Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha yesterday evening shrugged off questions about how he felt about the return of Thaksin Shinawatra – and whether the two were already talking.
After the fugitive former guy ousted by the military in 2006 made waves Tuesday by declaring he would return within weeks to be with family, Prayuth did his best not to add any oxygen to the fire. Instead, he denied even reading the tweets or having any communication with Thaksin’s camp.
Responding to reporters’ questions, Prayuth said he hadn’t read the 73-year-old’s tweets announcing his July return because he just hasn’t been reading anything of late.
Ever since he deposed Thaksin’s sister Yingluck in the follow-up coup of 2014, Prayuth has had a short fuse when it comes to the Shinawatras, growing testy and petulant when Thaksin’s name comes up.
His responses yesterday fell back on rote gestures toward the importance of law and order.
“It depends on the legal process,” he said. “I have not been involved with the court.”
Pressed on whether any signals had been sent from Thaksin’s side, Gen. Prayuth responded:
“Where did they send them? Did they come through the air? Or, did I not receive these waves coming over?” he said. “I would like to reiterate that everything depends on the legal process.”
In 2008, Thaksin was convicted in absentia for abuse of power and sentenced to two years in jail. He denounced the conviction as politically motivated and has lived abroad since. His sister Yingluck Shinawatra was elected in 2011, only to have unrest break out over suspicions that her government was engineering Thaksin’s return through an amnesty bill. Supporters of the military and elite status quo staged large demonstrations until Prayuth and his military cronies seized power in 2014. Uprooting the Shinawatra’s influence became a fixation of the newly installed junta.
On Tuesday morning, 73-year-old Thaksin announced on Twitter that he would return to country in July because he was getting old.
ผมขออนุญาตอีกครั้ง ผมตัดสินใจแล้วว่าจะกลับบ้านไปเลี้ยงหลานภายในเดือนกรกฎาคมนี้ก่อนวันเกิดผมครับ ขออนุญาตนะครับ เกือบ 17 ปีแล้วที่ต้องพลัดพรากจากครอบครัว ผมก็แก่แล้วครับ
— Thaksin Shinawatra (@ThaksinLive) May 9, 2023
Asked why he thought Thaksin made the announcement in the homestretch before Sunday’s election, Prayuth offered another non-answer, saying “Ask yourself, and you’ll get the answer.”
Thaksin added in a follow-up tweet that he would be at Prayuth’s mercy.
“I will engage in the legal process, and when I return, it will still be during the administration of Gen. Prayuth,” he said. “All of these decisions are made by me out of love, loyalty to my family, homeland, and our leader.”
ไม่ต้องกังวลว่าผมจะเป็นภาระพรรคเพื่อไทย ผมจะเข้าสู่กระบวนการกฎหมายและวันที่ผมกลับยังเป็นช่วงรัฐบาลรักษาการของ พล.อ.ประยุทธ์อยู่ ทั้งหมดคือการตัดสินใจของผมเองด้วยความรักผูกพันธ์กับครอบครัว/แผ่นดินเกิดและเจ้านายของเรา
— Thaksin Shinawatra (@ThaksinLive) May 9, 2023
Thaksin has announced his imminent return many times over the years without it materializing.
Having the Shinawatras in exile has provided a convenient foil for 69-year-old Prayuth, who tried to justify seizing power by presenting himself as a unifier and corruption fighter. His hope of returning to the Government House after Sunday cannot be ruled out despite his newly formed party’s poor polling in the run-up to Election Day.
