PM refuses to answer Yingluck’s request for pardon

Government House, PM reveals he spoke with Pheu Thai Party ministers before the cabinet meeting, urging them to go to the area to solve the fake news problem, saying there are a lot of them - they are ugly, but did not say what the issue was, and declined to answer about Yingluck's apology. Prime Minister Settha Thavisin revealed his meeting with Pheu Thai Party ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce Phumtham Vejjayachai, Minister of Digital Economy and Society Prasert Chantarawongthong, Deputy Finance Minister Chulaphan Amornvivat, and Deputy Finance Minister Paopum Rojanasakul, that the ministers arrived early today, so he invited them to go up to the Thai building to discuss various matters. He urged them to go to the area, which they had already been going to, but to go more. At the same time, he urged Prasert about fake news because there was too much fake news during this period. As for the fake news that the Prime Minister is concerned about, is it politically significan t or does he want to release it for some reason? Mr. Settha said, 'I don't know at all. But it is very ugly fake news. It is not true. Currently, society is being misled in many ways. There are already many problems. This is why I have emphasized this to Mr. Prasit.' When reporters asked what the issue was with the reports of ugly fake news, the Prime Minister said that there were many things. Don't give any value to that. Instead, it became an expansion into something that was not right. "I already know and you all already know what it is." In addition, I have been following up on various projects of the Ministry of Finance because there will be a meeting with the relevant Director-General about income generation on Friday, July 19th. So I have given them the task of what to discuss. It is just a normal follow-up of the work, nothing special. As for the digital wallet project money, which will be registered on August 1, the Prime Minister said that it will be as expected. Please wait for the details in th e announcement on July 24. The registration time frame is 1 and a half months. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said that today's Cabinet meeting did not discuss the 'Half-Half' fertilizer project. As for whether to proceed or stop the project, that will be decided by Colonel Thammanat Prompao, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, who is currently looking into it. Regarding the black-chinned tilapia, the Prime Minister said that Colonel Thammanat had already announced that the purchase price would be increased from 8 baht per kilogram to 15 baht per kilogram, and the source of the fish must be found. The Prime Minister also emphasized the retirement lottery project, saying that it is a matter of savings, helping vulnerable groups to get their money back when they retire. The reporter asked if he wanted the Prime Minister to quell rumors that former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had asked for a royal pardon. Mr. Settha refused to answer the question, but smiled and waved his hand before smiling and waving his hand away before walking out of the Command Building to the Thai Khu Fah Building immediately. Source: Thai News Agency