Thailand: List of 250 senators published, a third linked to military, police

• The Royal Gazette on 14 May 19 published an announcement on the royally-approved list of 250 senators, including 66 army generals.
• More than one third of the newly appointed senators have military or police backgrounds, a sign the upper house will probably vote to entrench army dominance of government.
• According to a Reuters count, the Senate list includes the names of 105 people with ranks in the military or police, with Gen Prayut’s brother, General Preecha Chan-o-cha, and a brother of deputy junta leader Prawit Wongsuwan among them.
• The list also includes 15 former ministers in Gen Prayut’s cabinet who resigned over 6-12 May, with many of these generals counted among Gen Prayut’s close aides.
• About 26 civilian lawmakers on the list also had previous ties with the junta, having been appointed as members of the rubber-stamp parliamentary body National Legislative Assembly.

External Link: https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/1677448/list-of-250-senators-published-a-third-linked-to-military-police