Former red-shirt leader plans protest against new govt initiatives

Former red-shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan announced plans for a protest next month against several government initiatives, citing concerns that these measures would primarily benefit the country’s elite.

Jatuporn specifically pointed to proposals to increase the cap on foreign ownership in condominiums to 75% and extend land leases for foreigners to 99 years.

In a Facebook post made yesterday, July 8, Jatuporn urged the public to stop being political victims and join him in opposing Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s initiatives. He accused the government of having a secret agenda designed to help certain groups amass funds for upcoming elections.

In his Facebook post, Jatuporn highlighted the Bangkok-born PM‘s history as a real estate developer, warning that if these plans are implemented without opposition, it could result in Thailand losing its independence, as condominiums might be entirely owned by foreigners, 75% through legal ownership and the remaining 25% through nominees.

He also cautioned that extending land lease terms from 30 years to 99 years would effectively allow foreigners to establish colonies in Thailand.

According to Jatuporn, the foreign condominium ownership scheme is valued at 4 trillion baht. He also highlighted other government projects requiring massive investments, amounting to trillions of baht, such as the digital wallet scheme, the southern Land Bridge megaproject, and a casino complex development.

Jatuporn specifically criticised the digital wallet scheme, which proposes a one-time 10,000-baht cash bonus for eligible citizens. He claimed that the discrepancy between the project’s budget request and actual spending could be as high as 400 billion baht.

Thai Sang Thai Party leader Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan also expressed her opposition to the proposed changes to condominium ownership quotas and land lease terms. She urged the government to prioritise helping Thai citizens instead.

“People are losing their homes… this is an urgent matter that the government must address immediately.”

The upcoming government protest aims to rally public sentiment against these initiatives, with Jatuporn calling for collective action to ensure that governmental policies serve the broader public interest rather than a privileged few, reported Bangkok Post.