Prime Minister Anutin removed his suit jacket to have lunch at Nang Loeng Market before returning to the Government House. In an interview, he acknowledged the bombings in the three southern border provinces as acts of unrest. He denied shirking responsibility and emphasized the need to revise intelligence operations to improve effectiveness and accuracy.
At 11:50 a.m. on 12 January 2026, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul, accompanied by his advisory team and some followers, took off his suit jacket and walked from the Thai Khu Fah Building at the Government House to Nang Loeng Market. En route, he stopped at a pawnshop near the Thewakrom intersection to inquire about the price of a Luang Por Ruay bracelet. The pawnshop owner valued just the Luang Por Ruay coin at about 15,000 baht. The Prime Minister then crossed the street to Nang Loeng Market, greeted locals, and asked about their businesses. Some vendors even left their stalls to take photos with him.
The Prime Minister ordered a blended fruit juice consisting of local tamarind, lime, and pineapple, priced at 50 baht. He told those waiting in line for the juice that he could not pay for everyone as it was election season but promised to return to benefit the people if supported. After taking a photo with the juice vendor, he entered Nang Loeng Market, where more people asked for photos and praised the current positive momentum of the Bhumjaithai Party. The Prime Minister then sat down for lunch, ordering pickled mustard greens, stir-fried catfish with chili and herbs from Viphawan Pad Thai-Hoy Tod, and rice topped with spicy stir-fried catfish and garlic pepper fried pork from Rattan Nang Loeng curry rice, along with a clear soup noodle dish from Suwimon Kuay Tiao Khae to eat.
As he entered the market, citizens asked for photos and praised the strong support for the Bhumjaithai Party. Anutin raised his hands in a traditional Thai greeting to thank them. While eating, Thai expatriates who had returned home approached him for hugs and photos, assuring him they would vote in the upcoming election. On his way back to the Government House, Anutin stopped at Thamniab Sin Art, a shop selling picture frames and paintings. He purchased four paintings by Thai artists—depicting rice fields, a fighting cock, a hut, and a riverside house—and personally selected the frames. Anutin said he liked them and planned to hang them at home.
At 1:05 p.m., Anutin returned to the Government House and gave an interview regarding the coordinated bombings and arson attacks at 11 petrol stations in the three southern border provinces of Narathiwat, Yala, and Pattani. He said he had discussed the matter since the previous day with Lieutenant General Naratip Poyonok, Commander of the Fourth Army Region; General Chaipruk Duangprapat, Army Chief of Staff; and Piyasiri Watthanawaranukul, Secretary-General of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC). Earlier that morning, he had also met with the Deputy Chief of Defence Forces, General Natthaphon Nakpanich, Minister of Defence, and Chatri Bangchuad, Secretary-General of the National Security Council, to urge swift investigation and prosecution to determine the origins and circumstances of the attacks.
Regarding SBPAC, Anutin instructed them to expedite care for approximately seven injured individuals and to provide relief aid. He also urged them to find measures to assist affected business operators, noting extensive damage at all PTT petrol stations. Anutin said he had called Wutthikrai Leewiraphan, Chairman of the PTT Board, to request that PTT find ways to support these operators to enable them to continue their businesses. He warned that if the operators ceased their activities, it would play into the perpetrators' hands. He empathized with the operators, noting that no insurance companies cover damages caused by terrorism.
When asked whether the incidents were definitively not acts of unrest, the Prime Minister responded, "How can I say they are not unrest? The attacks occurred across all three provinces and targeted specific locations." When reporters asked if the incidents were unrelated to politics or the upcoming election, Anutin replied that many factors were involved. He had consulted local officials for initial analysis and assessment, which indicated links to politics, ill will, and efforts to undermine peace and stability. He noted such incidents tend to occur before extensions of emergency declarations, according to past records. He acknowledged these assessments but emphasized that intelligence must be thoroughly reviewed. As the country's leader, he said he could not accept the situation and insisted on improving intelligence effectiveness.
Regarding national elections, Anutin said security and prevention of unrest would be emphasized. The Fourth Army Region commander explained that the incident happened during a transitional period when forces had been mobilized to cover Children's Day activities. The explosion occurred on the morning of Sunday, 11 January. Anutin instructed the Fourth Army Region commander and informed the SBPAC secretary that such incidents cannot be dismissed or shirked as responsibility. The area is under an emergency declaration, with martial law enforced in some districts, and remains under official responsibility.
