Prayut enters Defence Ministry as minister
Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha entered the Defence Ministry for the first time as the defence minister Tuesday morning.
Prayut succeeded Gen Prawit Wongsuwan as the defence minister after Prawit, who was both deputy prime minister and defence minister in the post-coup government, was given only the post of deputy prime minister in the Prayut II administration.
Prayut was welcomed by Gen Nat Intharacharoen, permanent secretary for Defence, Supreme Commander Gen Pornpipat Benyasri, Army Commander-in-chief Gen Apirat Kongsompong, Navy Commander-in-chief Adm Luachai Ruddit, Air Force Commander-in-Chief ACM Chaiyapruek Dityasarin and several senior military officers.
Before entering the ministry compound, Prayut paid respects to the Bangkok City Pillar Shrine and once inside went straight to the Chao Por Ho Klong (drum tower spirit) Shrine where he paid respect to it and other sacred icons in the Defence Ministry.
After the rites, Prayut went to inspect a newly found ancient well in the compound. Prayut ordered the permanent secretary to check whether the water is clean and ordered him to improve the landscape around the well.
The well appeared on Friday when a parking area in front of the Chao Por Ho Kkong shrine subsided.
While Engineering Corps troops were preparing to re-pave the area, they found three thick granite rocks. When they lifted the pieces, they found 9-metre-deep well with musky water. The well appeared to have been dug a long time ago and measures about one metre by 20 centimetres.
Nat said he would coordinate with the Fine Arts Department to check and renovate the well, which is part of the old command building in the compound of the ministry, itself 132 years old.