Worawat, former MP of Phrae, clarified the 21 million baht budget for constructing the Mueang Phrae District Sports Stadium, stressing that neither he nor former Pheu Thai Party MPs were involved in the project.
On 15 March 2026, amid online criticism regarding the construction project of the Mueang Phrae District Sports Stadium, which has a budget exceeding 21 million baht and has been under construction for nearly 10 years without completion, the issue was linked to former local politicians.
Recently, Mr. Worawat Ua-apinyakul, former member of the House of Representatives from Phrae Province, issued a clear statement that he has never been involved with the budget or the project in question.
Mr. Worawat stated that the Mueang Phrae District Sports Stadium project began around 2016, during the administration of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) following the coup, when General Prayut Chan-o-cha was prime minister and no parliamentary elections were held, leaving all former MPs in a vacant status.
Therefore, the former Pheu Thai Party MPs from Phrae Province were not involved or aware of the state budget allocation or the approval of the stadium and provincial hall construction projects.
To be fair to former Pheu Thai MPs, online Phrae news summarized the project timeline indicating the budget was approved during General Anupong Paochinda’s tenure as Minister of Interior, with the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning assigned to implement the project.
Mr. Worawat added that linking his name or that of his party to this budget might mislead the public from the facts. He emphasized that this budget was allocated during the NCPO government period when elected politicians had no role, and that he was ousted and his party dissolved since 2014, returning as an MP only two years ago after a nine-year hiatus.
Currently, the Mueang Phrae District Sports Stadium project, with a budget of about 21 million baht, remains a social concern because construction started in 2016 but it still cannot be used. Many parties are calling on relevant agencies to investigate and resolve the issue so the project can serve the public as originally intended.