Four prospective candidates for new cabinet need careful vetting

September should mark the beginning of the full-fledged Pheu Thai government under Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

The “Paetongtarn 1 Cabinet” will be well aware of the lessons learned from former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s case, where the appointment of Pichit Chuenban as Minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office was blocked by the Constitutional Court on August 14th, citing “lack of evident integrity”.

That means the new government will be paying close attention to at least four prospective ministers who may be categorised as high-risk and subject to thorough qualification checks.

The first is Chada Thaiseth of the Bhumjaithai Party, who has been re-nominated for his previous position, Deputy Minister of Interior. Chada has recently faced heavy criticism due to reports linking those close to him with influential figures.

The issue of Chada's qualifications isn't new; it arose back in 2019 during the formation of the government led by General Prayut Chan-o-cha. Initially, Chada was included on the list of ministerial candidates but was rejected by the big players in the government at that time. As a result, Bhumjaithai replaced him with his sister, Mananya Thaiseth.

Even though the Bhumjaithai Party remains confident that all its ministers will remain in their positions, Anutin has stated that the ministers have a responsibility to clarify any concerns. If they can do so, the issue will be resolved; if not, they must adhere to the standards set by the Prime Minister.

The United Thai Nation Party has proposed Ekkanat Prompan, the party's Secretary-General, for the position of Industry Minister. However, his qualifications remain in question due to a past conviction related to the anti-government protests organised by the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC).

Although the Court of Appeal acquitted Ekkanat in June 2024, there is ongoing debate about whether his previous conviction could pose a barrier to his appointment as minister.

It is now clear that the Democrat Party is transitioning from an opposition party to a new coalition government partner.

Chalermchai Sri-on, the party leader, is likely to be appointed as Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, while Secretary-General, Det-it Khaothong, might become the Deputy Minister of Public Health or the Deputy Minister of Interior.

Chalermchai has been questioned due to connections between his close associates, including his personal secretary and Hia Khao, the President of the Thai-Asian Economic Exchange Association, and his son, Krin Piyaprapibul, who shares the same surname as Chalermchai’s elder brother. They have been linked to the illegal import of chicken feet case.

Det-it has been scrutinized for photos with suspects involved in money laundering, and his sister and relatives have been implicated in a case involving the illegal occupation of the Khao Daeng archaeological site in Songkhla.

The Constitutional Court's ruling on Srettha set a high ethical standard. This ruling emphasised the Constitution's mechanisms for preventing, monitoring, and eliminating corruption to ensure that executives do not abuse their power. Every decision made will impact the nation, thus requiring accountability for all actions.