PM Shinawatra denies interference in land disputes

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has denied any wrongdoing in two land dispute cases. These cases involve Alpine Real Estate and Alpine Golf and Sports Club located in Pathum Thani, as well as land at Khao Kradong in Buri Ram. During a censure debate on Monday, Paetongtarn stated that her family legally acquired the Alpine land when she was 11 years old. She clarified that she is no longer an executive at the company that owns the land. This response came after opposition MP Sutham Jaritngam accused her of using her power to delay the land’s return to a Buddhist temple, as ordered by the court. Sutham suggested that the delay was intentional and linked to Paetongtarn transferring many shares in the company to her mother, Khunying Potjaman na Pombejra. He questioned the integrity of the Prime Minister and urged her to return the land to the temple. In response, Paetongtarn asserted that she has never interfered with the case and called for Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to clarify the government's actions. Chulapong Yukate, another opposition MP, echoed concerns about Paetongtarn’s motives. He suggested that she could use the Khao Kradong case to gain support during the debate, but she countered that it was a separate issue involving villagers and the State Railway of Thailand, handled according to the law. Anutin stated that both land disputes were settled before Paetongtarn became Prime Minister and that neither of them had any role in the cases. He emphasized that there were no grounds for allegations against them.