National Broadcast

By

General Prayut Chan-o-cha

Head of the National Council for Peace and Order

8 August 2014 

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Good evening. We are meeting again for the ninth time in this programme. We have been meeting for a considerable period of time now. Today, the programme is airing a bit earlier than the time we have been regularly meeting in the past weeks. Thank you all for taking the time to listen and sharing my messages to others. I have seen a number of media reports—including those in print media—that have been conveying my messages to everyone for them to have a better understanding of what we are doing. Our aim in this is to create mutual understanding and establish two-way communication, which may not have been the norm in the past but is needed under the current special situation. We have no intention of forcing anyone into having all the same beliefs and thoughts as the NCPO. I believe everyone can make a distinction of what I have said, what is right and wrong or of honest intentions, unless interpreted otherwise

As I have said before, this is a very important period of time. We are nearing the auspicious occasion of Her Majesty the Queen’s Birthday Anniversary on 12 August 2014. I want everyone to do good deeds and make good wishes for our country and in honour of Her Majesty on this special occasion, as we have done in years past. This year, I am asking for more of those. Today, both His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen are staying at Siriraj Hospital.

I want to talk about communication—be they formal or informal or on social media or private accounts of each person with different sets of beliefs. Let me recount that, in the past and during present times, there have been and continues to be allusions made to disgrace the royal institution. I would like to take this opportunity to explain for your understanding that, despite many claiming that there are elites, commoners, and aristocrats in our country, the truth is far from these insinuations. That system is long gone—since King Rama V abolished slavery. Therefore, I see the people who are using these terms as those who are disparaging the whole of the Thai people. We are all equal as human beings. Our heritage, occupation, income, and quality of life may differ due to a number of reasons, but the important thing is that we are a country of liberal democracy, not a country of socialism or other form of governance. Thus, our competitive ability, livelihoods or access to resources may not be the same as our social capital is different. It is therefore the duty and responsibility of every government to try to reduce those gaps and inequality.

Simply saying that the cause of such inequality is this and that or putting the blame on the royal institution, the aristocrats, the commoners, or whatever else would be a wrong thing to do. The aristocrats of the past are the public servants of the present, who are now taking care of the country and the people instead of the royal institution and His Majesty the King. The Monarchy is above all conflicts as every government exercises the King’s prerogatives through the executive, legislative, and judicial powers to use in administering the country. Our King is a Constitutional Monarch; whatever endorsements or actions conducted are made in accordance with the Constitution or the little remaining customs and traditions of old. For that reason, I ask for your cooperation and understanding on this matter and please do not bring the royal institution down to be among conflicts again. Do not put blame on things that are untrue.

 Every government in charge of administering the country and bearing the responsibility needs to be more efficient. What has happened in the past remains our problems in the present and that is why we need to reform—to ensure that the administration of the country is in line with the principle of good governance, which calls for the rule of law, transparency, participation, accountability, cost-effectiveness, and integrity. These are the things that need to be taken into consideration when administering the country, in order to prevent disorder from happening again.

Today, the sufficiency economy philosophy of His Majesty the King has been incorporated into the 11^th National Economic and Social Development Plan as a philosophy by which whoever is in charge of national administration needs to abide. The reform process we are undergoing will touch on everything that needs reforming, to truly achieve good governance and to be able to thoroughly and equally serve and take care of the people.

The reform of people is most important, as people can be divided into different groups, sides, religions, and levels of quality of life. Each person and each group has different values and attitudes. I have mentioned before that education is a source of knowledge. If education cannot produce well-informed people with integrity—or if the family of a student does not have time to spend with him/her or if the educators lack the will to educate or are incompetent—the people coming out of schools who we will have as our citizens will be those without acumen and vision. They will not be able to handle threats, both traditional and non-traditional, or catch up with the evolution of things and global changes. What will become of Thailand then? We may become an underdeveloped country and forever remain as such in this ever-changing world, regressing further and further due to conflicts, selfishness, dishonesty, divisions, and so on. At this time, I think everyone should put a lot of thought into this more than thinking of themselves.

Everyone has their good side and bad side. The question is how to bring out the good of all people. How do you judge someone and say they are evil, wrong, or simply bad? Sometimes we need the law and sometimes people must help warn each other and not support or cooperate with what is known to create conflict and division. We cannot use the method of fighting and getting rid of each other, as that would be illegal. And realistically, you could not kill off every single bad person. The law is the answer. And if laws are enforced indiscriminately, with officials operating and the judicial process functioning with clarity and without division and prejudice, everyone will be better off. We need a reliable system accepted by everybody. This is what we want everyone to aim for—be they the people or the agencies involved with the judicial system.

I have been hearing people say that we must destroy the bad systems, by whatever names they may be called. My question to them is this: What factors in the past have contributed to the creation of all these systems? Certain people, regulations, public servants, sectors of society, and some from the public who may not be holding the country’s best interests at heart and may only be thinking of their own interests—all of these have contributed. With people giving undue benefits to each other, whoever becomes the country’s leader does not matter; if these people are working together to break the law, that would certainly be considered as a system of bad people. Therefore, if we do not want these systems, we must not accept dishonest or improper procedures. This is for the benefit of ourselves in preventing these systems from taking root again.

If we are to sustainably rid the country of these systems today, we must help each other find suitable ways and measures to counter them. We need to be a democracy in our own way and use the knowledge and wisdom of the Thai people to solve these problems and prevent them from taking hold again in the future. Do not be afraid of this. We need to address all dimensions of the problems for the reform to be effective and to prevent bad things from happening again in the future

Today, I want everyone to be able to distinguish between the faults of a person or group of persons, which are to be dealt with as normal through the judicial system, and the nation, which will need to continue moving forward. If we are going to only focus on the former, we will not be able to solve any problem and the country will not be able to move forward. But I do not mean to help any one side in particular or solve problems for any specific individual; that is not going to happen, because we are working for the interests of the country and the Thai people.

 In considering whether someone has acted against the law, right and wrong will be treated as such. Even with good intentions, any violation of the law will still be treated as such and no exemption shall be provided for any prosecution.I am not going to interfere or overrule the law on this matter. If too much inference is made due to discontent of the existing laws, the credibility and sacredness of the law will be compromised. What then will we use to decide on right and wrong?If we cannot use the law to decide, from where will decisions be based? Do not damage the institutions. In governing the country, there are only three powers: executive, legislative, and judicial. There is no other power.

The NCPO wishes to help solve the country’s problems and move it forward, putting an end to divisions at every level—among executive bodies, state agencies, and the general public. Some may be saying that I am talking about the same things over and over again. But some matters do need repeating as they have been unsolvable for a very long time.  If I am not repeating these things, people would lose interest in trying to address the issues at hand. Some say what I am doing today are populist measures. I do not see how helping to solve people’s problems as per their complaints and needs and aiming to solve their urgent problems and grievances can be interpreted as us employing populist measures.I do not want more affection of the NCPO from the people; I only want more of their cooperation in moving towards our goals.

In the first stage, we are addressing issues that could quickly be resolved. Then, short term and long term solutions to other problems will be considered. Legal issues are to be dealt with as legally appropriate. The processes are being carried out at different paces. There is no need to rush. We need to first reform and move our nation forward on the security, economy, social, and other fronts. This includes the preparation for becoming part of the ASEAN Community and there is not much time left for that. If you jumble everything together and rush the process, it would not be feasible and we will not solve anything. Everything will go back to being as it was. Please cooperate with us on this.

The dissemination of information by the NCPO, as I have said before, is aimed at informing the public of the significant progress that has been made. And we expect to receive feedbacks on what we have done—whether there are problems and whether certain process could be carried out. We will need your input on some matters. If I do not talk, discuss, explain, publicize, or make the news, I would not know whether what has been done is right or complete. I see this as a process that enables us to receive information from all of you. 

In administering the country today, some are saying that the NCPO, being military personnel, may lack the knowledge about taking charge of a nation or a country, which is a critical task. As I have said before, today we are following the existing mechanisms of the state as normal. I do not see any difficulty in managing the country and having people perform their functions, but progress is dependent on the efficiency of the relevant agencies. What we are doing now is following the existing various rules, regulations, acts and laws on national administration, some of which have not been observed in the past. Today we are overseeing and driving people to create, initiate, think, and act systematically and ensuring operational integration. That is what the NCPO is doing.

The military can do these tasks, as we have always been doing them in the Army. Otherwise the Army, with its personnel numbering in the hundreds of thousands, would have fallen apart a long time ago. In the Army, we need to figure out how to use our limited budget to enable everyone to perform their duties and be of value to the country, not just staying there doing nothing. Whether it is training, preparing for situations such as disasters, or providing relief to the people, we need to always be prepared. We are only using these experiences to drive the current process to ensure operational integration. I do not think that this is a difficult task.

As for other areas and expertise, I still need to rely on public servants, persons with the relevant knowledge and abilities, and advisors, as well as listen to other people and read various documents. We just need to organise things so that everyone can carry out their tasks. That is what management or administration is and we have been doing that for a very long time within the Army. Each year we have our own policy, whether it is personnel development, development of all systems, management system development, modernising the Army, and so forth.

The NCPO has set specific timeframe for the operation. I will mobilize and pass on these tasks to the new government which is about to be established in the near future. We will keep doing what we do well and delegate certain tasks to other people who can do better. At this moment, please allow the NCPO to carry out our job. I did not look down on anyone. I may have less knowledge than some of you but I am sincere and honest in administering the country and want to solve the problems. This is the most important point I would like to inform you all.

If we do not adhere to any principles and continue with the old means of fighting, whether through the laws or democratic process and eventually end up killing each other, those who are stronger, have more weapons or receives more favour will win and the losing side will seek revenge. If the losing side cannot resist publicly, they will form underground movement. I think we have to reduce this kind of sentiments. If underground resistance are allowed, our country will be further damaged. It has already been damaged when I stepped in and there is no point to go back to that condition. We would have to return to the old ages and resort to weapons and violence. This is not time to stage anti-military movements. The NCPO does not out hunting and killing off anyone but only resort to legal means.

The next thing I would like to mention is that many people might be angry at me since I may unintentionally hurt the sentiments of certain groups of individuals. This is because I have to stop the bleeding, and therefore, may have used harsh language sometimes. This is because everyone only believes in their ideas. I have to calm them down. Some people criticized that I favour one side over another but I would like to say that we need to have a cooling-off period for both sides before we can solve the problems through legal means. Some groups may have fought against each other using laws, rightness, justice and legitimacy. Some may have used political means. I think that at this moment, we must stop maligning each other. Until now, we have been able to reduce this to some extent. We have to start a new thought process by drawing together all groups and parties, segregating the perpetrators, and let the remaining ones develop the country.

In the past, Thailand faced a political crisis that escalated to confrontation and violence. Weapons were used against innocent civilians causing many injuries and casualties. Thus, after the 22^nd of May, the NCPO had to step in to take control of the country and we were able to maintain peace and order thanks to everyone’s cooperation.

As for the great number of good politicians, whether in the past, present or future, there are a number of new generation politicians who want to take care of our country. I think that after the national reform in 11 significant areas, especially politics, we will attract many good people to come help us. We should not misjudge that this person is good or bad as it should be determined by the laws.             I urge you to come help us. 

Progress of the NCPO Operation

On Economy:

On progress of the NCPO operation, besides putting an end to violence, the issue of economy needs to be driven forward. The expenditure needs to be continued. The NCPO and all government agencies have continued to build confidence on the economy, both domestically and internationally. For European countries such as Germany, the NCPO has promoted understanding with the Board of Directors of German Asia-Pacific Business Association on several issues including migrant workers and the economic operation of the future government. We have also learned that the German retail business sector expressed understanding and showed positive response on the situation.

Among ASEAN countries, the Indonesian high-level executives have expressed understanding and readiness to cooperate in moving Thailand’s economy forward. In addition, based on views drawn from a seminar of former British Ambassadors to Thailand, it can be concluded that “Western-style democracy may not be a perfect model of democracy. Therefore, it is not necessary for every country to follow. As such, each country should seek appropriate means suitable for its own situation without greatly going against the democratic principles of the international community.”  This is their statements I have already mentioned that we have to use Thai people’s intellect to develop Thailand’s democracy and determine how we will move forward and at the same time it has to be accepted by the international community.

On improvement of basic infrastructure, I have mentioned earlier that the Ministry of Transport has laid out the 8-year strategic infrastructure plan comprising 5 projects. The term “strategic plan” refers to a long-term plan. It does not mean that we will complete all projects in one row. The budget of approximately 2.4 billion covers the period of 8 years. We are drafting a comprehensive plan and will divide it into phases. We will determine what shall be implemented in each phase, when the implementation will be and where the budget will come from. Right now, we have not decided on any of these matters but people started criticizing already that everything is the same or that there will be a problem of corruption. That is a different process. We will set up measures to inspect corruption during procurement process. Right now, we only look into policy issues and approval of long-term project workplan. This is similar to the National Economic and Social Development Plan which covers a period of 5 years. Our strategic plan will be in line with the National Economic and Social Development Plan. 

Therefore, we will begin with connecting transportation networks from major trade cities to Bangkok and periphery. The border, central, regional and local transportations have to be interconnected to provide inclusive and fair services for all. The next urgent project is the railway development project. You are well aware that there is no other means of transport that cost less than railway transport. This covers domestic and international delivery, transportation and services. Other means of transport, whether by waters or by land, are costly and require higher budget. All of them are necessary but we have to implement step-by-step according to the workplan. We have to decide where the budget will come from, whether through foreign loans or domestic budget. We have yet to discuss these issues. The number is only an estimate figure. It may cost more or less depending on the actual implementation. Therefore, we cannot set a specific budget. Each phase has to be segregated and you should think this way. If you do not listen to us and keep on criticizing, in the end we will not achieve anything.

Previously, the representatives of U.S. Chamber of Commerce in ASEAN met with the Chief of Economic Cluster and received briefing on Thailand’s strategic infrastructure development plan which will tremendously facilitate investors. They have expressed satisfaction on the NCPO’s operation and agreed to help publicize the information to expand trade and investment with Thailand. This is why we are in the process of drafting a strategic workplan. Strategy is a national agenda. If we do not have strategy, we will waste a lot of money. We should have a strategy for everything.    

On water resources management, the NCPO will formulate a master plan for the country which encompasses all river basins and all aspects of water management, be it flood, drought or water storage and will solicit ideas regarding water resources management from all sectors and conduct public hearing. In the past, sometimes people were not informed or have long been against it. Therefore, we should seek mutual understanding on this issue.

If people always go against the construction of dams, I wonder where the water will come from. We will have to wait for normal rainfall. I understand that this year we will have less amount of rainfall. Then what shall we do? People should help brainstorm and support us. Otherwise we cannot accomplish anything. On the problem of corruption, the process of inspection will be accelerated. One should not be involved with corruption. Our country can move forward if civilians and government officers join hands and not only looking for their own benefits. By doing so, we will be able to accomplish all tasks.

From the visit to the water resource development project site in Prachinburi Province, I ordered the working group to visit the water hyacinth control project site in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya. We need to find a solution to remove water hyacinth which covered large areas of Chao Phraya River. If people who live by the river help remove the water hyacinth, the problem will be solved easily. We should not rely solely on the officials since they do not have enough human resources and boats to clean them all.

On waste management, when I was young whenever I see garbage, I will pick it up and put it in the trash bin. If everyone throws away garbage from his car and wait for dustman to clean them, it will be dirty everywhere. Everyone must help. All relevant agencies responsible for waste management and waterways should look into these matters. For those of you who are government officials, we may not have large amount of budget but you should put your heart into whatever you do. You should be proud when you put efforts in your work. This is how the military think. If we think of budget as the first priority or do less if we have less budget and do more if we have more budget, it will not work at all even for the military. We need to think in another direction by maximizing the budget. If there are remaining budget, we should use it for other purposes and economize as much as possible. This is why the military has the capacity to perform various tasks. We try to do everything for the people regardless of budget. This value should be instilled in everyone. Civilians should contribute to the society and civil servants should try their best to do their jobs.

As rainfall in the Chao Phraya River basin is lower than that of last year and most rain occurred outside the dam areas, the water storage is approximately 30% which is similar to the dry season, we have to pray for more rain before the end of the rainy season. If this problem persists, we will not have enough water reserve for electricity production, irrigation and agriculture. All other farming activities will be affected. We should ask ourselves why there is less amount of rainfall.  We should help ourselves by planting more trees and retaining natural water sources. In the past, Thai people gathered in a village to dredge canal, but today we no longer see this. We need to rethink and revert to this traditional practice. Everyone must help and join together. If we only rely on government officials or machines, it will take time to complete. We have to be more self-reliant. When I visited the draught or flooding areas, sometimes only 5 – 10 meters of pipe was blocked, but nobody wanted to fix it and only waited for more budget. I don’t understand why.  We need to change this mindset. People should try to help themselves first unless it is a big project that requires a lot of budget and high-technology machines. Even in Bangkok, people should try to help themselves first by clearing the clogged water pipe since relying on government officials will take some time. When the problem of flooding or drought occurs, everyone including me should be blamed. All of us are the owners of this country so we have to help.

As for artificial rain, the NCPO has assigned the Department of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation to carry out rainmaking operations to increase water levels in dams prior to the normal rainy season. I have ordered the Social Psychology Cluster to coordinate and work with them to assess the level of humidity and cloud density. If there is not enough humidity, we cannot produce artificial rain. Humidity is generated by forest. If people continue to trespass forest lands, build more resort and rubber plantation in non-private areas, artificial rain cannot be made and we have no one else to blame. The NCPO has ordered the Department of Irrigation and the Department of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation to start the artificial rain making operation to increase water level in the dams in an integrated manner and use proactive public relations to inform all sectors of the need to conserve water.

On the flood situation, currently there are 19 provinces that have been affected by flooding, most of which are in the northeastern region. I understand how much people in the northeast rely on rain for their crops. When droughts occur, they do not know what they can do for a living. Therefore, it is important to have enough water storage and to prevent flooding. I have directed the Ministry of Interior’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation along with the military – all armed forces – to follow up on the situation and provide assistance to people throughout the affected areas in an expeditious manner without having to be ordered to do so. Military officers must go into areas that have been inundated. They can make disbursement requests afterwards. They can coordinate with provincial governors who will disburse allowances to them. The NCPO has also directed the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and other related ministries to survey farmland that has been damaged by flooding in order to provide further assistance.

I have asked the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to thoroughly survey   the affected and unaffected areas. Without clear boundaries of the affected areas, disbursements cannot be made. People who have really been affected by flooding will not receive financial aid they need. However, people living in areas that are not affected by floods do not think there are any problems if they do not receive money. From now on, areas that have been damaged must be clearly identified. Provincial governors and the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation are responsible for the flood situation. In some cases, an announcement concerning flooding has been made. Though there are floods in certain districts in a province, the unaffected districts might request for financial aid, which leads to corruption.

I would like to ask you – government officials and fellow citizens – not to be part of the corruption. Such a situation can delay disbursements, some of which can be traced back to two years ago due to a lack of transparency. If everyone wants to receive aid quickly, do not become involved in corrupt activities. Budgets can be approved based on real estimates that are not too low and too high. Once false estimates are approved, some people who have been affected will be in trouble and will not have enough money to live on. I ask you not to let this happen again. If government officials are involved in such a corrupt activity, they will be dismissed from their position.

Solving problems concerning agricultural products

* Longkong: It is predicted that there will be an oversupply of longkong fruit this year. At a meeting of the NCPO, issues concerning such agricultural products as rice, longkong, mangosteen, sugarcane, cassava, rubber and palm were discussed. We are fully aware there are problems concerning all agricultural products, which have been resolved in all the previous governments. After long-term measures have failed to address the issues, governments resort to subsidies. The same situation can be expected in the next ten years. The NCPO has issued an order to expedite the development of a systematic distribution of longkong and other crops. Other measures include establishing markets and adopting a value-added processing approach, which will facilitate export. Agricultural crops for export must be quality products and germ free. Do not cheat foreign traders by mixing quality products with poor quality ones. Some have done this thinking that cheating only once would make them become rich. This has ruined the country. Therefore, inspection is required for all processes of agricultural production. For some companies, the results of inspection turned out to be good, but the products they exported did not have quality standards. Companies involved in such fraud were closed down. This should not happen again.

* Rubber: There is a need to look at domestic demand. Many countries are growing more rubber trees in their own countries and support plantations outside the country. In Thailand we plant a lot of rubber trees. So those grown in other countries will have lower production costs resulting in decreases in rubber prices. This is what I would like you to understand. For Thailand, we have to find ways to reduce production costs to make a profit margin. But people should not expect high profit by creating artificial demand. The balance between supply and demand is important. A shared database of areas where rubber trees are grown domestically is also needed. A roadmap for resolving problems regarding rubber production should be formulated, considering whether more rubber trees should be grown in certain areas while local demand has decreased. People cannot keep growing rubber trees only because they think rubber yields high profits. Designating zones for rubber planting is required. People should have a true understanding of the situation that due to rubber production surplus, its prices are not high. We need to have discussions regarding the issue of rubber production to develop some measures such as growing alternative crops, using crop rotation methods and developing local industries to replace rubber production. As for rubber for domestic consumption, 5 per cent of the rubber is used for road construction. It is better than nothing. Costs of road construction will be higher. I have directed related working groups to seek cooperation from companies that produce gloves and tires and have investment projects in Thailand. Companies that manufacture rubber products in Thailand must purchase 75 per cent of Thai rubber. It is important to look at the whole picture. The solution is not to increase rubber prices. Rubber prices should be determined. This applies to other crops too.

 * On sugar production, sugarcane production constituted approximately 100,000 million baht for Thailand.  Currently, many want to set up more sugarcane mills, which must be at least 80 kilometres away from sugarcane plantations. Companies have tried to get hold of areas that are 60 kilometres away from the plantations. The Ministry of Industry has inspected 50 sugar mills to find out if they are within 80 kilometres. If they do not comply with the regulation, other measures will be formulated. It is also important to find ways to relocate sugar cane mills in areas where rice is grown to areas where there are sugarcane plantations.  We must consider whether sugarcane mills that have no raw materials should be promoted. Such systematic planning is required for other crops such as cassava, taking into account demand and value-added methods. The planning should be conducted in an integrated manner. There are issues regarding many agricultural crops that have to be resolved.

 * On the seed and fertilizer support program, seeds and fertilizer are offered at lower prices to reduce production costs. 205 stores that sell seeds have undergone quality control inspection. 197 stores passed the inspection and were certified while 28 stores did not. It was found that the 28 stores sold low quality seeds, which would not germinate properly. There are 2 rice seed stores that offered rice seeds mixed up with poor quality grains. The seeds were seized and legal action has been taken again those involved.

* Progress in rice trade negotiations between countries: The NCPO assigned the Director General of Foreign Trade Department to travel to China to conduct trade negotiations. The major result of the negotiations was the sale of 900,000 tons of rice according to the previous agreement reached. 80,000 to 100,000 tons of rice will be shipped to China from September 2014 to September 2015. China allowed Thailand to revise rice prices. As for rice in stocks, China has shown an interest in purchasing broken milled rice by placing an order for 100,000 tons of broken milled rice in August 2014 and allowing Thailand to submit rice samples of different grades – best, medium and low quality rice – that were inspected and passed quality control and propose prices for further consideration. China views rice as a shared cultural symbol of Thailand and China.

 * On public debt, the current public debt is at an acceptable level and accounts for 44.6 percent of GDP. If it accounts for more than 60 percent of GDP, it signals danger. In developed countries, public debt that accounts for 100 percent of GDP is acceptable because people have high income. In addition, household debt is another index to be monitored, particularly personal loans and reckless credit card spending. People do not give much thought when using credit cards recklessly and go bankrupt. When banks press for debt collection, they then turn to informal debt. People are not aware of the situation. People should get their finances in order. State agencies must also comply with financial regulations. People should have financial discipline so that their families will not be in trouble. They should adhere to the self-sufficiency economy philosophy of His Majesty the King and save up money. People should also have financial planning for their future. I have told you several times that informal debt is a big problem, particularly for poor people. The NCPO has assigned the Ministry of Finance to coordinate with the Bank of Thailand and commercial banks to resolve the problem. They have low income while living costs have increased. Most importantly, people must understand their own financial situation. At present, most people – approximately 53.8 percent of households nationwide – are indebted to financial institutions. Their debts account for 128 percent of their annual income. This puts Thailand in a group of countries where the ratio of household debt to income is high. People should make their purchasing decision based on reason and save up money for the future. Do not rely on your feelings when deciding to buy products. Some people opt for shopping when they are in a bad mood. The same happens when they are in a good mood. If they continue reckless credit card spending behaviours, they will be in trouble later.

On Security:

On tackling the problem of migrant labour, the One Stop Service Centers for the Registration of Migrant Workers have been established in almost every province. The NCPO has disbursed the budget for computer system setup and appropriate remuneration for officials to allow for work efficiency.

The Damrongtham Centers that the NCPO has instructed the Ministry of Interior and Provincial Govenors to establish will be promptly opened in accordance with the NCPO’s policy in order to resolve problems of the people. Formerly, each official used to perform a duty subjected to his or her responsibility such as publicizing information or accepting complaints. Today, the areas of operation must include:

1. Providing information and recommendation on contacting public officials such as forms, documentation, and where to contact. Some people went to the City Halls and did not know how to proceed, as there were many rooms and sections. Each ministry and department has been working separately. The Centers will thus operate as focal points. Relevant officials must be present in the Centers. Any person who comes to the Centers must be provided with information on how to proceed. He or she should not have to go back and forth. Information should be disseminated all at once. The Centers must accommodate people in all issues, promptly and inclusively, similar to one stop service centers. 

2. Providing information on other issues. I have instructed the Centers to consider ways to connect with ministries and departments. People can contact the Centers for answers on all issues such as the price of agricultural products, water resources, areas suitable for plantation, zoning, forest areas, and park areas, in order for everyone to have a correct understanding. All information must be interconnected.

3. Providing information on laws. People must be able to obtain answers on legal questions such as relevant laws, city plans and other legal issues, as well as the judicial process. We want everyone to have an equal access to judicial process.

4. Accepting complaints from people who are in trouble. We had been seeing people who gathered to protest and wasted their time. People should be able to hand in their complaints and discuss with relevant officials. The discussion may be short or long. At least, they will obtain some explanation. Every Governor must ensure that people in their province who have problems, first and foremost, contact the Centre in each province.

Apart from accepting complaints and the preliminary problem solving process, it is also important to publicize information of which people should be aware. An interconnected information system must be established amongst the districts. Some people who cannot travel to the Damrongtham Centers because of the distance can contact the District Offices. District Chief Officers can then take care of them and contact the Centers for instruction on how to proceed. People, especially those who are poor, will not have to unnecessarily spend their money on transportation. At present, I have instructed relevant officials to prepare for inspection visits. There are several pioneering Centers. Governors should know how to operate the Centers. The NCPO has given instruction for each Centre to include officials from other ministries, apart from the Ministry of Interior’s officials. I have given each Governor an authority; therefore, he or she must request for relevant officials to come and work in each Centre. Each Centre must be able to handle all issues – be they forest-related, working, health and other issues. It is a preliminary filtering process, so not everyone will have to travel to Bangkok.

On helping Thai people in Libya, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been monitoring the situation and cooperated with all relevant sectors, and we are continually expediting in providing assistance for those people. There are 929 workers in total who are to be evacuated. At present, 119 Thai workers have evacuated out of Libya and 39 of them have returned to Thailand, and the rest of them are in the process of evacuating. Those who have not returned to Thailand will be ensured of their safety. They should nonetheless be sympathized with. They choose to stay because they have spent a lot of money to travel to the country. They have had to take on loans. Agents and companies; therefore, must look for ways to help them. If the conflict has ended, it has to be considered whether or not they can return to work and what the terms of their contracts are. Such agents and companies should be responsible for the welfare of the workers. State and everyone must help those workers as we are all Thai. They have spent money to go to work and they have been forced to return. We have to think of how we can help them. Some companies have already provided assistance, while others have not. We have to help them and should not leave them in distress.

On helping Thai people in Israel, the risk has decreased at the moment as there have been some negotiations. However, the Royal Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv has recommended people who are near the Gaza Strip area to move out of the conflict areas, or those who intend to stay have to strictly comply with the safety procedures. For instance, when there is an alarm, they need to immediately evacuate to safe areas. Thai people sometimes do not take the alarm seriously and may be physically harmed.

On an earthquake in Yunnan which caused several injuries and death, we have issued a statement conveying our sincere condolences to victims of the earthquake. We would like to reiterate on a close relationship between Thailand and China, and we are sincerely ready to provide support and assistance if requested by Chinese authorities.

On Social Psychology:

On education, I have mentioned before that education is a source of wisdom. The NCPO has received several complaints from students and parents on the unsuitability of current curricula. Subjects should be taught in accordance with the children’s ages. Children should not be taught the same subjects from the very young age, as some subjects are not suitable for them. The world is changing, so as their ways of thinking. In the past, children studied different subjects according to their ages. Some subjects are only suitable for children of certain ages.

 I believe that at the moment there are too many compulsory subjects for young children, which increase in difficulty as they progress. Children; therefore, do not have free time or time for their parents. They have to study a lot of subjects and do not thoroughly understand each subject, and are burdened with loads of homework. Subsequently, they do not have time to be given guidance by their parents or to help with the housework, and hence, do not know how to do the housework and other practical things. Their parents are helping them with everything. These facts must be taken into consideration. Older children must study subjects that are suitable for their ages. I understand that we have to prepare the children for future challenges in the outside world and with other countries. If the minority of children is intellectually prepared, such as those who win academic prizes, while other children are not intellectually ready, this situation cannot be continued.

The cost of education remains high, especially for those children who take extra tuition classes. We should not force children to seek extra tuition. If they can study well in class, the parents will not be worried and teachers will not have to invest their time in teaching extra tuition classes. Children from poor families who cannot afford extra tuition consequently fail their exams. The Ministry of Education has to resolve these problems. Children must be able to continue their further studies and compete with others. However, the cost of tuition must be affordable to ease the burden of the parents.

According to the statistics, 53 per cent of bachelor’s degree graduates are unemployed. If this situation continues, there will be more and more people who are out of jobs. Social values must be changed. The Ministry of Education has to find ways to solve the problems. I believe that fewer subjects should be taught in order for the children to be able to learn more and conduct self-studies. The focus must be on the quality of education, not the quantity. More people in various vocations that meet the needs of the market should be produced. Thailand is lacking people in some vocations, and has to resort to foreign labour. Some vocational training programmes are not available in the country and some are not popular. As some students from different vocational institutions always fall out with one another, parents consequently do not want to send their children to these institutions, as they are concerned for their children’s safety. Students from these institutions should discuss amongst themselves how to rebuild reputations and ensure safety. These institutions should produce people who are gentlemen. Thus, we need to provide more scholarships.

There are already many scholarships available, and we need to ensure that they are inclusive. We have to also ensure that the grants of scholarships achieve their purposes. We have to monitor what those who have received scholarships do after graduation. The institutions must produce graduates who meet the needs of the market. There are formal, non-formal, and informal education systems, which must be harmonized and mutually supporting one another. The Ministry of Education must address these issues in an integrative manner in order to yield optimal benefits.

On the beggar issue, I received complaints about the networks of both Thai and foreign beggars who have good income. The Royal Thai Police and the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security have been assigned to rapidly tackle the whole system otherwise they will cause increasing disturbances to society, disorder to the country and bad image for tourism.

On tourism, I have received complaints in areas of Pattaya and Phuket about scamming activities. On such scam is to feign an accidental collision with rental boats or other water recreation devices driven by tourists and demand compensation for injuries. Please do not do this. We will make arrests and legal action taken. These transgressions damage the image of the country. To claim as much as 5,000 to 10,000 baht is not acceptable. Do not do so as it destroys the tourism industry.

Another form of exploitation is the so-called zero dollars/baht tours where credit/debit cards are used instead of cash. Tourists were told not to bring cash and were forced to buy things with their cards. The Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Culture and the police must look into the matter to end such deceptive practices. Forcing tourists to buy from certain stores, marking up the price, make card payments instead of cash are all part of cheating tourists. So who will visit Thailand. There are complaints of less people visiting but that is from your doing. You have to be stricter on your part. If one finds cases of exorbitant pricing and swindling, please inform the police to make arrests. It does not help if we all ignore the situation and blame the State.

As for the epidemic of Ebola virus disease, NCPO is very concerned on this matter. Do not be too alarmed. The Ministry of Public Health has assured that it is under control. There will be stricter inspection of incoming visitors to Thailand. However, one should observe for any symptoms. I have already made clear instructions on this issue. Please do not panic, but at the same time be cautious, monitor symptoms and maintain sanitation and hygiene of the family and the children.

On the garbage problem, I consider this to be of high priority.  NCPO has assigned all concerned agencies to prepare work plans and projects for building waste disposal and waste recycling sites at the central, provincial and local administration levels. This year we will start with the building of 5 - 6 new facilities for waste disposal and segregation. We will continue with concrete projects in the following years. Currently, we have asked the provincial and local administration to rapidly enhance the knowledge and understanding to the public. If the people are not allowed to put their trash within the area of the community, I ask where the people would dump the waste. One should think of how to administer the area. If there is no danger and the local people have no problem with it, then a waste disposal should be provided for them. If not, then where would they get rid of their waste? So there will have to be compromises. 

On the legal and judicial process, it is ongoing. The draft legislations pending in Parliament or the Cabinet will be considered as a priority. The purpose is to amend legislations so that is up to date, non-redundant and in accordance with international standard. Today there are many laws which have existed since the early 20^th century and needs to be brought up-to-date. This will enable to keep up with our neighbouring countries, especially in areas governing international treaties and international trade agreements that do not affect the land boundaries. As for other laws that will involve many different agencies, we will have to be very circumspect in our considerations and must be consistent with the overall reform efforts and deliberations in the National Legislative Assembly. We need to continuously expedite the process as it will commit and affect many agencies and sectors.

On surrogacy, it has been happening for a long time. For the media, I understand their interest but for some matters there is no need to expand the coverage of these cases. There have been arrests and legal action taken as well as clarifications. However, we repeatedly talk about these issues until now Thailand is a country guilty of all vices. I do not think it should be that way. For example, on rape cases we keep talking about for many days. The victims have become too ashamed to press charges. So they being doubly victimized. So the media should think carefully about this. I am not chiding you but you will have to think carefully. There are some things which you do not need to repeat or go deep into details. So please think of the feelings of those affected in presenting your news. 

Other Issues:

As for the renovation of landscape, trees and plants, and lawn of Phitsanulok House and Government House, these are existing plans but were not implemented because of the political situation. Upon verification I have approved a longstanding proposed budget for implementation in a transparent and efficient manner. We cannot leave the structures to fall apart and then start to repair. I gave instructions for trees to be planted and trimmed in Phitsanulok House. It houses many historical buildings where in the future could become a tourist attraction, a depository or museum. We cannot just let it collapse. So we are not restoring the buildings for anyone. We do not even know who is going to take up office there.

On the pending construction of Her Majesty the Queen Commemorative Building at Phra Mongkutklao Hospital and the precious wooden buildings which will be built to pay tribute to Her Majesty the Queen on the auspicious occasion of her 80^th Birthday Anniversary a few years ago and for which the budget has already been approved by the government, the NCPO has now given a go-ahead. There is a lot of wood which have been seized and the legal cases have concluded. If we leave it unattended, the wood will either rot or disappear. We will regulate the wood for construction. I think Thailand should have more multi-use buildings instead of the few existing facilities for conferences seminars and state guest accommodation. We need a place to showcase treasures, collections and Thai heritage exhibits. So we could use the wood in the construction of the buildings. We will not sell the wood; any sales would be illegal and must be arrested. In the construction of the buildings we could use the wood for interior decoration. Precious wood such as Rosewood has different patterns which we can engrave into various designs for each room. I would like us all to have a dream that in our time we should build something for future generations. The structures we look at today are built a long time ago. We have not created anything new for future generations to look at, not for personal fame but for the country.  

As for the media issue, NCPO would like to thank all the media for your understanding and cooperation in creating conducive environment to the long-term development and reform. I admire the statement by Mr. Jakrit Permpoon, Chairman of the National Press Council of Thailand, who said "Do not fear without reason nor recklessly be bold. The point is whether you have a clear principle or not in working in this kind of situation, which is to strictly uphold the professional principles." Thank you once again. It was a laudable statement. The media should take a look.   

On the matter of Ms. Kritsuda, I do not want to defame her but she has discredited the NCPO, the army and the country through social media which is entirely false. From reports I received, the talks during the 3 days, 5 days and 7 days, went well. Her husband was also present.  She requested to stay saying it was too dangerous to leave. Now she says that she was beaten by military personnel. Why would we do that? We will show a video clip that was made during the talks which went well. Ms. Kritsuda had fully cooperated with us.  Today she has backtracked which I do not understand why we would torture her as claimed. We have not beaten or tortured anyone. Why would we torture you, Ms. Kritsuda? This implies malicious intent on your part. We know that the company you keep have committed wrongdoings, some were accused of violating the royal institution while some are fleeing from arrest warrants issued against them. They will face legal proceedings. NCPO does not have a policy to violate anyone’s human rights. 

Regarding the movements that have been violating the most revered institution of the country, there have been some persons who have recently come out very strongly. Action is already being taken. Many persons are in the legal process or have been issued arrest warrants but fled abroad. A number of large countries do not have laws like us so they do not comprehend the significance of our lese majeste law, which is quite difficult for us to proceed.  Among the persons who have gone abroad to evade law cases against them are Mr. Chupong Thithuan, Mr. Anek Chaichana, Mr. Saneh Thinsaan, Mr. Amnuay Gaewchompu, Mr. Ongart Tanakomet, and many others who are have conspired to dissent. We have evidence linking them, even photos. These people are worthless and have criminal cases against them. Therefore they will be prosecuted whereby we are trying to seek their extradition which we realize the difficulty. But disseminating information through social media is an issue of concern. Some sites are opened abroad where we have no power to close it down. Those countries have different laws from us whereas we need to apply our laws for legal action.

On the transfer of high level officials, we are just seeing how adjustments can be made. Any personnel movements will be in accordance with the regulations of respective agencies. This practice is similar to the military reshuffle. There is no need to make payments to anyone. Do not be afraid of legal cases if you are not at fault. We will try to ensure fairness and will instruct the Ministers to oversee the selection process. The military has never make payments for positions. I wish that no one has to pay for their promotion or positions. Do not give in to those may be out to deceiving you regarding transfers. One must have moral decency and ethics without being gagged from buying your way up through the ranks.

On the matter of kickbacks demanded at the lower levels of government, if there are any police or military officials who ask for protection money or other payoffs in the name of NCPO, please quickly report this to the NCPO. There is no need to convey through social media. Some people accuse military officials of speaking inappropriately, harshly and being arrogant. Please inform me so that we can punishment them immediately. I have always stressed that this cannot be done. Possessing more authority or law enforcement powers obliges officials to act with greater humility to the people. If this can be done, it would be a good example in the performance of official duties.

The NCPO’s current operations all fall within the parameters of the recently promulgated Provisional Constitution of Thailand B.E. 2557 (2014). In the absence of a Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Head of the NCPO is acting in their authority in national administration. Matters that can be done now involve reducing the troubles faced by the public and prepare for work plans in the long term, such as budgetary implementation for the next fiscal year. The NCPO has not interfered with any procurement processes, which already have strict regulations and legal provisions. However, we will have an overseeing role in ensuring transparency, fairness and inclusiveness. If there is any corruption in the procurement process, investigations and legal action will be pursued. We want the process to be quick, sound and acceptable.

In summary, addressing the nation’s current urgent problems, includes: 1. raising income levels and closing income gaps of the public in the short term, in particular those with low income; 2. solving problems relating to agricultural production; 3. driving the economy forward, both at the domestic and international levels; 4. fiscal and monetary management in a timely manner; and 5. modernize the country by improving public services, basic infrastructure and water resources.

On the salary increase for civil service, it is in process. Do not publicize too much yet. We have to consider on how to proceed. Perhaps we can increase the salary of lower level officials first. The public would also have to support the overall efforts of the State because they have independent professions. But for the civil servants, they have to conduct themselves in accordance with rules and regulations and their salaries have not been raised for a long time. The private sector salaries have already been adjusted to 15,000 baht. The lower level government officials still receive under 7,000 baht which is not sufficient. We will consider how we can increase the salary base or income of the general public in all professions and sectors.  How we can achieve a just taxation system and improve elements regarding entities. So these reforms of civil service and education will be taken up at the National Reform Council. They will deliberate on issues such as how to strengthen the civil service and a systematic reform in education.

On national reform, there will be a kick-off session on 9 August at the Royal Thai Army Club to introduce the reform process and measures. I therefore invite Thai citizens from all sectors to join us on that day.

I would like to reiterate that NCPO was not established to serve any particular group. The minority which constitutes a majority must be looked after fairly. The law enforcement officials must be facilitated in their work. We do not have the capability to arrest all the wrongdoers even if granted additional authority or power. So we need to have measures that would reduce the problems by not having to enforce excessive laws.

·        On energy, basic infrastructure, taxes and agricultural productivity assistance, the media has often presented the news in an incomplete manner. They did not portray the big picture that I had explained. The news was presented in bits and pieces with out full explanations. For example, on the issue of rice I had explained about the rice cultivation and sales but the media picked up only the cultivation part for criticisms, when done move on to criticize the sales aspect and then move on to the concerns on corruption. So please find new ways of covering and presenting the news and information.

·        Lastly, I invite everyone to cooperate with us in continuing to work together on this next phase of our efforts.

·        Thank you. Good evening.