Thai Niyom not a junta election campaign: PM
Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha on Thursday insisted that the junta government is not using the much-hyped Thai Niyom Yangyeun scheme to campaign for itself ahead of the next general election.
The premier said the scheme was aimed at investing in development projects in local areas.
Prayut is on a one-day visit trip to the northeastern province of Nong Bua Lamphu, where he would attend a community forum on the Bt100-billion scheme that aims to create “sustainable Thainess” across the country.
Through funding for local economic development and agricultural reforms, the scheme also claims to “promote Thai-style democracy”, enhance public understanding of the government’s work and encourage social harmony.
Launched last month, the scheme has strongly promoted by the junta government, who would be in power for less than a year before the next government is elected.
The scheme is viewed by critics as little more than a populist campaign to boost the junta government’s popularity, which has been slumping from a series of corruption scandals, slack economic performance and suppression of public political opinion.