Charter change-related issues feared to affect Thai investment

BANGKOK, July 9 (TNA) - Bank of Thailand (BOT) Governor Prasarn Triratvorakul warned Monday that issues related to the government's planned constitutional amendments could affect the country's investment prospect, urging all concerned parties to prevent any renewed political turbulence triggered by the issues. Prasarn said all parties now need to help one another to maintain national order, cautioning that any renewed political unrest would affect foreign investment projects in the Thai economy, as international investors would like to do their businesses in peaceful economies with stable politics. Attempts by the Pheu Thai Party-led government to amend the 2007 Constitution have raised concerns, as opponents have accused the efforts as a plot to overthrow Thailand's constitutional monarchy and analysts have acknowledged if Bangkok's Constitution Court ruled in favor of the opposition side, the ruling Pheu Thai Party could be disbanded with its executives banned from politics for five years. Pheu Thai Party leader Yongyuth Wichaidit, who is also Interior Minister, told reporters, meanwhile, that he, personally, was not worried over the Constitution Court's verdict set on July 13, as he is confident that his ruling party has not violated any rules. Yongyuth insisted, however, that he would accept the upcoming judicial decision, admitting if the Pheu Thai Party was disbanded, that would be tiring because the party had been disbanded twice. Thai Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha declined to give any comment on the issue, only saying that the military respected the justice system and warning protesters not to cause any unrest for the sake of national interest. (TNA)