STORY CONTINUES BELOW THESE SALTWIRE VIDEOSBANGKOK - Thailand's new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was named finance minister on Saturday in a cabinet that was endorsed by the king, as the real estate tycoon seeks to boost Southeast Asia's second-largest economy and implement key campaign promises.
The new cabinet, disclosed in a royal gazette and endorsed by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, will see Srettha's Pheu Thai party, backed by the billionaire Shinawatra family, oversee the defence, transport, commerce, health and the foreign ministry portfolios. On Friday, the king commuted the sentence to one year, citing his loyalty to the monarchy and his poor health.