Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has turned his attention to high-profile legal cases making no progress and vowed to wrap them up during his tenure.
All cases that were raising public in doubts about the fairness of the system would be reviewed or followed up by relevant authorities from police officers to Justice Ministry officials, he said.
"Don't worry about pending cases that have caused public distress," he said on his weekly Returning Happiness to All Thais broadcast on Friday evening. "There will be a review of all these cases, whether they are old or new."
The prime minister did not mention any cases specifically but his remarks came at a time when the public is closely watching the progress of at least two criminal cases, one that originated before he came to power through the military coup and another that recently prompted public outrage. Both involve young men from exceedingly wealthy families.
The public has been especially frustrated by the delay in the handling of a fatal hit-and-run case involving Red Bull heir Vorayudh Yoovidhya. He crashed his luxury sports car into a motorcycle ridden by a Thong Lor traffic policeman on Sept 3, 2012. But the case has not yet been brought to court. Public prosecutors said on Tuesday that Mr Vorayudh, who faces charges of reckless driving causing death, failing to stop and offer help, and speeding, called for "fair treatment" as new issues needed to be examined.
In another case, police at the Phra-in Racha station in Bang Pa-in district of Ayutthaya have faced criticism for appearing to be slow to respond in the early stages after a speeding Mercedes-Benz driven by Janepob Veeraporn slammed into another car, killing two post-graduate students on March 13. The investigators at the police station were later transferred and a new team has been set up to speed up the investigation.
"I'm just seeing that they are concluded while I'm still here," the prime minister said.
Gen Prayut also warned bus and passenger boat operators that they would face "just punishment" for recklessness, possibly including the end of their services.
"I will use the law to administer just punishment to those responsible," he said. "You can be reckless to yourself if you want, but don't put other people's lives in danger.
"If you don't take safety precautions then you shouldn't be operating a service that involves public transport," he added.
Again he made no mention of specific cases, but two recent incidents have prompted widespread public consternation.
One involved the operator of the Bangkok No. 8 bus, which has attracted dozens of complaints over the years. On March 25 it was involved in a collision in which a motorcycle pillion rider was killed.
The other involved a Khlong Saen Saep commuter boat on March 5. Sixty-seven people were injured by an explosion on the LNG-powered craft. The operator said he had switched to LNG to save money many years ago when diesel costs were much higher than they are now.
