National Broadcast
By
General Prayut Chan-o-cha
Head of the National Council for Peace and Order
15 August 2014

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Good evening dear citizens. A couple of days ago, we have just celebrated the auspicious occasion of Her Majesty the Queen’s Birthday Anniversary. I hope the atmosphere in the country will continue to be one of warmth, pride, safety, and order. Everyone must work to contribute to the nation’s benefits and welfare and make Thailand known to the world as a small but significant country, with its virtuous monarchy and its unique, long-standing traditions which we must continue to uphold. 

First of all, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the family of the people who were injured or lost their lives in the collapse of the condominium in Pathum Thani. The NCPO has been following the situation very closely since the beginning and has instructed relevant agencies to fully and continually provide the assistance needed. A detailed investigation will be conducted into this matter; we need to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.

To elaborate further on what I said last week, the NCPO is aware that a lot of people still have a hard time earning a living, especially those with low income like farmers. These people do not have enough food, clean water, and other living necessities to go about their lives. And as there are still many areas without irrigation, some farmers can only depend on the rain to grow their crops and earn enough from harvest. I really sympathise with these people. Every government needs to be aware of these problems and work to resolve them, while we ourselves will also need to help.

As those doing business in other sectors—service, sales, tourism, retail, wholesale, etc.—are important to the society as well, everyone, regardless of profession or level of income, must work together and help each other develop our nation.

From now on, it will be very important that we focus on the economic situation. Global trends are showing signs of possible fluctuations and many risks. Political situations, conflicts, fighting, poverty, and climate change are among the factors contributing to these conditions. As such, we will need to be prepared for any situation that may occur.

Problems cannot be resolved solely by the state or disbursement of government budget. It is a time for every Thai citizen to help each other and sacrifice their own economic profits and benefits for the sake of others.

It is time for everyone to help the country surmount this time of crisis. Cooperation is needed from all businesspersons in areas such as merchandising, exportation, merchant middlemen, construction, transportation, and other areas. They have to brainstorm to find a way out for the country in this time of global uncertainty. Everyone must lower the sale prices, increase the purchasing power, and maintain appropriate profits. They have to think of those with low income. If you substantially lower the price of the products you buy from farmers, they will not be able to survive. The State cannot spend a lot of money or provide price support for everyone.

I would like the aforementioned business groups and those who I have not mentioned to register with the provincial authority and state how they will help the country. These include sellers of rice, sugar cane, sugar, cassava, palm, and rubber, construction entrepreneurs and other businesspersons. All business associations, groups, companies and persons should register with the Damrongtham Centers in each province, and the name lists will be forwarded to the NCPO and the government. The NCPO and those with low income will then be well aware of your kindness. We will together cooperate in protecting the nation and the people in tribute to His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen who have always cared for the nation and the people. I would like to thank you all in advance.

On driving forward the country, there are three important aspects that need to be altogether proceeded with in a balanced manner, which are:

1. Reconciliation and reform.
2. Readiness to face global and national economic crises as well as opportunities for economic expansion. We must be prepared to accept both positive and negative changes in all aspects of the economy.
3. Increase in income, job creation and reduction in income inequality.

Economy

It is important to acknowledge that there are people who will gain and lose as a result of economic reform. However, if both sides adhere to the Economy Sufficiency philosophy by His Majesty the King, the right balance will be achieved. As mentioned earlier, everyone should sacrifice for other people, make less profit and live a sustainable life. As such, people will not be in trouble and the cost of living will be adjusted and reduced. People should not be profit-oriented and focus solely on increasing prices. The sales of products should be based on quantity and quality while focusing on reducing profit margins. Everyone should receive the fair sharing of benefits; otherwise, the country will not move forward.

Over the past three months, the economy has improved after it stagnated due to the country’s domestic crisis. Thailand has recovered gradually thanks to orderly management of a range of issues and law enforcement.

From now on, after a government is formed probably in September, numerous tasks will be executed simultaneously including reform. The Thai economy remains fragile and is faced with many challenges – internal and external factors. The import growth of raw materials has slowed down. Industrial production will recover slowly while exports are expected to grow at the end of the year. However, the global economy remains vulnerable – a factor which cannot be controlled. Certain Thai manufacturers should produce more modern products and keep pace with ever-changing technologies.

In terms of foreign direct investment in Thailand, some industries will relocate to other countries because of high labour costs – an issue that has to be addressed. They have expanded their businesses to neighboring countries and other ASEAN countries. If industrial production does not recover for an extended period, workers in the industrial sector will continue to receive low wages and demand for labor and overtime work will reduce. These will affect living costs.

On agricultural products, prices will keep falling particularly agricultural crops that do not require zoning. Such agricultural crops will not be released into the market, therefore lowering the prices. I would like to ask Thai traders to come up with ways to add value to farm products, establish new markets and better manage the supply and demand of agricultural crops, particularly when there is an oversupply of crops in order to support the prices of such agricultural commodities. In addition, the government will not have to allocate a high budget for subsidising crops and the money spent can be used to improve the country in other areas. It is important that farmers provide cooperation and adjust themselves by growing crops, which will help create the balance of supply and demand.

On overall consumption, it has recovered slowly because household income has increased slightly. However, public debt is at a high level. The government must expedite measures in tackling the problem in cooperation with state-owned financial institutions and the private sector.

The NCPO and government agencies have organised activities that help support people’s living costs. For example, on August 8, the Ministry of Commerce in cooperation with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration launched a project to sell read-to-eat food at affordable prices to return happiness to people with the aim to invite 1,000 restaurants in Bangkok and Bangkok Metropolitan Region to participate in the project. In fact, I would like more restaurants to offer to sell foods at lower prices. As for future plans, the same project will be implemented in big cities in other provinces across the country and the “Blue Flag” project, which offers cheap food run by the Ministry of Commerce, will be organized in every region – in the north, Chiang Mai; in the northeast, Udon Thani; in the central region, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya; in the south, Nakhon Si Thammarat and etc. I would like a chamber of commerce in each province to organise a farmers’ market on Saturday and Sunday to reduce transportation costs and help raise farmers’ income.  

Some have said that the NCPO takes care of only government officials.           I would like to inform you that the NCPO puts importance on people at all levels and all groups. For government officials, the NCPO concentrates on providing care to low-ranking government officials, who have low income, especially those who earn less than workers who receive the minimum wage or below 9,000 baht. We are gradually making changes for the public and government officials.

Private-sector investment has increased slowly. Imports of capital goods  are still low. Productivity is low and factories cannot expand further. The public sector in cooperation with the private sector along with small, medium and big businesses must formulate measures to increase investment. Businesses must help each other and do not focus only on their own groups while smaller ones go bankrupt.

The government and state enterprises’ disbursements of budget have become more transparent with inspection and lower cases of bribery. However, budget disbursements must be carried out in an expeditious manner; otherwise, disbursements that have been delayed will adversely affect the overall economic condition. The government and state enterprises must mobilize their efforts to address the issue in a transparent and expeditious manner. They do not have to delay the disbursements as long as such disbursements are accountable and are not for their own benefit.

Small and medium-sized projects that are scheduled to start at the beginning of the fiscal year must be expedited because such projects will help distribute income among people in rural areas quickly. They will receive both direct and indirect benefits. The agencies responsible for the projects do not have the freedom to start implementing the projects at any time of the fiscal year as in the past. In the first quarter of the fiscal year, income generated from the projects should be distributed among people. Budget Bureau and Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board will be responsible for monitoring each fiscal quarter.  

The Ministry of Industry and the Board of Investment of Thailand must expedite efforts to promote investment sector by sector, expand investment opportunities in and outside existing industrial estates, opt for more cutting-edge technologies, promote research and development that cater to the needs of the private sector while discouraging areas of research that are deemed unnecessary or are done only to acquire academic standing. Research done must be truly beneficial for the country. Research topics must be clearly determined taking into account what the country needs and lacks. Research done should not start over from the beginning and should be built on existing local wisdom. Thailand must have its own brands in the future.

The disbursement of the 2015 fiscal budget will be ready early in the fiscal year. Government projects which can boost employment rate, for example, the renovation of government buildings, hospitals and other equipment will be expedited in 2015. Recruitment programmes for fresh graduates or vocational students will be carried out to reduce unemployment rate. We will encourage more internship programmes for students to enhance training skills. Allowances, salaries and other stipends will be provided and distributed to those in need, such as the poor and underprivileged people. Some people accused that the NCPO will reduce the student loan fund but this is not true. What we are doing is to seek ways to distribute the loans evenly and explore other sustainable assistance. The funding needs to be balanced with other budgets and, of course, we cannot afford to do everything at once. We have to prioritize and clearly set out expected outcomes. 

On dredging of canals and small reservoirs, the expenditure plans will be accelerated for scrutiny by the Office of the National Economics and Social Development Board and the Bureau of the Budget. The implementation of urgent policies of the NCPO and the government will be prioritized early in the fiscal year.

On projects concerning food processing, medicines and licensing from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the Thai Industrial Standard Institute (SITI), the implementation process must be faster and more efficient. There are a lot of complaints on the delays and excessive rules and formalities, as well as unclear information and procedures. Some people have complained on the problems of venality and personal connection which have been an impediment for entrepreneurs. This will need to be eliminated.

For projects with pending Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval or public hearing, we will seek other measures to accelerate the process, for example, relocating to other non-restricted areas such as state-owned lands or degraded forest lands. We should try to seek other alternative ways to implement these projects without causing negative impact to the environment. For example, to implement the Kaem Ling Project, we should consider relocating to less densely populated areas to reduce the negative effect on people. People should also sacrifice for public interests.      

The integrated cooperation from all public sectors must be strengthened. Every ministry must not work independently but rather cooperate and share responsibility. We should seek cooperation within the same working group cluster through meetings and discussions. For example, projects on electricity, water supply and other basic utilities which involve many agencies should be performed as a comprehensive package. We cannot approve the budget and workplan for each task separately. 

The boosting of tourism is important since tourism generates major income for the country. Especially in this situation, more proactive public relations measures must be carried out expeditiously. The private sectors and the media should cooperate in promoting the positive aspects of Thailand and should not publicize only the negative news. I do not prohibit you from reporting facts and information, but the media should help publicize positive news about Thailand so that tourists and visitors feel more confident to visit our country. For example, on problems of travel insurance for tourists, although some companies refuse to provide travel insurance coverage, we do have government travel insurance fund with a budget of 200 million Baht to assist tourists. If any injuries occur, the government travel insurance fund will provide compensation. All public and private sectors must participate in the marketing campaign to boost tourism and refrain from maligning each other to create friendly atmosphere for tourists. Thailand is ready for hospitality business and is home to abundant tourist resources, such as hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions. Tour guides, shop owners and tourism entrepreneurs should not mistreat or take advantage of customers. They should be honest and provide the best services in order to generate more income for the country and contribute to the growth of other relevant businesses in Thailand.

On low prices or low productivity of agricultural products, government subsidies and populist schemes alone cannot solve the problem and could damage the country in the long run. Other assistances which have been announced, such as cost and rental fee reduction, central market establishment and fair trade by the middlemen, require participation from all sectors. The middlemen should not mark up prices to overcharge customers and should have sympathy for the poor. The middlemen can help by selling good quality products at reasonable prices.

On national security, reconciliation and reform, we are currently moving forward the operation. The National Reform Council candidate applications began on the 14^th of August. This requires participation from all sides. We should put our nation as the main priority and set aside political and personal interests which have caused accumulated problems and undermined the country for so long.

Security

Reconciliation and reform processes have been carried out. People should stop fighting over unimportant issues and do something beneficial for the country in the future continuously. Politics and people seeking personal gain have made the country lag behind for a long time.

To summarise cases that the police are responsible for, there is a total of 70 cases, 7 of which have been presented to police prosecutors for legal action. There are a total of 148 suspects, 116 of whom have been arrested and 32 of whom who are on arrest warrants have fled. These cases concern security issues and they are charged for the possession of war-grade weapons.  

Over the past week, representatives from many countries paid official visits to Thailand including Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, Prime Minister and Minister of Defense and Security of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste; Sato Kilman Livtuvanu, Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade of Vanuatu; Shering Tobge, Prime Minister of Bhutan; Major General Suvon Luongbunmi, Chief of the General Staff of the Lao People's Army, and his team. We held discussions on various aspects of cooperation including security and economic affairs. They expressed admiration for the operations the NCPO have carried out and willingness to continue to cooperate with Thailand.  

Society and Psychology

The tradition of welcoming new students expected to continue in the middle of August this year must conform to the rules and regulations and must not cause harm to them. It must not involve forcing them to do activities. Universities are not military academies. Even the military must change such a tradition. New students respect seniors because of their good actions. Seniors should set a good example. If they do not like what seniors did to them when they were freshmen, they should stop doing the same thing to new students. They should make newcomers feel welcome. As for a military program, it is intended to train soldiers to be mentally strong and physically fit; still, the program must adopt a softer approach and abide by the rules. Seniors must not make them drink alcohol and take drugs; otherwise, they will be punished.

There have been reports that teenagers who are involved in illegal street racing have organised illegal motorbike races on main roads at night, often occurring on Rama 4 Road in Khlong Toei. I have directed the police and relevant agencies to resolve the problem and seriously conduct road-policing operations. Every life is precious. The fun of street racing is temporary, but it puts their lives at risk.

Issues of Concern

Another great concern is on rice growing and falling prices of crops which is a result of unbalance demand and supply. Rice growing cycle should be reduced because of water shortage. As His Majesty the King once said, one way to capture and retain more water in the paddy fields is to increase the height of the ridge. Rice farmers usually lower the ridge’s height to have larger land areas for rice growing which in turn lessens water retention. We should enlarge the ridge and use this area to grow other crops. Farmers should diversify the types of crops they are growing to reduce the problem of rice oversupply.

This year, based on the statistics, there will be inadequate rainfall. Therefore, we will have insufficient water for retention and irrigation. We hope to get more rain and will operate artificial rainmaking projects in several areas. The results of the rainmaking projects may vary from place to place depending on the humidity level and the density of forest lands.

Right now, organic farming yields high profits. If farmers grow crops using non-pesticide method or non-chemical fertilizer, their produce can be sold at very high prices. The demand is certainly greater than the supply. Thus, farmers should consider growing organic vegetables which require less water for cultivation and yield higher profits. Crop rotation and diversification should be considered to ease the problem of rice oversupply. Farmers should form agricultural grouping to generate more income and eliminate influence from the middlemen. Farmers will be able to sell their produce at reasonable price and avoid the middlemen-dominated market price. When the supply is greater than the demand, the price will be cheaper. The government cannot afford subsidizing all types of crops. Right now, the budget for domestic investment only amounts to approximately 10 percent of the total budget. If the government has to bear the cost of all agricultural subsidies, there will not be sufficient budget for other operations. Therefore, it is important for farmers to cooperate and form farmers group to gain more negotiating power against the middlemen. Farmers association and agricultural grouping should be strengthened.

We should strive to learn modern agricultural knowledge and do not solely rely on nature. The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives will set up learning centers to disseminate knowledge. Outreach programmes conducted by agricultural experts and those with local wisdom will be organized. The chief of district agricultural extension office or the director of provincial agricultural extension office should help distribute knowledge to local farmers. The local community should participate and should not solely rely on the state. All sectors need to participate. The “New Theory” agriculture initiated by His Majesty the King should be concretely implemented to optimize benefits and increase productivity. The Damrongtham Centers operated under the Ministry of Interior will disseminate information and serve as government coordination centers by drawing inputs from the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and the Ministry of Commerce. A monitoring mechanism will be implemented to follow up on the projects. All relevant ministries must closely follow up and participate in this process.

On waste management problem, all sectors including the public, private and people sectors must be jointly responsible. The use of non-biodegradable materials should be reduced. Appropriate measures on waste disposal, control, incineration, segregation, collection and transportation will be expeditiously implemented, if possible within this year. The private sector can help by making in-kind contributions or providing quality waste management service which is controllable and assessable. Private companies who were granted permission to operate waste landfill must be held accountable if any damages occur. 

On education, I have already said many times that I am very concerned about the issue. The future of the nation depends on education; I think everyone understands this. The problem is what we should do and how we should manage the overall system—from basic education and further education to career and income. All governmental agencies need to help the Ministry of Education with this—through cooperation and joint projects. Career opportunities need to be provided to graduates to encourage more people to enter the education system. We need to strike a balance between employment of the educated and the uneducated, in order for both to be taken care of.

On textbooks, some revisions may be necessary. The current version of some primary school textbooks may be too difficult for the students. This may make them dislike studying out of the fear of not being able to answer questions or take exams. You need to create an incentive for them to study—to make things easy to understand and remember. Then we could gradually Increase the level of difficulty as they move up the education ladder. People are different by nature; some may have the ability to continue further on their studies, while some may not. We need to provide them with the same basic knowledge, and from there, they will know which path to take—work right away or study further—which may well also depend on the amount of financial support that could be provided to them from their parents. We need to look at the entire system—from textbooks down to curriculum and oversight. I know that being a teacher requires making sacrifices. I am also aware of and concerned about their debt and other problems. We are addressing these issues in this second phase of the Roadmap. Reform will definitely cover teachers, with them being both public servants and the so-called “moulds of the nation”. Today, if you make readjustments to lessons and make them easier and less intensive, you will be able to take care of children more and also have time to do other things. I understand that teachers have their own children to think about too. We need to make sure that the teachers, the students, and the parents are all well off. The country would then be able to move forward and better education would be available. We need to encourage more people to enter the education system, not push them out of it by making circumstances difficult. These issues need to be looked at again.

On the Southern Border Provinces, we are doing the best we can, but there will certainly still be fighting as the other side has not yet achieved their goals. We have been trying to ask about what they want and discuss the actions we must take. Meanwhile, I want the public to keep a look out, stay together, and be cautious in their travel and their daily lives. Police and military officers need to strictly observe protocols and exercise caution in every operation as well. Doing so will help to reduce casualties in all areas, as the situation poses danger to everyone.

On the Southern Border Provinces dialogue, we are coordinating with Malaysia, who has accepted to continue being a facilitator for the process. New dialogue frameworks have also been formulated, and further discussions on those will be required. In the meantime, the talks are continuing as usual, through secret channels and within the area, with the 4^th Army Region Forward Base and the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre being the agencies responsible. However, as there have been changes in government, the talk process has been restructured to be more systematic to address various issues at the same time. Having only one party or one group of people be responsible for the whole process will take too much time as there are a number of things to discuss—the law, the violence, fairness, legality, how to live together in the future, etc. I am calling it a talk on welfare now, as opposed to a peace talk, with the objective of sustainably having all Thai people live together happily regardless of their religion.

Another matter worth mentioning is the case of Mr. Veera Somkwamkid, who after his release has been making certain unfounded claims. The NCPO has never had any agreement with Prime Minister Hun Sen on the conditions of his release. In fact, His Excellency has allowed Mr. Veera to leave prison out of His Excellency’s regard to the friendly relations between our two countries. Today, we must strive towards becoming part of the ASEAN family together; everyone and every country in ASEAN is family; I have been telling this to every other country in the world. If one ASEAN country suffers, the other ones also suffer; if one is well off, the other ones are too. We need only step forward together. With the combined population of all 10 countries at over 600 million, other countries will definitely look to us, especially since we are countries that produce and export agricultural products and equipment or items that are daily life necessities. As such, in the relations and cooperation between Thailand and Cambodia or any other country, there has not been any agreement whatsoever that was made outside of the accepted rules and nothing are based on personal interests. All arrangements are made openly between representatives of the government of one country and those of the government of another. I ask for your trust on this as it is only the truth.

On social network, I encourage everyone to share positive information and get rid of the “hate speech” which generates the feelings of hatred, insult and disparagement, as well as lese majeste statements. All Thai people should help get rid of this kind of speech. Information posted on websites, Facebook, and other online applications can be harmful to the younger generations. We have had conflicts in our society and false information has been frequently shared online. We should refrain from sharing unverified information to avoid incitement. Telecommunication services are extensive and it is difficult to regulate them.  This can be harmful to the country. National security cannot be fostered and the society will be degraded. Tourism will be negatively impacted by this atmosphere of hatred. The younger generations primarily rely on social media and I am deeply concerned about this problem.

Today I have focused on economic issues since the economy is a key factor for the advancement of our country. Other issues such as political conflicts are our internal affairs. How we look after our own people, how we improve foreign relations and how we move towards becoming an ASEAN Community and the AEC are matters that we need to address by ourselves. Non-interference in the internal affairs of one another is a fundamental principle of ASEAN. We support one another in maintaining security for our peoples and prevent armed confrontations. We do not issue country specific resolutions on internal affairs which could lead to escalating conflicts. This is a principle of ASEAN. Any trade and agreements must be based on openness, transparency, effectiveness and fairness.  We engage with all countries on the basis of trust, fairness and as good friends. Our neighbouring countries – Lao PDR, Cambodia and Myanmar – are akin to our relatives. People along either side of the borders know each other so why should we fight. We should look into how we can derive mutual benefits that is fair and equal. We should refrain from talking about problems on persisting conflicts. Today we are living in a borderless world. We should consider how we can maintain our national interests and sovereignty. So everyone should help by thinking of national interests.

On the development of water resources, basic infrastructures and other issues, they are underway in all aspects. The Super Board held a meeting recently to discuss about improving the services provided by state enterprises. It takes time. Many people have questioned why things are not done this way or that way. We have to address the problems gradually and make plans carefully. We have to determine the cause of the problems, such as accumulated deficits, that have existed for decades before the 22^nd of May. We need to identify the problems and try to resolve them by considering whether it should be done in the medium term or in the transition period. For instance, we may have to amend regulations, selection process of board members, update rules and regulations and revise existing control measures. There are already about 20 existing rules and laws regulating the state enterprise boards. The issue seems to be inefficient people and mechanisms. I believe we are in the transition period whereby 3 to 6 months would be needed to determine the way forward. I do not mean that all the problems will be solved within 3, 6, 9 or 12 months. We have to make long term plans, for example post-2015 national elections. But if we do not start planning today we will not reach our targets. However, if we only address the issues for with short term solutions, the problems will start again in 3 months because we did not tackle the fundamentals.

We need to determine whether there is sufficient revenue as it is vital to ensure more provision of services to the public and good maintenance of vehicles and equipment. If there is not sufficient revenue, we would have to seek loans which may not be possible as public debt would increase. So how are we going to materialize our wish for new public transport vehicles? We need to think in a holistic way. Today we should explore which services should be run 100 per cent by state enterprises, jointly operated by state and private sector partnerships, or partly operated by the private sector. We cannot simply say we will terminate a service or choose to do this or that as it may impact upon security. Services must be provided to the public non-stop. We cannot move ahead if demonstrations still prevail. Therefore we have to maintain order and security to allow for provision of public services. 

We need to reduce the disparity between the people in the country. The private sector must share in the burden by collaborating with the state in reducing the income disparities and closing the social gaps. The country can then move forward in tune with global changes. 

Thank you for the encouragement and support which provided morale for all of us. I wish many happy returns to you all. I admit that with the tremendous support given to us, I am under more pressure. But that is all right, I still have the inner strength to handle the pressure. My main contemplation is how to make us all content. Civil servants must cooperate with each other in easing the hardships and grievances of the people in an expeditious and inclusive manner.

The time taken to address the problems may differ so we all must be patient and tolerant, including I, public officials and civilians. Refrain from being moody or irritable and staging demonstrations as we would not achieve anything as in the past. I recall the various protest marches held in the past for causes such as rubber and rice. It began two years ago and the farmers just recently received payments after my approval. So any protest marches today will not receive payments today. Please refrain from protesting and find a suitable solution. Concerned people such as middlemen and local officials must find a solution at the local level. The Damrongtham Centers should be involved in solving these issues and prevent protests in Bangkok. Today we receive tens of thousands of complaints and grievances. Please channel these petitions to the Damrongtham Centers. We will forward them to the concerned agencies to address the issues. 

To those who came to submit their grievances, I thank them for listening to our clarifications and return home. There is no need to camp out on the streets. It is quite difficult without amenities available. There is incurred transport and living costs which is not only a waste of money but also time. It is better to stay at home and convey messages through the Damrongtham Centers. We will address them through Provincial Governors, ministries and agencies. If we cannot solve them in the short term, it will be taken up in the long term. I appeal to you not out of fear for anything but I do not want to see a derailment in our progress as the country is now moving forward smoothly. The roads are now clear. Protests will lead to campouts on the streets. The important thing is we know of your hardships and we are dedicated to your troubles.

Lastly, I would like to send my regards to everyone. We think of you as long as the people remains unhappy, the country unsafe and reforms not yet completed. We at NCPO and all civil servants will always extend our thoughts to our fellow Thai citizens.

Thank you and good evening.

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