"Ink" shared photos of the three Shinawatra siblings and family members visiting former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in the closest possible contact. Thaksin appeared in a bright prisoner outfit with a shaved head, joining them for kuay jap and hamburgers. Ink said it felt like becoming a little girl again. She revealed that her father's health is strong but he is worried about the southern flood crisis. The constitutional amendment committee insisted on not changing the Constituent Assembly formula as pressured by the Pheu Thai Party but is open to hearing views in the second reading. The Thai Sang Thai Party criticized NT and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society for abandoning flood victims, questioning the whereabouts of satellite internet, and blaming the government for failing to manage the crisis.
Ms. Paethongtarn Shinawatra, former Prime Minister, posted photos showing Shinawatra family members visiting former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in very close proximity since his detention began. They sat together eating kuay jap and hamburgers during the New Year event at Klong Prem Central Prison held from 24 November to 1 December.
At 12:45 on 27 November at Klong Prem Central Prison, Ms. Paethongtarn Shinawatra, former Prime Minister, along with Mr. Pitak Suksawat, husband of Mr. Panthongtae Shinawatra, Ms. Natthiya Puangkam, his wife, and Ms. Pinthongta Shinawatra Kunakornwong visited former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra with smiling faces, as did Mr. Winyat Chatmontri, Thaksin's personal lawyer. Later, at 14:50 after the visit, Ms. Paethongtarn and Mr. Panthongtae each held an A4-sized printed color photo showing Thaksin in a blue prisoner shirt and navy pants, looking bright with a shaved head. His two daughters embraced him, with Mr. Panthongtae, Ms. Natthiya, and Mr. Pitak standing alongside in the same frame.
When asked by reporters what they ate with their father, Ms. Paethongtarn briefly replied they ate kuay jap and one hamburger. "Father's health is strong and okay, and we talked a lot about the flooding crisis in the south, which he is concerned about."
Reporters reported that during this period, prisons nationwide designated close-contact visitation days during the New Year festival, allowing visitors to sit and eat at the same table with inmates. At Klong Prem Central Prison, the event ran from 24 November to 1 December, giving the Shinawatra family the closest visit opportunity since Thaksin was imprisoned by Supreme Court order from 9 September.
The Shinawatra family spent a full two hours visiting, the full time allowed by the Department of Corrections. However, such special visit occasions are scheduled about 3–4 times per year, usually during major festivals like New Year and Songkran, depending on the readiness of each prison, which announces its special visitation periods independently.
At 15:15, Ms. Paethongtarn posted on Instagram (@ingshin21) a photo of the three siblings—Mr. Panthongtae, Ms. Pinthongta, and Ms. Paethongtarn—along with their spouses Mr. Pitak Suksawat and Ms. Natthiya Puangkam, with the caption: "Nearly two hours that felt like truly being together. Today the prison arranged a close-relative visitation activity, allowing relatives to meet, hug, and eat together without having to talk through glass or phone. We also walked through a small market where inmates sell food and art; I had a chance to support several stalls. For a moment, I felt like little Paethongtarn again, holding hands with my father and siblings walking through the market like childhood (actually, father loves fresh markets because he chooses the menu for Sunday family meals). To those who worry about father, he is fine, feeling the love and care, and sends his concern to everyone."
The Department of Corrections issued a statement clarifying that the photos of the Shinawatra family visiting Thaksin are part of the close-relative visitation project called "Family Photo Session." The purpose is to foster good family relationships, offered as a prison service with voluntary participation by inmates and families who agree to take photos at designated prison locations. These photos can be printed and sold to relatives as keepsakes to preserve happy memories of visiting inmates. The photos are taken without relatives' mobile phones inside the prison. This project has been ongoing for several years with many relatives participating. The prison provides clothing for inmates to change into to match the photo settings, but in Thaksin's case, he chose not to change into the prison-provided clothes. This activity aims to build family warmth and love, encourage inmates to reform behavior, prepare them for happy reintegration upon release, and reduce recidivism effectively.
At the parliament, Ms. Panida Mongkolsawat, MP for Samut Prakan from the Prachachon Party and spokesperson for the constitutional amendment committee, said regarding the Pheu Thai Party's proposal to change the Constituent Assembly (S.S.R.) formula in the second reading on 10-11 December, that the committee stands by the main draft. If the S.S.R. is not 100% elected, it serves no purpose other than making the constitutional drafting body more cumbersome and distancing the drafters further from the people. The Pheu Thai proposal had already been discussed in the committee meetings with explanations analyzed. The committee supports the original draft with majority votes but will clarify this issue again in parliament. They will not reconsider due to Constitutional Court rulings and the requirement for majority votes by MPs and one-third Senate approval. The committee tries to find the most acceptable method aiming to draft a new constitution. They urge all parties to sincerely push for this amendment to open the way for a new constitution together.
On the same day, Mr. Tiwakorn Surachon, Deputy Secretary-General of the Thai Sang Thai Party (TST), spoke about the severe southern floods, urging the National Telecom Public Company Limited (NT) to urgently fix communication systems in flood-hit areas. Many provinces still have residents unable to contact for help due to power outages and phone network failures, making rescue coordination and information access difficult. Although some agencies have deployed mobile signal boosters, many communities remain isolated. The government has yet to clarify plans for backup communication technology, especially NT's satellite internet infrastructure, which can operate during severe disasters but has no announced operational plan or schedule.
Mr. Tiwakorn said most people don't even know NT has a satellite internet network ready to use. There is still no clarity on when it will be deployed to affected areas, even though this is the time when people need it most, not after the crisis subsides. Delays in communication can affect lives and safety during emergencies. Phone-based warning systems like Cell Broadcast and SMS can alert people quickly, but if the area lacks signal connectivity, they cannot function effectively. Backup systems independent of ground-based towers are necessary, especially in heavily flooded and inaccessible areas. He urged the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society and NT to transparently disclose operational plans and timelines for satellite internet service deployment in crisis zones as an urgent priority.
Ms. Traichat Thanasantraiphop, deputy spokesperson of Thai Sang Thai Party, questioned the government's efficiency in handling the southern flood crisis, especially in Hat Yai District, Songkhla Province. She highlighted ongoing management failures leading to unnecessary losses. The government's command center and coordination system were slow and unclear, delaying aid to residents. Rescue units faced disorderly operations due to unclear responsibility. This reflects bureaucratic fragmentation and lack of local disaster management contingency plans. The problems are not just immediate flood response failures but ongoing since the 2023 election. The country has faced multiple crises, yet the government has failed to upgrade warning and rescue systems effectively.
Ms. Traichat added that related agencies still lack integration and systematic preparedness, possibly due to underestimating the situation. Scenes of villagers begging for help upon finding deceased bodies in places like restaurants or storing bodies in freezers because they don't know where to send them are unacceptable. This happens despite massive spending on such matters, deepening public despair. She called on the government to urgently review disaster management systems at national and local levels and to transparently disclose casualty data. If inefficiency persists, future crises could cause even worse losses.
Separately, Mr. Jittiphot Viriyaroj, party-list MP from the Pheu Thai Party, said at the Navigating Thailand’s Economic Trends forum organized by the Franco-Thai Chamber of Commerce that many agencies claim Thai economic growth cannot exceed 2-3% annually. He disagreed, citing Thailand's strategic location as a transportation hub by land, air, and sea, with abundant natural resources. Thailand must overcome prolonged low growth of 1.5-1.7% due to political instability. Pheu Thai aims to boost Thai economic growth to 5-6% through two key reforms: 1) investing in physical and digital infrastructure, land bridge projects, and Digital ID systems alongside workforce skill development for future industries; 2) addressing high household debt at 90% of GDP to increase purchasing power and create positive economic cycles.
Read " Thairath Newspaper Column All here