Thai King Approves Cabinet Reshuffle Following Mass Ministerial Resignations - State Media

Muhammad Irfan Published August 06, 2020 | 06:45 PM

The king of Thailand, Maha Vajiralongkorn, has given his approval to a wave of new cabinet appointments following the resignation of the country's top economic ministers several weeks ago, according to the state-run Royal Gazette

BANGKOK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th August, 2020) The king of Thailand, Maha Vajiralongkorn, has given his approval to a wave of new cabinet appointments following the resignation of the country's top economic ministers several weeks ago, according to the state-run Royal Gazette.

The appointments were proposed by the country's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and received the backing of the Thai monarch. In total, six new ministers were appointed.

Long-time banking executive Predee Daochai has become the country's new finance minister and Supattanapong Punmeechaow, a former executive at a major petrochemical company, has been named Thailand's new energy minister and deputy prime minister, according to the official source.

Current Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai has also been named a deputy prime minister, and Anucha Nakasai will become the head of the prime minister's office.

Thailand has also appointed a new higher education minister, and a new labor minister, the state-run newspaper said.

In mid-July, Thai media reported that then-finance minister Uttama Savanayana, deputy prime minister Somkid Jatusripitak, and several other ministers had resigned from their posts and quit the ruling Palang Pracharat Party.

The cabinet reshuffle comes as Thailand's economy faces significant challenges amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Bank of Thailand has said that the country's GDP could contract by as much as 8.1 percent due to the global epidemiological crisis.

Thai observers have said that the cabinet reshuffle was expected and part of a normal political process that sees the government change ministers two or three times each term to give competing factions the ability to hold influential positions.