ASEANews HEADLINES: KHON KAEN Thailand- Thamanat unopposed as new Palang Pracharath secretary-general

KHON KAEN: Thamanat Prompow, a skilled political fixer close to leader Prawit Wongsuwon, has become the new Palang Pracharath Party secretary-general, replacing Anucha Nakasai of the Sam Mitr faction.

The Phayao MP’s rise to the new position underlines the increasingly dominant role of the Prawit camp in the party and the diminishing power of the Sam Mitr group. The change was widely anticipated after Thamanat had been assigned to take charge of by-elections contested by party candidates.

The general assembly in Khon Kaen began on Friday with the party clearing the deck and Gen Prawit announcing his resignation. That paved the way for the selection of a new executive body and the re-election of Gen Prawit.

Thamanat was unopposed in the voting for secretary-general as his was the only one name proposed. He received 556 votes, with 14 voided ballots and 23 abstentions.

The lead party in the coalition government kept Narumon Pinyosinwat as treasurer and Boonsing Warinrak as registrar, and voted for a new set of executive board members.

A woman holds a sign saying “the first jab in Bang Phli” while being inoculated against Covid-19 at Wat Bang Phli Yai Klang in Bang Phli district, Samut Prakan, on Friday. The temple is a vaccination station for elderly people, those with chronic illness and people of other risk groups. (Photo: Somchai Poomlard)

The government plans to administer about 10 million Covid-19 vaccine doses next month, with Bangkok to get the largest share and at least 70% of people in Phuket to receive their second jab, according to a senior spokesman.

Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman for the government’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, said on Friday the centre expected to receive 10 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine in July.