Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat declared at a Korat rally that promises must be fulfilled, criticizing capital for suppressing sugarcane and cassava prices. He presented land reform plans and solutions for agricultural debt across the system, emphasizing that the Kla Tham Party will always stand alongside farmers and the small-scale people.
At 6:30 p.m. on 21 January 2026, the Kla Tham Party held a rally at Dan Khun Thot High School, Dan Khun Thot Subdistrict, Dan Khun Thot District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, attended by Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat Prompao, party advisory chairman and prime ministerial candidate, who took the stage to campaign for Mr. Marut Chumkhunthot, Kla Tham Party candidate for Nakhon Ratchasima MP, District 15, amid a large and enthusiastic crowd.
Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat expressed gratitude to the people of Korat for their warm welcome. He emphasized that Korat is the gateway to Isan; if this city is strong and prosperous, the development of the entire Isan region can progress. He compared the country to a home: if the fence is strong, the home is safe and happy. But if the fence is broken, the home faces problems. Similarly, national administration must start by addressing foundational issues. He then spoke about land use problems, especially disputes between the state and residents in several Korat districts, where locals have lived for a long time but face legal actions.
"State land, particularly agricultural land under the Agricultural Land Reform Act (ALRA), must be truly allocated to those without land to farm, not as a tool to benefit capital groups. I have successfully implemented a policy converting ALRA land titles into agricultural land deeds and will push further for red Garuda land deeds to ensure security of life and property for farmers," he said.
Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat also addressed drought and agricultural water problems in Dan Khun Thot, affecting sugarcane, cassava, and rice. He assured concrete irrigation system improvements, not just empty promises. He criticized money handouts that neither create jobs nor sustainably alleviate poverty. On agricultural product prices, especially sugarcane, he noted that last year farmers sold sugarcane at about 1,300 baht per ton, but this year prices dropped to 500-800 baht despite higher sugar market prices. He questioned the unfair pricing structure and revealed he raised this issue at the Cabinet, urging the Ministry of Industry to convene all sugar mills for urgent solutions, including defining purchase areas and reducing farmers' transport costs. He confirmed that sugarcane field relief measures must continue.
He also discussed the cassava price issue in Korat, a major cultivation area nationally, stating he ordered inspections of cassava imports from neighboring countries that might affect domestic prices. He emphasized protecting Thai farmers' produce from capital groups profiting from locals' hardship.
Towards the end, Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat addressed farmers' and teachers' debt problems, affirming the idea of establishing a central mechanism to buy debts from financial institutions at fair prices, then restructure them to reduce interest burdens for grassroots people. He questioned a financial system that allows farmers to accumulate debt while capital groups benefit. He also criticized rising energy, electricity, and agricultural input costs, while farmers' product prices remain suppressed. He stressed that if the Kla Tham Party gains the opportunity, it will push serious reforms of the Ministry of Agriculture and grassroots economic structures.
Before closing the event, Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat urged the public, "On 8 February 2026, the election day, I encourage everyone to exercise your right and choose representatives who 'say and do,' so Korat and the Isan region can progress steadily." He reiterated that the Kla Tham Party will always stand with farmers and the small-scale people. .