Thai PM meets UN representatives

BANGKOK, May 27 (TNA) - Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha has met ambassadors and permanent representatives of member countries to the United Nations (UN) who are visiting Thailand this week as the guests of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Thai Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Virachai Plasai led the visiting international top envoys to the UN to pay a courtesy call on the Thai prime minister at Bangkok's Government House on May 27. The Thai prime minister, who is also Chief of the army-led National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), extended a warm welcome to the international guests from New York and took the opportunity to stress on his interim government's position on proceeding with plans under a roadmap on national reform toward the new general election based on the democratic system as soon as possible. Deputy Government Spokesman Major General Veerachon Sukhontapatipak told journalists, after the meeting, that the Thai prime minister explained the updated domestic situation to the international guests to create proper understanding among them. The deputy government spokesman said the Thai prime minister also informed the international guests that his interim administration wants to strengthen the civil society, solve the poverty problem and reduce social disparity in order to create and sustain national conciliation. According to the deputy spokesman, the Thai prime minister will also use the opportunity of his participation in the forthcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) 2015 in New York in September to inform the international community of the updated situation in Thailand. The deputy spokesman acknowledged the international guests were also informed that Thailand's new general election should be held in August or September 2016 if there was a referendum to seek public opinions on the country's new Constitution. Besides, the Thai leader pointed out that, like other controversial problems worldwide, illegal Rohinya migration-related problems are caused by social disparity and need to be addressed in countries of origin, mid-way and final destinations. (TNA)