The ruling Pheu Thai Party and coalition partner Bhumjaithai Party have denied striking any secret deals after former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul were spotted playing golf together at a resort in Nakhon Ratchasima at the weekend.
Mr Anutin, who serves as deputy prime minister and interior minister, said that Thaksin and his family stayed at a separate hotel.
He insisted he did not discuss politics with Thaksin, who is widely believed to be Pheu Thai's de facto leader.
Mr Anutin also denied asking Thaksin to resolve the conflict between Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai over the government's plan to reclassify cannabis as a narcotic.
"It has nothing to do with Thaksin. The Narcotics Control Board [NCB] will make a decision on the matter," Mr Anutin said.
According to observers, a dispute appears to have emerged between Bhumjaithai, which advocated the decriminalisation of the plant, and Pheu Thai, which seeks to reverse that policy. A health committee responsible for controlling illegal drugs voted on July 5 to reclassify cannabis and hemp as narcotics, effective from Jan 1, 2025. The committee will submit its report to the NCB for consideration this month.
Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai also denied any deal was struck between Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai. "They went to play golf, sang songs and had dinner together," he said.
But sources noted that the golf date between Mr Anutin and Thaksin at the Khao Yai resort was intended to end the cannabis dispute between the two parties.
The sources said the way out of the conflict would be for the NCB to send the relisting proposal back to the health committee for review and for the government to push for the passage of a cannabis law with stricter controls on the use of the plant, the sources said. In return, Bhumajaithai is expected to give full support to Pheu Thai's digital wallet scheme, the sources said.