Thai PM Prayuth wins confidence vote amid criticism on virus

By GRANT PECK
Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has won votes of confidence in Parliament, helping to steady his government after it had come under intense criticism for bungling its response to the coronavirus pandemic. Prayuth still faces pressure from street protests that have been demanding he step down, with another scheduled later Saturday. Pro-democracy activists opposing his policies have been seeking his resignation since last year and stepped up their efforts in recent weeks. The parliamentary debate on the Opposition’s claims of mismanagement had been overshadowed by rumors the ruling, military-backed party was seeking to unseat Prayuth and change the coalition’s makeup. But the votes showed few defections from the coalition.