Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-chat has set up a "Thai-ism committee" to direct development projects to lift the quality of life for poor people nationwide in the run up to the much-delayed general election and beyond.
The sizeable 61-member panel, named officially a "steering committee for national development under sustainable Thai Niyom (Thai-ism) projects" was revealed in an announcement from the Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday.
It requires that all state agencies work together to lift people's living standards toward the goals set by the government's 20-year national strategy.
Gen Prayut will himself chair the committee, with Gen Prawit Wongsuwon, deputy prime minister and defence minister, as one of his deputies.
Thai Niyom has been mentioned a few times recently by Gen Prayut, who used the term "Thai-ism democracy", or Thai-style democracy. He described it as being based on the democratic principles favoured by Western countries, but applied from a unique Thai cultural view of what democracy means.
The prime minister later also pointed to Thai Niyom outside a political context, referring to "Thai Niyom development projects" that will go hand in hand with the 20-year national strategy.
"The new committee will ensure all efforts to improve the quality of life of people and their communities be concretised," the Jan 23 order said.
To achieve this, the prime minister, ministers, high-ranking officials and police and military brass are required under the order to form a joint committee to direct development projects. They are to work with provincial governors, local officials like district chiefs and community volunteers to make sure help reaches the people, according to the announcement.
The move comes as state authorities are busy with preparations for the general election Gen Prayut promised for this coming November, after several previous polling dates were pushed back.
However, it may also be further postponed if the National Legislation Assembly votes to delay the enforcement of organic legislation on members of parliament, as now seems likely.