Good evening dear citizens.

Thailand on May 5 celebrated the Coronation Day which was an auspicious occasion for the Thai people as His Majesty the King, along with other members of the Royal Family, granted an audience to the people. His Majesty proceeded from Siriraj Hospital to Amarin Winitchai Throne Hall in the Grand Palace to preside over the Royal ceremony to mark the Coronation Day 2015.

Throughout 70 years during his reign (1946-2015), His Majesty has consummated the Royal Oath to reign with righteousness for the benefit and happiness of the Siamese people. To celebrate the Coronation Day each year, Thai people decorate their homes and offices with national flags, hold alms-offering ceremonies, perform religious ceremonies, and pledge their oaths to the King. Not only can we do all these things as a tribute for His Majesty, we can also do good deeds for society in honour of His Majesty the King.

Concerning the enforcement of laws to resolve social and national problems; the NCPO, for almost a year, has pushed for several public reorganization efforts in Thai society, such as bringing order to vans, buses, motorcycle taxis, and other transport services. However, these efforts must be mobilized along with social responsibility and awareness, especially in terms of traffic discipline. There are a high number of accidents nowadays; therefore, motorists should always respect the traffic law. In the meantime, related authorities need to be on high alert and careful, starting with the issuance of driver’s licenses and the enforcement of strict laws and harsher punishments such as driver license suspension or revocation. Recently, there have been a number of fatalities and injuries caused by road accidents. I am calling for stricter measures to prevent all road accidents. Your license may be suspended following traffic law violations and if such misconduct is repeated, your driver’s license may be revoked forever. This is what I have informed the Transport Ministry. As for commuters, you should always have some sympathy for the authorities. They have to work hard every day and night. They only get 240 baht on daily allowance and are forced to work under hard circumstances, sometimes in rain and hot weather. Please share road with bike riders and other motorists. Car and truck drivers should be more empathic and be socially responsible. Please don’t be selfish. The law will not be effective if the people do not abide by them. The government should not be the only one trying to prevent accidents, but everyone should lend a hand.

Next, I would like to address the problems of illegal fishing and human trafficking and inform you of some developments. Although the two issues are different, but they are connected. Since Thailand was issued a yellow card by the EU, the government has been deploying several measures without hesitation in order to tackle these problems. Some laws that were outdated need to be modernized. The power under Article 44 will be used to revise these laws along with other laws in order to allow the government’s work to be more effective.

In terms of policy, the government has formed a committee in charge of combating human trafficking and illegal fishing. The committee is chaired by Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, DPM for national security and Minister for Defense, who gives out policies and guidelines.

In terms of legislation, the government has pushed for the anti-illegal fishing act which is now published in the government gazette and will take effect on 27 June 2015. The state is also looking to promulgate organic laws to be enforced alongside the anti-illegal fishing law. When in effect, perpetrators will face both civil and criminal charges.

At the operational level, the NCPO has utilized power granted by Article 44 to establish Command Centre for Combatting Illegal Fishing (CCCIF). The center is working under my supervision, with the Commander in Chief of the Thai Navy as head. The center can address IUU problems such as registering workers and fishing crews, installing VMS, and installing Port in-Port out system. There are more than 300 sea ports across Thailand. All arrivals and departures will be recorded. Crews and equipment will be inspected. Boats will leave and come back on schedule. All of these activities will be recorded for future inspection. The government has also assigned the Ministry of Agriculture to draw up a national action plan and propose it to the Cabinet meeting which will be held again next week. We never had this kind of action plan before. In the past, each ministry worked by itself and never focused at the national level.The government has also been sending out delegations to create understanding and enhance confidence in Thailand’s measures to combat IUU problems. We inform them about our intentions towards tackling the IUU problems.

As for the deaths of Rohingyas, I would like to inform you that the government will address this crime seriously. The Human trafficking problem has been going on for a long time. Security officers have been on high alert, but due to an ineffective system, it has been difficult to address the problem. Human trafficking takes many factors into account as it involves migrant workers, international laws, and others. The whole system will be overhauled. Trafficking rings and all individuals involved will be brought to justice. We will crack down on the whole network regardless of who they are. There is a supplier which is the provider in one country. There is a passageway which is Thailand. And then there is a buyer which is a third party in the destination country. Some officials are also involved in the process. The Royal Thai Police has transferred a total of 38 officers believed to be involved in the trafficking of these Rohingya migrants. The Interior Ministry is also working on this issue. We cannot deny that the problem does not exist. I have always stressed that national security is our first priority. Officers need to be performing at the very best. The government is responsible for mobilizing efforts to tackle human trafficking. Please have faith in us as we are committed to this task. The government will adhere to the rule of law when providing humanitarian aid to the victims. Wrongdoers have been punished. We promise to bring masterminds to justice as well. Authorities involved will face disciplinary action and criminal charges.

The next topic is about the Constitution which is going through a review by responsible agencies before suggestions are forwarded to the charter drafters. The NCPO and the Cabinet will send suggestions and requests for amendment to the Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC). The committee will consider all suggestions before going through a revision process.

The CDC will consider all suggestions from the NRC, Cabinet, and the NCPO before passing its decision. In August, the National Reform Council will vote to whether accept or not accept the draft charter. Without the NRC’s approval, the process will have to start from the beginning.

As for the matter of public referendum, that will be decided at a later stage. There will be a way to find a solution. If we cease all conflicts and together come up with effective solutions, social problems will be resolved. The NCPO will work to ensure peace.

The basic principle I would like get across is that whether they be laws or the draft of the constitution, it should be willingly embraced by the people through understanding, not from cajoling or by misleading. Not only for Thais, the Constitution should be also be acknowledged by the international community. Should there be amendments or additions then further deliberations will be needed. But it’s up to you all to consider how much you want to put in.

For those who have criticized the draft, if you were involved in public administration or legislative office previously, you obviously did not try to address these problems when you had the chance. That’s why we see these all new additions to the draft. But you seem to want to return things to the way they were before. You vociferously claim that you were elected the people, but you never solved their problems. This is why I am here today to address these problems.

Although this new draft Constitution is different from other Constitutions in the past, I believe it will be recognized by the international community. I believe that the new Constitution will help reform our country, improve Thailand’s democracy, reorganize society, address national problems, create stability, and ensure good governance among politicians and state officials. Let us not endure anymore setbacks to the country.

The NCPO cannot do this without your cooperation and support even with the power under Article 44 or martial law. The public, private sector, and the political sector – we must all help each other out.

Next is about lottery tickets. This problem is deep-rooted in our society. Some people say the problem is minor and that the government should not bother looking at it. I will not give up until the problem is resolved. The government will ensure that lottery tickets are sold at the price written on the tickets. If the ticket says 80 baht, then it must be sold at 80 baht a piece. The whole system will be restructured. It must start with the GLO. Ticket quotas will be readjusted to ensure greater fairness. From June onwards, ticket sellers shall proceed to the GLO and provincial offices.

From now on, there will be a clear picture as to how many tickets can a retailer get. Some retailers resell their tickets to other sellers, causing the prices that the end buyers purchase to surge higher than what is written on the tickets. There should only be one process not repeated. Prices increase every time tickets are resold. The price goes from 70 to 80 and finally 90 at the burden of end buyers. The government has already cut down the price of tickets sold by the GLO. The state is willing to make less money through this mechanism. If I’m not mistaken, the state only gets 20% from 28% off the tickets. We are trying to bring the balance into the equation. If everyone is honest and respects this mechanism, the tickets can surely be sold at 80 baht a piece. Let me say it again, once the tickets are resold to another seller, prices of those tickets will automatically increase as the seller will now sell them at the price high enough to cover expenses. We will not blame it on anyone but the mechanism where corruption comes into play. Please get it fixed right away. I am not going to dig that deep or look back at what happened in the past. I would like to say that it is difficult to resolve the problem of overpriced lottery tickets. Eight months has past and nothing has improved. Under Article 44, I gave my order to form a new committee which will be in charge of the issue.

The only problem that exists is that those people receiving quotas do not sell the tickets to end consumers, but sell them to other sellers. Sometimes, these tickets are sold in bulk. The market is dominated by groups of people who buy and resell the tickets.

If the problem continues, the state might suspend the issuance of lottery tickets, so as to allow the system to be overhauled. All sides including the public must help us. Please do not buy overpriced tickets. Should you see a lottery ticket being sold higher than 80 baht, please let the authorities know. Please get lottery tickets only from the GLO and provincial offices. Quotas will be readjusted. If you resell the tickets, you will be prosecuted. It is the only thing people can have access to. I am not support gambling, but it is an issue that many in the public demand.

Our next topic is about the economy especially in the agricultural sector. We have to admit that global economy as well as ASEAN economy is still slow. It is difficult to compare us to developed countries or countries with fruitful industries. Thailand is an agricultural country that was not resilient enough. We had no real economic stability when I took office. The government has been focusing on adjusting the agricultural structure and bringing stability to Thai farmers, which can take a long time and needs support from all sides. We cannot have farmers produce crops when there is not market to supply to. It must start with demand. We should look at the demand in both domestic and international markets. Everything will turn to disarray without preparedness. Please be patient. Although the government understands your hardship, it cannot keep on giving handouts, which is considered populist policy. We want you to be able to stand on your own feet. We will help you, alleviate your distress and make you stronger, as well as assist in reducing production costs. We don’t want you to be exploited by unscrupulous politicians or influential groups.

Reforms must be introduced in all agricultural sectors, be they rice, rubber, palm, cassava, and sugarcane. Agricultural zoning will be adopted. Monopolies will be eradicated. Seedlings will be provided to the farmers by the Rice Department. Rice strains will be studied and developed by farmers’ cooperatives in local areas. The government sees the problem and will address it accordingly. We cannot leave this problem unattended. Thailand is a country engaged in free trade. Please understand this fact. We are expediting our efforts to make you stronger.

At the same time, we shall never forget the low-income group which consists of traders, laborers, motorcycle taxi operators, tailors, and maids. Every profession will be registered. The Ministries of Labour, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, and Science and Technology are joining hands to register all workforces based by their incomes, so as to allow the state to better assist farmers and workers. Not only we can help you through the registration, we can provide you with the right welfare and benefits. Please get yourself documented. If you are not in the system, you don’t have the right to make any complaints.

In addressing the problem of low prices of agricultural commodities, we have to use perseverance and implement new methods.  Money cannot be excessively spent – too much borrowing would create a public debt problem.  This figure already stands at about 47% and we will not be able to handle 60%.  Some countries can cope with 200% public debt ratio because they are more developed than we are and they have ways to recoup the investment.  It would be risky for us because we have not prepared as many risk mitigating measures.

Unrealistic pricing will end in an inability to sell goods in the global market.  There are issues of labour and many others to consider.  Some nearby countries have 80, 100 or 150 baht minimum wage.  Only two countries around here also had minimum wages of 300 baht.  I do sympathize with minimum wage earners – I would be strained if I earned that much.  Nonetheless, we have to first become stronger for the wage to rise, and we must consider the situation in ASEAN as well as global competition.  Perhaps wages can be raised according to qualifications and abilities determined from tests of labor skill.

Everybody must lend us their hand in order to turn theses crises into opportunities, instead of attempting to damage each other.  Some individuals or groups are vilifying the government and accusing us of degrading the economy and being incompetent at solving problems.  We are addressing issues in accordance with economic principles and facts.  If you think you can do better, please let us know how you intend to solve the issues.  Let us hear how the palm problem can be addressed, in a way that does not involve direct pay-outs.  Let us know how the rubber problem can be solved.  All of you have previously been in positions of power – why did you not address these issues then?  Today, you are finding fault with me as I start to address these problems.

Hence, agricultural communities and cooperatives must be empowered so they can produce goods that sustainably compete.  To achieve this aim, the government is addressing all aspects – cost reduction, strain improvement, development of products and improvement of quality, pursuit of new markets, creation of community markets, and merging of cooperatives into groups.  Re-adjustments are being made system-wide.  Not all cooperatives within the 7 categories have the task of procuring money to lend toward purchases.  An agricultural cooperative has its role whereas a savings cooperative has another role.  There has been a shift towards the role of banks, giving rise to inefficient household debts.  Please do not keep this up.  I have ordered a review of these activities.  The interior ministry, agriculture ministry and commerce ministry are working with the military to conduct surveys to determine whether plots of land were owned by farmers themselves and what the nature of rent was like.

Surveys have to be finished in time for the next crop.  Cost reduction has to be achieved for the factors of production.  Machinery will be procured.  Some will be sent to strong cooperatives, and the rest will be sent to units under the Armed Forces Development Command.  The machines might initially be acquired by lease and then, during the second phase, purchased.  There has to be a maintenance budget, or else the machines will all break after just a short while.  The cooperatives must see to this.  The military and interior ministry will handle areas outside the scope of cooperatives.

Merge the small plots into large, 100-rai plots for the purpose of getting a single price for machinery use.  Exploitations can be reduced through better organization.  Owners of tractors, harvesters and the likes can join us to ensure they have a steady supply of fair work.  Have some sympathy on farmers – they have been exploited at all turns, from the start of planting until the sale of the crop.  They have never been debt-free.  New loans are made to repay existing debts, and they end up being indebted from generation to generation.

If we do not address the problem in its entirety, things will revert to the way they were.  For improved clarity, farmers must be registered.  The government is ready to provide assistance, but registration has to be in order.  I have said before that for tax purposes, everybody's ID card will contain information on occupation and income.  There are existing rules on the amount of taxable income.  I will not be taxing farmers during the initial phase.  Meanwhile, the information will allow more novel taxation schemes that will benefit farmers.  We must empower people by bringing them into the tax system.

Let us turn to affairs of law and justice.  All current undertakings are being made under normal laws whereas Section 44 is being used for some matters.  Section 44 is written to closely resemble normal laws.  It allows tasks to be achieved more expediently and for greater synergy to be achieved.  Existing, stand-alone laws are simply being made more synergistic through the use of Section 44.

There are no other sections to allow the said undertakings to take place in comprehensive manners.  Previously every ministry has been conducting these undertakings by themselves, supported by each ministry's laws.  This was exacerbated by lack of attention from management.  Agencies went about their own affairs.  The police proceeded by their own laws and the government only acted on things it wanted to do.  This will not do.  The government needs to care for 67 million people, not tailor to specific provinces or election bases.  The cabinet has to look after the entire country's populace in the manner we are doing at present.  It is harder to care for all 67 million people, but it is achievable if everybody can come together.

In state administration, the constitution is the highest law and is relevant to many other laws.  Importantly, it provides the organization needed for country administration.  Over the past 80 years, we have had 19 constitutions.  We keep fixing the charter – when things are not well, a coup occurs and the charter is revised.  Recently there were efforts to amend the charter through Parliament.  The amendment did not come to fruition and has triggered conflicts and instability.  The military and I are weary of this kind of situation.  We do not want the country to move backwards in this sense, but it was necessary in some situations.  To avoid a recurrence, the government must foster righteousness and legitimacy by coming into power with dignity, without vote-buying, focusing attention only to political bases, and vested interests.  You are well aware of these issues.  If the past is repeated and there is backward progress, then there will probably be charters no. 20, 21 and 22.

The constitution is the framework for national strategies.  It provides a directional compass for the country, allowing for the joint pursuit of goals.  It affects the lives of all within the country.  It also determines Thailand's role at the global stage, and stipulates all dimensions of the nation's powers.

Although this government did not come from an election, we have unity.  We have the commitment to make sacrifices and address every matter.  There are numerous matters at hand, and sometimes the pace is not as rapid as we would like.  Everyone has been doing the best they can.  With regards to the road map, there is not much time left.  We will do what we can to fix past problems and lay down strong foundations for reform.  The reforms will be continued by successive administrations.  If you coerce me now there may be even less progress.  There are problems associated with coalition governments, as sometimes they cannot determine things due to election concerns.

To reform a nation, 10-year, 20-year, 30-year and 50-year strategies need to be determined in order for the country to make progress in a manner synchronized to each of the administrations' period in office.  When you come to office, some matters that cannot be tackled may be put on hold while more urgent matters such as infrastructure investments, water management and empowerment of the agriculture sector cannot be paused.  Successive governments must pursue these affairs in order for realization to come about.  The public also needs to be able to better determine their fates and be less susceptible to political manipulation.

We only want the country to be peaceful and stable, similar to at present.  When I go abroad, I receive positive comments of how Thailand has stability.  The foreign community asked me to confirm that the stability would last.  In my capacity as prime minister, I told them I was confident of this, because Thais have love for the nation and the monarchy.  We will join hands and do away with weakness and susceptibility to manipulation.  You must determine your own fate and not let others steer it.  I tried to foster understanding with foreign nations, and I have not been met with disapproval.

On the matter of tourism, I want to tell you that it has improved.  Some 2.2 million foreign tourists arrived in Thailand.  This was an 18.34% increase from the same period of last year.  The roughly 100 billion baht of income generated was a 22% increase from the same period of last year.  This signals that foreigners are ready to visit our country for tourism.  We must strive to be good hosts, and nurture peacefulness and maintain our own uniqueness.  300,000 foreigners made their vacation in Thailand during the long weekend on May 1-5, bringing 14 billion baht of income into the country.  It is heartening that Thais have been increasingly choosing to travel within the country.  It is normal to go abroad, but I would like to ask Thais to consider domestic travel during this period so that money circulates domestically.  As the wealthy go abroad, the not-so-affluent would do well to travel in Thailand, and by doing so, generate additional income for the country.

There are 12 provinces designated as must-visit destinations.  It is one of the government's projects to promote tourism this year.  The Discover Thainess tourism campaign is year-round and encompasses all regions of the country.  I thank all officials who sacrificed their time during long holidays to facilitate convenience and safety for tourists.  I also thank all members of the public who acted as good hosts to visitors.  I am concerned about accidents and driving under the influence.  The government's encouragement of holiday travels might spur an observation that accidents have increased because people have more days to drink excessively during the long holidays.  There are comments over the safety of bicycle paths after accidents involving cars and bicycles occurred.  What am I to do?  Everybody needs to help out.  Once built, maintenance is needed.  Responsibility has to be split.  Please report any negligence to any Damrongtham center.

A 'quality Thai fruits and vegetables' festival is taking place during this month of May, from the 6th to the 31st.  I inaugurated the festival.  I urge whoever comes to visit me at Government House to take a stroll at the market, which is nearby.  Everybody has been giving positive responses.  Thailand has delicious fruits.  Very recently I showed some foreign delegations around the market.  Some diplomats have never had durian because of the smell.  I invited them to try it while blocking the nose.  After trying it out, everybody was eating the fruit with unblocked noses.  They said it was delicious.  The market has old and rare strains of durian which range in size from small to large and which comes in a variety of colors.  I would like you to come for a visit when you have the time.

The tents are now air-conditioned.  It might not be very cool because there is a large area to cover and the tents are just plastic fabric.  At the very least, it should be cooler than before.  The market can be visited throughout the day now, and the fruits will not spoil.  We are hoping to create exposure for the farmers, who come from several provinces.  They told me how they understood the things I was doing because they listened to my Friday program.  They told me they did not quite understand me on the first day they tuned in, because I spoke very fast.  They kept at it and eventually they started to understand.  It was heartening when they told me my program was constructive.  They told me how they thought the current undertakings were correct, and how they now have the opportunity to come to this kind of market as well as to community markets.  The agriculture ministry will look into making export-oriented SMEs out of individuals at these markets.

Speaking to them, I commented on how they should look into reducing the portions of sweets such as durian pastes and other fruit pastes, which are usually sold in boxes.  A person does not usually finish the entire box.  How are they to sell all of these sweets if the goods come in such large packages?  Selling them in bags of 50-100 candy-sized pieces should fetch them better sales.  The packaging is another issue.  At the moment the packaging is fine for sales in ASEAN because of the same taste for simple packaging.  If the goods are to be sold in Europe or the West, better designs are needed.  We have our own designers.  Packaging has significance in the sale of products.

The Ministry of Interior has been told to expand on results that have been achieved.  There are problems related to seeds, retailing and wholesaling at community markets.  Some claim I am providing leverage for prominent merchants.  I am empowering communities by building markets that allow locals to bring items to sell.  Those with money can take their products to department stores.  Those without money can come here.  Construction is under way for some 2,000 of these markets.  We are also working on seeds so farmers will not have to overly rely on seeds from elsewhere.  We also need to keep in mind the connectivity this undertaking will have with other aspects of the economy – the economic chain.

Next, I would like to invite Dr. Wissanu Krea-ngam, the deputy prime minister for legal and justice affairs, to talk about the work under his responsibility and, importantly, the law.  The law exists to allow people to live together peacefully, not to create conflicts.  Thus, the law will be used when there is disorder.  If people within society do not oppress one another or fight among each other, officials will have a reduced work load.  There will be less need for law enforcement and violence, and the people will be happier.  Conflicts will be reduced if everybody knows their roles and commits to it.  After all, we are all family here.  Policemen are your children, soldiers are your children, and so are politicians.  Therefore we should all come together to join hands in building the nation.  I will continue to do my best, without being discouraged and try my utmost.

Thank you and goodbye

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