Thai prime minister’s holiday escape revelation sparks controversy
Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has stepped up to shield Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin amid a storm of criticism over his unannounced four-day holiday break to be with family.
Phumtham, doubling as the commerce minister, staunchly defended the PM’s right to take a breather, asserting that a holiday is perfectly normal. Striking back at detractors, he revealed that the 61 year old prime minister’s brief reprieve comes on the heels of a rendezvous with his son in Japan. Srettha’s son, jetting in all the way from the United States, joined his father for a heartwarming homecoming flight.
Ever the diplomat, Phumtham clarified that the prime minister isn’t tethered to Government House, suggesting that he can work from anywhere. Furthermore, he highlighted the provision for one of the deputy prime ministers to assume the helm in the PM’s stead during his short-lived absence.
The deputy PM asserted that this holiday escapade isn’t a one-off, claiming that other ministers are equally entitled to snatch some time off, reported Thai PBS World.
The prime minister has a lot on his day-to-day agenda, including plans for the Land Bridge project where he tries to lure in investors from Japan.
In related news, Srettha had dinner with the organisers of the world-renowned Tomorrowland music festival and told Thai EDM music fans to look forward to plans for the festival coming to Thailand over the next 10 years. PM Srettha shared a picture and some words with the Tomorrowland organising team on his Twitter account on December 6. Read more about this story HERE.
In other news, the Thai PM revealed visionary plans to foster seamless tourism among Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The grand revelation unfolded during a high-profile meeting with the leaders of these nations on the sidelines of the Tokyo summit, celebrating Japan’s half-century collaboration with ASEAN countries. Read more about this story HERE.
