Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha has approved the promotion of a nephew of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to the position of commander, army sources said on Friday.
Lt Col Sarawut Shinawatra (Photo by Wassana Nanuam)
Lt Col Sarawut Shinawatra, the nephew of Ms Yingluck and her elder brother, fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, has been promoted from head of the Army Area Civil Affairs Division to commander of the 7th Anti-aircraft Artillery Battalion, which oversees Don Muang area.
"This might be a sign of closer ties between Gen Prayuth and Prime Minister Yingluck and the government, and Gen Prayuth is believed to have given way because of this," one source said.
Lt Col Sarawut was promoted because he is capable and knowledgeable, and he would have been promoted a long time ago if his family name was not Shinawatra, another source said.