"Chuan" angrily reprimands "Phiphat" for slander and lacking manners, accusing him of serving two terms as prime minister yet the South remains undeveloped, urging southern voters to discipline Bhumjaithai Party as they did during Thaksin's time.
On 7 Jan 2026 GMT+7, Chuan Leekpai, former prime minister and Democrat Party list MP candidate, held a press conference responding to Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, who implied that despite two terms as prime minister, the South remains undeveloped. Chuan said this behavior disrespects the people of Trang and shows political discourtesy.
Chuan added that Phiphat's statement suggesting that voting for Bhumjaithai would bring infrastructure budget is a clear signal of political discrimination, similar to Thaksin Shinawatra's government, which announced development only for provinces that supported Thai Rak Thai, leading southern voters to punish them by not electing a single candidate then. Such political attitudes foster conflict and distort democracy.
The veteran politician clarified facts about development during his two terms as prime minister, saying he governed for the whole country, not just his hometown. The four-lane road projects during his tenure covered the North, Northeast, and South, not only Trang. He also pioneered the elderly allowance program, which became a foundation for subsequent governments to build upon.
The two-time former prime minister also mocked Phiphat for flying into Trang Airport, whose budget he had pushed to develop, only to try to lure MPs to Bhumjaithai while criticizing the province's development. He noted that Phiphat's attitude may reflect a businessman’s mindset applied to politics—viewing politics in terms of profit and loss, requiring returns on investment before allocating budgets. But in democratic politics, budgets come from taxpayers’ money, not private funds.
Chuan concluded by urging southern and Trang residents to be aware of these issues and to avoid voting for parties that trade development for discriminatory conditions. He invited Thais to visit Trang Square and the beautiful Trang Airport as proof that his work was fair and truly spread prosperity to the regions.