Phra Suthep Papakaro on Wednesday remained tight-lipped on when he planned to leave the monkhood, saying he is still happy with practicing Dhamma and will let time tell when to disrobe.
The former leader of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) was responding to reports he was prepared to leave the monkhood in the next few months and would work in the people’s politics sector.
Phra Suthep said many people had asked him about this despite the fact that a layman is not supposed to ask a monk such the question. He said he would let nature take its course about when to return to the life of a layman, adding he had passed the point where he originally planned to stay for only 204 days, the number of days that he led the street protests against the former Yingluck government.
Phra Suthep repeated that he would not accept any political position after he returns to a normal life. But in the future if the government or the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) offers him a job which deals with working and cooperating with members of the public in various sectors to develop the country, he said he would accept it.
Phra Suthep formally registered the “Muan Maha Prachachon Foundation for Thailand’s Reforms” in Ferbuary. Muan Maha Prachachon means "great mass of the people". He said as the president, he intends to devote himself to the foundation and work with civil groups and the private sector to address problems and improve the country, once he disrobes.
Phra Suthep is due to defend himself before the National Anti-Corruption Commission on Friday after the agency resolved to charge him last week for committing malfeasance in office over his handling of the 6.67-billion-baht police station construction project.
Phra Suthep said the meeting with the graft-busters would be a good opportunity for him to clarify the allegation against him and let the public know the truth in the case.
Phra Suthep is accused of authorising a change in the terms of reference which led to the project being awarded to a single contractor during his tenure as deputy premier in the Democrat-led administration. This resulted in project delays and massive damage to the Office of the Royal Thai Police.
On the debate about the draft constitution, Phra Suthep said he believed the drafters had good intentions to present a new constitution that best suits Thailand, and so critics should give them a chance to do their job, not just yet view them in a negative way.
“Whoever wants to disrupt or destroy [the roadmap] should ponder that the Gen Prayut-government has been doing a special duty during a special occasion,” the politician-turned-monk said. “They will go home once the mission is completed. They should cooperate so that the society will return to normality quickly.”
The PDRC staged a seven-month-long Bangkok Shutdown and anti-Yingluck Shinawatra protests which led to the May 22 coup that toppled her administration. The coup leaders banned all political activities, so Mr Suthep quietly entered monkhood on July 15 last year to make merit for the protesters killed during the movement’s street protests, and has lived a monk’s life ever since.