“ประยุทธ์” แจงแผนฟื้นฟูการบินไทย เป็นภาษาอังกฤษ

เมื่อวันที่ 19 พ.ค.63 เวลา 16.55 น. พล.อ.ประยุทธ์ จันทร์โอชา นายกรัฐมนตรีและรัฐมนตรีว่าการกระทรวงกลาโหม โพสต์เฟสบุ๊ก “ประยุทธ์ จันทร์โอชา Prayut Chan-o-cha” ภาษาอังกฤษ ว่า

Today, I had to make a very difficult decision regarding Thai Airways. But it is one that I know is in the best interests of every member of the public and of our country.

I had three choices: find more money for Thai Airways to continue; or, let it go bankrupt; or, refuse to finance Thai Airways but put it into court-supervised rehabilitation. I’ve decided on the third option.

In this time of crisis for Thailand (and the world) when everyone’s livelihood is being destroyed by the Covid catastrophe, we need to keep the nation’s money to help the public in the months ahead: to help farmers, SMEs, the self-employed, and every other hardworking citizen trying to earn an honest living.

We have made good progress in trying to control the health crisis from Covid, especially when compared with other countries. But, the Covid crisis is not just about health. We are about to enter an even more serious crisis: the financial crisis that is hitting every person in Thailand. People have lost their livelihoods and still do not know when they may be able to go back to earning a normal income. This is an economic crisis that is likely to get even more serious.

This is why I must save the people’s money for programmes that can directly help them survive and then rebuild their lives, and the country’s economy.

I would like us to go back and think about why we have Thai Airways? Thai Airways exists to build our country’s reputation and support the prosperity of Thais, and it needs to be strong enough to stand on its own feet and compete globally. That is the basis on which I made today’s decision.

I realise that this decision for the government not to finance Thai Airways risked the abandonment of more than 20,000 Thai Airways staff. I also do not want to see that. Under this court-supervised rehabilitation process Thai Airways may continue to fly and its staff still be employed, but, importantly, it can now start a much-delayed restructuring of the airline.

The court will appoint professionals to supervise its rehabilitation and restructuring in a professional way and I hope that we may be able to see again an airline that Thais can be proud about and which can contribute to the prosperity of Thailand.