Former member of the now dissolved Future Forward Party Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit said on Tuesday that he does not know if Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha will send a letter to his mother as part of the government’s initiative to ask 20 billionaires for aid.
Prayut took some heavy criticism last week when he said the government will send out 20 letters to ask billionaires, who have already been helping the public with donations against the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, to do more for the country.
As the president of the US$2.6 billion revenue Thai Summit Group, Thanathorn’s mother, Somporn Juangroongruangkit is number 26 on Forbes’ 50 richest in Thailand list and speculation arose after Somporn was seen handing out donations to the public. All of which appears to fit the PM’s criteria for the letter.
However, Prayut did not say to whom the 20 letters will be addressed to and the Deputy Prime Minister Wissana Krea-ngam insisted that the government is not asking these billionaires for money. The lack of explanation and the vague response following criticism has prompted the public, the opposition and the media to want to know who these billionaires are and what the government is asking from them, if not money.
“I have no idea if my mother has received the letter,” Thanathorn told reporters amid speculation.
He added that his mother was handing out donations under the name of Thai Summit Pattana Foundation and she did not ask him for advice beforehand.
Reporters caught up with the former party leader on Tuesday as he took them on a tour around a factory that produces free medical equipment to 12 hospitals under the project. The joint venture project was launched by Thanatorn’s Progressive Movement, private companies in the automobile parts industry and a team of doctors.
These medical equipment and supplies include Modular ARI Clinics and Patient Transportation Chambers. Eleven Modular ARI Clinics and 18 Patient Transportation Chambers will be sent to the 12 hospitals under this venture between April 24-26 and May 2-3. The modular clinics come at a cost of around 600,000 baht per unit while the chambers each cost around 40,000 baht to build.