Junta is on backfoot depending on Bangkok's efforts for an escape route
By Arun Kumar Shrivastav
The resignation of Thailand's foreign minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara within hours of the cabinet reshuffle on April 29 deals a serious blow to bringing humanitarian assistance and peace to strife-torn Myanmar. Parnpree visited Thailand's Mae Sot only a day ago to take stock of the ground situation after the Myanmar junta launched airstrikes to wrest back Myawaddy from resistance forces. Mae Sot has received nearly 40,000 refugees from Myanmar since the 2021 coup.
Mae Sot-Myawaddy is a crucial border link between the two countries accounting for much of the goods entering Myanmar. With this town under their control, Resistance forces have completely isolated the Myanmar junta to a small territory in the southern apart. Resistance forces who are potentially receiving support from the US have captured nearly 75% of Myanmar.
In anticipation of the Myanmar military collapsing under the mounting Resistance offensive, several ASEAN countries and political leaders are in the race to mediate and bring peace to the country. While 66-year-old Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara was not exactly in the race to be recognized as someone who brokered a solution, he was one of the key figures at the forefront of these efforts. Besides, Parnpree headed a recently formed Thai committee on the Myanmar conflict.
Parnpree resigned after he was dropped as the deputy prime minister in the cabinet reshuffle. A few days later, Vice Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow, who was another key negotiator in the talks with Myanmar, also resigned. The new foreign minister Maris Sangiampongsa is a diplomat, with postings in Canberra, Wellington, and Ottawa.
Political analysts believe the Srettha government is “open to options” on how to approach the Myanmar conflict. Myanmar is a top agenda for Prime Minister SretthaThavisin's government and they are likely close to a deal with the Myanmar junta.
The ruling coalition in Thailand is led by the Pheu Thai Party which won 141 seats in May 2023 general elections, 10 seats less than the Move Forward Party. Other major parties in the coalition are Bhumjai Thai, Palang Pracharath, and Democrat Party with 68, 39, and 25 members respectively.
The recent cabinet reshuffle was long-awaited amid rumors that Paetongtarn Shinawatra would become the Prime Minister. Paetongtarn Shinawatra is the youngest daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister (2001 –2006) who founded the Thai Rak Thai Party in 1998, whose third incarnation is the Pheu Thai Party.
Paetongtarn's aunt Yingluck Shinawatra was also a prime minister (2013-2014). The Shinawatras are the most prominent political family in Thailand, known for face-offs with military, jail terms, and life in exile. The Shinawatra family has a property business, with Thaksin Shinawatra's assets worth over $2 billion as per a recent Forbes report.
The current Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is the former CEO of a real estate company and is estimated to have a net worth of over $1 billion.
The departure of Parnpree, a former civil servant and an old policy hand at the Pheu Thai Party, indicates Thailand's foreign policies, particularly towards Myanmar is in for a significant change, or the political distrust among the top leaders in the Pheu Thai Party is growing.
While discussions around this topic would have lingered in Thailand, a curious scandal that broke out on May 3, overwhelmed media headlines and TV news debates.
A 45-year-old politician was caught by her husband with her 24-year-old adopted son, who is a monk. He drove for five hours to catch them lying naked in the bed after he became suspicious of their closeness. In the video, the lady and the monk jump out of the bed and she runs towards the man who is making the video while the man runs towards the toilet. Besides being a wealthy politician, the lady is strikingly beautiful in the images available on the internet. The video was first published in the South China Morning Post and soon became viral.
The news shocked the Thai people, leading to widespread condemnation on social media. The woman, a prominent member of the Democrat Party, has been suspended pending an investigation into the scandal and the monk, who said “nothing happened” is on the run.
One of the comments on social media went, “This news is explosive, with too many elements. It sounds like pure fiction. The world of the wealthy is indeed fascinating and chaotic.”
Another commented, “A 64-year-old husband, a 45-year-old wife, and a 24-year-old adopted son who is a monk? This is such a mess. It sounds more like keeping a boy-toy rather than adoption. Even dramas don't dare to script this.”
During the brief tenure of Yingluck Shinawatra as the PM, she reportedly faced extreme sexism. Currently, she is believed to be living in exile in London after a dramatic escape from the country in 2017. (IPA Service)
