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Will Prayut return as PM? Ball in Constitutional Court

14 Sept 20:36 Key points summarised by AI

The Constitutional Court is set to rule on whether General Prayut Chan-o-cha has exceeded his eight-year term limit as prime minister, a decision that will shape Thailand's political landscape.
The central debate revolves around three potential start dates for Prayut's premiership: August 2014 (post-coup), April 2017 (when the current Constitution came into force), or June 2019 (when he was sworn in under the new Constitution).
If the court rules his term began in August 2014, Prayut would immediately lose his position, prompting Parliament to vote for a new prime minister from the 2019 election candidate list.
A ruling for a later start date (April 2017 or June 2019) would allow Prayut to potentially serve for several more years, contingent on winning future elections.
Should Prayut be removed, the current Cabinet would become a caretaker government, with Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan serving as acting PM until a new leader is selected.

Today 14:58 Key points summarised by AI

Thailand's government will launch the "Chainat-Pasak-Gulf" water diversion canal project in fiscal year 2027, a seven-year mega-infrastructure initiative.
This permanent structural solution aims to mitigate recurrent central plains flooding by diverting water from the Chao Phraya River directly into the Gulf of Thailand, significantly reducing flow to major cities like Ayutthaya and Bangkok.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul justifies the long-term investment as a means to reduce future damages and fiscal burdens, contrasting it with the 40-50 billion baht spent annually on short-term flood relief.
Concurrently, the Prime Minister instructed officials to expand drainage capacity into the Tha Chin River and swiftly remove water hyacinths to improve immediate flood management.