Online community saw #ธุรกิจสว (Senator’s business) trending top overnight, after Move Forward supporters gathered information on businesses owned by senators and their families, with a focus on those who abstained or were absent from the voting on Pita Limjaroenrat’s prime ministerial candidacy on Thursday.
One Twitter user said that this is a way they can exercise their rights, by choosing to boycott certain businesses with links to senators. The concept even goes as far as erecting signage near those businesses to inform the public.
People were, however, also strongly advised to be modest and careful in their comments on social media, since they could be charged under the Computer Crime Act, which stipulates that any person who damages, destroys, corrects, changes or amends another party’s computer data, either in whole or in part, shall be subject to imprisonment of up to five years and/or a fine of up to one hundred thousand baht.
Senator absences and abstentions from voting for Pita on Thursday played a decisive role in preventing him from becoming Thailand’s 30th prime minister.
The final tally of votes in the joint sitting was 324 for Pita, 182 against and 199 abstentions. Over 30 senators did not show up.
