Pheu Thai leaders say Thaksin has washed his hands of party politics

Two top Pheu Thai figures on Thursday confirmed that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra had washed his hands of party politics and would not return to dominate Pheu Thai’s internal management, as speculation over his role intensified after his royal pardon.

The comments came after Thaksin formally completed his legal obligations related to his prison sentence when a royal pardon ended his probation early on June 3.

Yodchanan says Cabinet and party work must be separated

Speaking at Government House on Thursday, Yodchanan Wongsawat, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, said questions about Thaksin’s role must be separated from the government’s work.

Yodchanan said the Cabinet already had full authority to administer the country and that each minister was working to the fullest.

He said party administration was a separate matter and must proceed under Pheu Thai’s formal structure.

Pheu Thai already has an advisory mechanism to support party affairs, he said, adding that the party had adjusted its internal management to suit its future political direction.

Paetongtarn remains within advisory structure

Asked about reports that Thaksin had stepped back from politics and handed responsibility for Pheu Thai to Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Yodchanan, he repeated that government work and party affairs must be treated separately.

Yodchanan said matters concerning the Cabinet would be handled fully by the government, while party administration would follow Pheu Thai’s rules and internal structure.

He noted that Paetongtarn was already serving as an adviser to the party.

Asked whether he and Paetongtarn now had full authority in political negotiations, Yodchanan said only that everyone was working fully and that all actions were aimed at moving the country forward.

Yodchanan dismisses party leadership speculation

Yodchanan also dismissed speculation that he could move up to become Pheu Thai leader.

He said there was no such move and that the party would continue under the management structure that had been clearly adjusted last month.

Asked whether he would seek advice from Thaksin, given Thaksin’s experience as a former prime minister, Yodchanan said national administration had its own procedures and rules, while party administration must follow the mechanisms of a political party.

Julapun says Thaksin will not return to party affairs

Julapun Amornvivat, Labour Minister and Pheu Thai leader, was more direct in rejecting claims that Thaksin would return to influence the party.

Asked whether Thaksin would meet Pheu Thai members after receiving the royal pardon, Julapun said the matter had not been discussed. However, he said party figures were happy for Thaksin’s family following the pardon.

When asked whether Thaksin would become involved with Pheu Thai, Julapun insisted that he would not.

Julapun said earlier that Thaksin was no longer involved with Pheu Thai, that questions about domination had passed, and that the party had its own direction.

Party rejects outside domination

Julapun urged the media to stop asking whether Thaksin would interfere in party management, saying the issue had already moved beyond that point.

He said Pheu Thai was ready to move forward under its own ideology and political thinking, rooted in the Thai Rak Thai era and carried through to the present.

The party had its own principles, ideas and beliefs, he said, and was ready to bring them to the people in order to drive its work towards its objectives.

“There is no external domination of any kind,” Julapun said.