Phumtham refuses to verify Thaksin's attendance at the gathering of coalition leaders
In an unexpected turn of events, Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand, attended an informal dinner gathering with core members of the coalition parties on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. The event took place at the Eastin Grand Hotel Phayathai.
The discussion topics at the dinner primarily revolved around political unity and governance within the coalition. Thaksin emphasized the need for the coalition to be serious and unified moving forward. Another crucial issue addressed was the significant decline in Thailand’s tourism, which Thaksin attributed to the country's unregulated cannabis policy. He argued that the drug-tolerant image deterred tourists and hurt local economies, calling for urgent regulation of cannabis to restore Thailand’s tourism appeal.
The key attendees at the dinner included Thaksin Shinawatra, his daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Acting Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin, Labour Minister Pongkawin Jungrungruangkit, and ministers from education, finance, science, and transport.
Earlier reports were uncertain about Thaksin’s attendance, as Acting PM Phumtham Wechayachai declined to confirm it beforehand, saying only that everything would follow legal protocol. However, the event occurred with Thaksin present as a key speaker.
It is important to note that this informal dinner talk is not the only event affected by the ongoing border issues between Thailand and Cambodia. The context does not provide information about the location of the dinner talk or the nature or topics of the conversation at the informal dinner talk. The coalition parties involved in the informal dinner talk are not specified in the provided paragraph.
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- The informal dinner gathering between Thaksin Shinawatra and coalition parties discussed the need for political unity and governance, with Thaksin advocating for stricter cannabis regulation to revitalize Thailand's tourism industry.
- The ongoing border issues between Thailand and Cambodia have not only affected this informal dinner talk, but they have also impacted other events, yet the exact locations and coalition party details remain undisclosed in the given context.
