New Thai Cabinet members attend first meeting

BANGKOK, September 9 (TNA) - The new Thai Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha, had its first meeting at Bangkok's Government House on Tuesday morning amid intensified security measures. Cabinet Secretary-General Ampon Kittiampon told journalists, before the first Cabinet meeting, that the Cabinet members would be briefed on procedures of Cabinet meetings, their asset declaration, proposals of Cabinet agendas and the appointments of their secretaries, deputies and advisors. Ampon said that the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO)'s supervisors of security, economic, social, legal and special affairs would then present their work to the Cabinet for the sake of work continuation. Besides, the new Cabinet discussed government policies to be reported to the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) and the ongoing visit to Malaysia by Secretary-General of the National Security Council (NSC) Thawil Pliensri to Malaysia to hold talks on future peace negotiations with representatives of insurgency movements in the violence-plagued Thai far South and shared responsibilities among Cabinet members. Arriving at the Government House at 9:09am on the 9th of September (the ninth month of the year), the prime minister, who wore a royally-designed blue silk Phraratchathan outfit, reportedly encouraged other Cabinet members to also wear Thai outfits to conserve Thai cultures. Crowds of Thai and foreign journalists, meanwhile, covered the Cabinet meeting at Government House, where soldiers and police thoroughly checked people and their vehicles. (TNA)