Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Tuesday wished former premier Yingluck Shinawatra a happy birthday as she turned 49 and repeated once again he was not her enemy.
“I am no enemy of hers. She's already happy and in good health on her birthday,” Gen Prayut responded to reporters’ question after a cabinet meeting at Government House.
“She's also a lot younger than me. Don’t you care about me too?” he joked.
Despite facing court cases stemming from the rice-pledging scheme and the junta's watchful eye, former prime minister Yingluck was seen happily celebrating her birthday. She was all smiles as dozens members of Pheu Thai Party and the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) showed up to wish her a happy birthday.
Ms Yingluck, accompanied by her husband Anusorn Amornchat and son Supasek, made merits by offering food to nine monks at her home on Yothin Pattana Soi 3 on the Ram Intra-Ekamai expressway in Bangkok on Tuesday morning.
Commenting on the current economic situation after the merit-making, she urged the government to keep introducing measures to stimulate the country’s economy, which she described as “not growing” at the moment.
Ms Yingluck said she might take her son for a holiday soon but had yet to decide where to go. She would need to seek permission from the court if the trip was overseas.
The junta last month lifted the ban on overseas travel and allowed all people whom it had summoned since the May 22, 2014 coup to go abroad. The exceptions are those who are on trial, Ms Yingluck included.
The country’s first female premier later went to SC Park Hotel at 10am where she had lunch with leading members of Pheu Thai Party and UDD who personally sent her birthday wishes. Among them were former prime minister and brother-in-law Somchai Wongsawat, UDD secretary-general Nattawut Saikuar, ex-foreign minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul and ex-commerce minister Watana Muangsook.
“It’s the happiest birthday,” Ms Yingluck said after blowing out candles on her birthday cake.