Deputy Prime Minister Kittiratt Na- Ranong has admitted he was with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at the Four Seasons Hotel when she met a group of businessmen there early this month.
It was the first time Mr Kittiratt has spoken about the matter since the meeting on Feb 8 between Ms Yingluck and Srettha Thavisin, president of property developer Sansiri Plc, became public knowledge last week.
On Friday, Mr Srettha confirmed he met Ms Yingluck at the hotel on Feb 8. The prime minister skipped a House session that day to attend the meeting.
Mr Kittiratt said the prime minister's duty is to listen to opinions from as many people as possible because her government is open to all suggestions, both official and unofficial.
It was necessary for the government to listen to useful suggestions from anyone in the private sector, not necessarily only from the chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries or the Thai Chamber of Commerce, he said.
"I can confirm that I was really there. I also know all of those who sought to meet the prime minister. I understand they did not want to meet the prime minister at Government House because they did not want to be seen as siding with the government, because certain groups of people dislike the government," Mr Kittiratt said.
He said the Four Seasons is used for meetings at an international standard.
Mr Kittiratt said the businessmen chose the Four Seasons Hotel as the meeting venue possibly because they did not want to appear at Government House to avoid arousing news reporters' curiosity.
He said he personally knows Mr Srettha, one of the businessmen who met the premier at the hotel, and could reassure the public that he is a good man.
Mr Kittiratt urged the private sector to come out to offer their views and suggestions to the government without any fear of criticism that they were attempting to curry favour with the administration.
Ms Yingluck on Monday dismissed suggestions there had been any conflicts of interest involved when she met a group of businessmen, particularly Mr Srettha at the hotel.
She insisted the hotel meeting was open and not a secret.
"In fact, the media knew very well that we went there openly. I can assure you that there were no conflicts of interest involved," she said.
"Please understand there are many people who want to give their opinions without wanting anything in return. Today, we still have many other things to do. There was nothing personal."
The prime minister was speaking at Suvarnabhumi airport Monday morning before leaving for a one-day visit to Malaysia.
Pheu Thai Party MP for Samut Prakan Pracha Prasopdee yesterday said he would take reporters to the seventh floor of the Four Seasons Hotel today to see for themselves that it was actually a meeting room and there were no private rooms there.
Meanwhile, Democrat spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut yesterday said the meeting between Ms Yingluck and the businessmen might coincide with a decision by the Treasury Department to delay adjusting the appraisal price of land for another six months as well as to extend the deadline for the enforcement of city planning covering 12 cities for another year.
Mr Chavanond said the party has formed a committee to investigate if the Treasury Department is attempting to provide benefits to anyone.
The Democrat Party is threatening to launch impeachment proceedings against Ms Yingluck over her meeting with the president of Sansiri at the Four Seasons.
They also plan to push for an investigation into ties between the prime minister and the real estate developer.
The opposition also has questioned whether the meeting included offering secret benefits from the government's flood prevention projects.
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