Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had lunch with Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon on Wednesday in what is seen as a move to quash rumours of a conflict between them.
The pair dined at the Five Provinces Bordering Forest Preservation Foundation on Phahon Yothin Road after attending a meeting of the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) at the Army Club on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road. Also present at the lunch was Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda.
The conflict relates to a controversy surrounding Capt Thamanat Prompow. Gen Prawit, as leader of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), stepped in earlier to resolve this by ensuring Capt Thamanat stayed on as the party’s secretary-general.
Gen Prawit said earlier the party’s executive structure remains unchanged even though the issue was raised during an executive party committee meeting in October.
The meeting took place amid speculation that an overhaul of the party’s executive board may be on the cards.
This gained traction after Gen Prayut summoned core members of the PPRP’s various factions to a meeting at Government House.
Such a revamp could have seen the removal of Capt Thamanat as secretary-general after he was sacked from the post of deputy agriculture minister for allegedly engineering a plot to oust the prime minister.
Earlier on Wednesday, the prime minister chaired an Isoc meeting that was held to sum up its performance over the past year and to announce its action plan for 2022.
Also present were Gen Prawit, Gen Anupong and leaders of the armed forces.
During the meeting, Gen Prayut, laid down polices for the command to focus more on regional security and tackle threats to national security.
Gen Prayut said Isoc is not a political unit but a body supporting other agencies’ efforts to solve problems besetting the country.
He said the military is also duty-bound to assist in national development.
He also stressed the need for Isoc and the interior minister to work together closely to address problems through democratic means, adding that dated laws and regulations should be amended to boost efficiency.
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