Jirayu Houngsub, a former Pheu Thai MP, has been appointed a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence, said Defence Minister Surin Klungsang on Wednesday.

Sutin told reporters that Jirayu join a team of spokespeople at the ministry and will be handling political issues. “Ministry spokespeople who are serving officers may not be familiar with these political issues,” Sutin added

Jirayu is the first civilian spokesman at the ministry. He is a veteran politician and has been elected multiple times, but he lost to a Move Forward candidate in the this year’s general election.

Before joining the party, he worked as a journalist for various media outlets.