Prayut and Palang Pracharat: A marriage waiting to happen

13 Sept 21:38 Key points summarised by AI

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha faces a critical choice: either formally join the Palang Pracharat Party's prime ministerial candidate list or wait for a parliamentary 'invitation' as an outsider.
Strategically, aligning with Palang Pracharat offers a more viable path, as it leverages potential electoral seats combined with the 250-member Senate's support to secure the necessary votes.
The option of Prayut waiting for an 'outsider' invitation is considered highly improbable by political analysts, requiring an unlikely consensus from 500 out of 750 MPs and senators to resolve a deadlock.
Despite Prayut's public hesitation, Palang Pracharat's persistent efforts to nominate him and the clear strategic advantages indicate that an alliance, or 'marriage,' between them is widely anticipated and inevitable.

Suspected drug couriers killed in Phetchaburi; half a tonne of Ice seized

Yesterday 16:06 Key points summarised by AI

Two suspected drug couriers were killed in a shootout with narcotics officers in Phetchaburi province.
Authorities seized approximately half a tonne of crystal methamphetamine, also known as Ice, during the operation.
The incident occurred on Tuesday night after officers tracked a network suspected of transporting large quantities of drugs to southern Thailand.
The suspects, identified as Chattharin and Rungarun, both 27, opened fire when confronted by officers, who returned fire, resulting in their deaths.