New Thai Cabinet reshuffle likely to take place after July 2012

BANGKOK, May 5 (TNA) - Thailand's new major Cabinet reshuffle is likely to take place after July 2012. Ruling Pheu Thai Party Deputy Spokesman Jirayu Huangsub told reporters of the political prospect Saturday, following talks on the imminent Cabinet reshuffle, the third of its kind, of Thailand's incumbent coalition government which has come to power since last August, as the so-called 111 executives of the now-disbanded Thai Rak Thai Party will complete their five-year political bans on May 30 and some of them are expected to join the government. Jirayu acknowledged that many of the 111 former executives are believed to first study how the incumbent Pheu Thai Party-led coalition government works, and that some 35 of them want to work with the ruling party. Another deputy spokesperson of the Puea Thai Party, Sunisa Lertpakawat, affirmed that May 31 will be the first day the 111 former executives of the disbanded party start their political works and how they can help for a by-election to be held in the northern Chiang Mai province’s constituent 3 is to be followed, noting that candidates wishing to contest in the by-election will have to submit their applications starting May 7. Meanwhile, Bangkok's Supreme Court ruled on Friday to ban Somsak Prissananthakul, a Chart Thai Pattana Party executive and a former Thai agriculture and cooperatives minister, from Thai politics for five years, after he was found guilty of wealth concealment by submitting his false asset statements to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) while holding his political offices from 1997-2008. (TNA)