Political reporters bemoan lack of rising stars
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Political reporters bemoan lack of rising stars

But old soldier Prawit Wongsuwon and opposition MP Tisana Choonhavan dismissed as fallen stars

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Gen Prawit Wongsuwon presides over a Palang Pracharath Party meeting on Sept 6, 2024. Rarely seen in the House, he even gave back his 6-figure monthly salary after public criticism of his absences. (Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)
Gen Prawit Wongsuwon presides over a Palang Pracharath Party meeting on Sept 6, 2024. Rarely seen in the House, he even gave back his 6-figure monthly salary after public criticism of his absences. (Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)

For a third consecutive year, no Thai parliamentarian has been named as a rising star by the media people who cover politics, who say no one has proved worthy of such credit.

However, Palang Pracharath Party leader Gen Prawit Wongsuwon and Tisana Choonhavan, a People’s Party MP, have both been dubbed fallen stars, or has-beens.

In a year-end tradition, parliamentary correspondents come together each year to pick nicknames for lawmakers when referring to their achievements, failures or controversies.

Gen Prawit, a former deputy prime minister and an influential figure in the former Prayut Chan-o-cha regime, is viewed as a political has-been due to his poor performance as a lawmaker and failures as leader of Palang Pracharath, the reporters say.

The 79-year-old former army chief is in frail health and rarely attends House sittings, to the point where he gave up his six-figure monthly salary after public criticism of his absences.

Despite being a part of the subsequent Srettha Thavisin coalition government, Palang Pracharath failed to secure its cabinet quota.

In the current Paetongtarn Shinawatra administration, the quota was awarded instead to the group of 20 MPs who broke ranks with the party.

Gen Prawit also had to let them defect to the Klatham Party.

Ms Tisana, a granddaughter of the late prime minister Chatichai Choonhavan, arrived in parliament with high expectations.

Tisana: Poor grasp of figures

Tisana: Poor grasp of figures

However, she shocked attendees at one parliamentary debate by citing incorrect statistics repeatedly to support her point, and not appearing to realise she had made a mistake.

Her call for the government to acknowledge Myanmar refugees’ status in Thailand, which was supposed to demonstrate her pro-human rights stance, ended up with her and the People’s Party being lambasted on social media by critics.

Among other nicknames awarded this year was the “Thengteng” moniker given to Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, the opposition leader and chief of the People’s Party.

Thengteng is a Thai adverb for floating aimlessly, a reference to his understated leadership since the creation of the People’s Party after its precursor, Move Forward, was dissolved.

As opposed to former Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat, whose portrait is still being used for canvassing in local election campaigns, Mr Natthaphong, whose real nickname is Theng, is far less popular and has failed to show strong leadership in parliament.

The “quote of the year”, meanwhile, was “[We] will make Thai people prosper and be honoured” which was delivered during the 2023 election campaign by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, say reporters.

The quote has achieved a new life on as a cruel joke on social media any time people complain about the not-so-good economic situation.

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