Phumtham downplays speculation over Anutin-Thaksin golf game

Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said that Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s game of golf with former PM Thaksin Shinawatra was just a game and had no political significance. 

He was responding to reporters’ questions on Tuesday about the photos shared online of Bhumjaithai leader Anutin and Thaksin, patriarch of the ruling Pheu Thai Party, at Anutin’s Rancho Charnee Resort near Khao Yai in Nakhon Ratchasima. 

A Thai journalist had posted the photos on her Facebook page on Monday, asking if this meeting would lead to a “Khao Yai declaration”. 

“There’s nothing like the Khao Yai declaration,” Phumtham said with a chuckle. “They simply went there to play golf, sing and eat together.” 

However, according to well-known reporter Wassana Nanuam, Thaksin met with several top politicians at the golf course over the weekend, including Suwat Liptapanlop, chairman of the Chart Pattana Party. 

Wassana had posted photographs of Anutin and Thaksin together enjoying themselves. She said Anutin welcomed Thaksin with a rendition of several songs, including “When You Say Nothing at All”.

She also pointed out that Thaksin’s daughter, Pheu Thai leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra, is close to Anutin’s wife, Sanongnuch. 

Anutin’s Bhumjaithai is the second-largest coalition partner after Pheu Thai. The meeting with Thaksin came after Anutin, who also holds the deputy PM portfolio, expressed dissatisfaction with the Pheu Thai-led Public Health Ministry’s plan to return marijuana to the list of controlled narcotics. Anutin had managed to have the plant decriminalised two years ago when he was public health minister. 

Political observers believe that Pheu Thai considers Bhumjaithai an indispensable partner, especially now that the newly-elected upper House is dominated by senators reportedly close to Anutin and his party. 

When asked if the Anutin-Thaksin meeting had anything to do with Thaksin’s earlier statement saying that political tensions would improve after August, Phumtham said he had heard nothing of this sort. 

However, he said several key court cases are scheduled to culminate in August, including the dissolution case against the opposition Move Forward Party and the case against PM Srettha Thavisin. The PM was accused by a group of senators of breaching the charter and code of ethics by appointing former jailbird Pichit Chuenban as PM’s Office minister. 

Pichit and two of his colleagues were sentenced to six months in prison on June 25, 2008, after they tried to bribe Supreme Court officials. At the time, the team was representing Thaksin in a land case, for which the former PM was sentenced in absentia to two years in prison. 

Phumtham, who also doubles as deputy PM, said these cases may affect confidence in the country and the situation may improve once the verdicts are issued.