Thai Premier Choice Linked to Drug Trade

A wealthy Thai businessman, who was denied a U.S. visa last year because of suspected drug trafficking activities was named Wednesday as Thailand’s new prime minister, pending royal approval.

Narong Wongwan, 67, heads the pro-military Samakkhi Tham party, which won a bare plurality of parliamentary seats--79 out of 360--in Sunday’s general elections.

For the last three days, leaders of Samakkhi Tham and other pro-military parties have haggled to forge a viable coalition government. They emerged Wednesday afternoon to announce a five-party coalition that controls 195 parliamentary seats, or 54%. It will be headed by Narong as premier.

Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej will have to approve the nomination before Narong can take office. Narong has the firm support of leaders of a 1991 bloodless military coup that ousted Prime Minister Chatchai Choonhavan.

A recent opinion poll of Thai academics, business people and other professionals, in the English-language newspaper The Nation, found that only 0.3% wanted Narong to be prime minister.

Narong has a sizable business empire of timber, tobacco, coffee and mining companies, most of them based in northern Thailand. Some of Narong’s alleged business dealings have caught the attention of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration which, informed sources said, blocked his visa application for a U.S. visit last year.

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Margaret Tutwiler confirmed that Narong was denied a visa last July.