Paetongtarn has no plans to pacify Chalerm over his son’s faux pas
Pheu Thai leader says she reprimanded Wan Yubamrung because his open support for ex-Pathum Thani CEO opposed the party’s stance
Pheu Thai Party leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Thursday that she does not plan to visit and pacify veteran politician Chalerm Yubamrung after he was angered by her reprimanding his son.
Chalerm openly challenged the party’s leadership to expel him after his son, Wan Yubamrung, stepped down from his ministerial post.
Paetongtarn explained that she had reprimanded Wan for personally visiting failed Pathum Thani CEO candidate, Pol Lt-General Khamronwit Thoopkrajang, who is not affiliated with the party. Wan had visited Khamrongwit at his home on June 30, the day Pheu Thai candidate Charn Puangphet was announced the winner.
Paetongtarn said that in her capacity as Pheu Thai leader, she had no choice but to summon Wan and tell him off for acting against the party’s stance. She said that when Wan came to see her, he apologised and said he had not thought about the complications his visit would cause.
“He said that he would resign from his post at the Public Health Ministry and I replied it’s up to him,” Paetongtarn said. “It is my responsibility to warn him to behave properly because many Pheu Thai MPs and members who saw his photo with Khamronwit raised a lot of questions.”
After Paetongtarn issued a warning against Wan, Chalerm openly voiced dissatisfaction and said Pheu Thai should expel him as a party member.
In response, Paetongtarn said she had no plans to expel Chalerm, and though she respects him as a senior member of the party, she has no plans to visit him to pacify him.
Wan, meanwhile, resigned as vice public health minister on Wednesday, saying he had no intention to take a stand against the party. He explained that Khamronwit was a close family friend and they had always supported one another.
Plus, he said, he only visited Khamronwit after all election stations were closed, so his visit would not benefit the candidate in any way.
He said he had been summoned by the party’s leader, who was not happy about his visit. So, he said, he would take responsibility for this mistake by resigning from his post at the Public Health Ministry.
