The Pheu Thai Party has appointed property tycoon Srettha Thavisin chief adviser to Paetongtarn "Ung-Ing" Shinawatra, head of the Pheu Thai family.
The appointment of Mr Srettha, the chief executive of the residential developer Sansiri Plc, was announced by Pheu Thai leader Cholnan Srikaew at party headquarters on Wednesday.
Dr Cholnan said the appointment was effective from Feb 27.
Ms Paetongtarn, as head of the Pheu Thai family, was duty-bound to travel to every part of the country for party activities, he said. She needed capable and resourceful assistance from members of the party, and Mr Srettha was the person for the job, he said.
Ms Paetongtarn is also seven months pregnant and this imposed some limitations. Mr Srettha would be of much help, Dr Cholnan said.
Apart from being the chief adviser to Ms Paetongtarn, Mr Srettha would also be a member of the party's committee on policies and political strategies, he added.
Dr Cholnan said Mr Srettha had raised no objection to helping the party in its election campaigning, but whether he would be available to travel and help candidates would be discussed further.
Mr Srettha arrived at party headquarters about 10am to officially acknowledge the appointment. He said that as a party member he had been in close touch with senior members. He was ready to help Ms Paetongtarn in his field of expertise.
The 60-year-old businessman is expected to play a prominent role in the election campaign of Pheu Thai, which together with its previous incarnations has won the most seats in every Thai election since 2001.
Asked whether the appointment was a step towards him being named a prime ministerial candidate, Mr Srettha was non-committal. He said he had to give other party members due honour. Many of them were capable people, and he was still their junior.
Asked whether he would accept the candidacy if it were offered, Mr Srettha said it was too soon for him to make a commitment. In the political party system this was a matter for the executive committee to decide. Moreover, the House of Representatives had still not been formally dissolved, he added.
"For now, I will focus on my responsibilities as chief adviser to the Pheu Thai family. With more than 30 years of experience in the field of economics, I will do my best and hope my advice is useful to the party," he said.
Mr Srettha avoided giving a straight answer on Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's comment about his appointment and his work experience. He said he would just take it onboard. He was a grown-up.
Earlier on Wednesday, reporters asked Gen Prayut to share his views on Mr Srettha and his appontment .
"What makes him stand out, and why has Pheu Thai decided to name him?" Gen Prayut replied. Reporters pointed to Mr Srettha's economic expertise, and that he is a successful real estate businessman.
The prime minister then raised his voice and said, "That's business, and the country is not a business."
