Buri Ram ex-MPs roll out red carpet for Prayut

Buri Ram ex-MPs roll out red carpet for Prayut

Former MPs Anutin Charnveerakul (front, in white T-shirt) and Newin Chidchob (in yellow T-shirt) check the readiness of the venue where Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is to meet people at a football field. Around 30,000 people are to meet him there. (Photo from Anutin Charnvirakul Facebook)
Former MPs Anutin Charnveerakul (front, in white T-shirt) and Newin Chidchob (in yellow T-shirt) check the readiness of the venue where Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is to meet people at a football field. Around 30,000 people are to meet him there. (Photo from Anutin Charnvirakul Facebook)

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will be greeted by 30,000 people when he visits Buri Ram for a mobile cabinet meeting on Monday, according to former MPs in the northeastern province.

Anutin Charnveerakul, leader of Bhumjaithai party, posted on Facebook preparations for the key event.

They include photos of Newin Chidchob, a former Bhumjaithai MP and multiple-time minister, strolling the Buri Ram United FC’s football field where Gen Prayut would meet the people.

The caption says: “Last check before the cabinet’s visit. This is where the prime minister and Buri Ram people will meet closely on Monday afternoon.”

According to the schedule, Gen Prayut will meet the people at the Chang Arena football field at 3pm. Two hours later he will check the readiness of Thailand as the host of the Thailand motorcycle Grand Prix (MotoGP) at the Chang International Circuit in the province.

Speculation has been rife ahead of the trip that Bhumjaithai might be the next target for Gen Prayut’s support after former MPs of Phalang Chon, a small party with a stronghold in Chon Buri joined the cabinet after earlier mobile cabinet meetings. Buri Ram is the stronghold of third-ranked Bhumjaithai and Mr Newin quit politics in 2012 to focus on his football team.

Sanong Thep-aksornnarong, a former Bhumjaithai MP, said there was nothing unusual about the mobile cabinet visit on Monday.

“Whoever is prime minister always visits us -- whether it’s Thaksin, Yingluck Shinawatra or Abhisit Vejjajiva. As a host, it's our duty [Bhumjaithai's] to greet them.

“I assure you there’s no special instruction from our party leader and Gen Prayut wants to check the progress after a state budget of 100 million baht was approved for Thailand to hold the MotoGP here.

“We don’t want to hear about MP-luring rumours because it’s not going to be easy here. We have dignity and was set up long before the new [military] party,” he said.

In the latest successful election in 2011, Bhumjaithai came third after Pheu Thai and Democrat parties, with 34 MPs (29 from constituencies and five party-list) while Phalang Chon had seven MPs.

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