juntong.
A reshuffle would be the fourth under Prayut’s rule since 2014. The last Cabinet reshuffle was in August last year, when the previous economic management team was replaced by the current team led by Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak.
But Prayut and other Cabinet members have remained tight-lipped over potential candidates to fill the vacant Justice, Education, and Digital Economy and Society portfolios.
Prayut said yesterday that the reshuffle list had not been finished and it would be implemented at an “appropriate time”.
It remained unclear whether the expected reshuffle would affect Somkid’s economic portfolio.

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