“Pradorn” confirmed that Bhumjaithai has no pre-arranged seat deals. He said all parties have set high targets, but the final decision will be made on 8 February. He denied any delay in flood relief, stating all approvals were completed before the dissolution of parliament.
At 09:30 on 3 February 2026 at the Government House, Mr. Pradorn Prissanantakul, Minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office and candidate for Ang Thong MP from Bhumjaithai (BJT) Party, was interviewed about BJT leader Anutin Charnvirakul's statement that the party might win over 200 seats. He said the party leader was clear, and that every political party sets high expectations beforehand. For example, the Kla Party (KP) expects 80-90 seats, and the Prachachon Party (PCP) recently indicated they might get 300 seats. Altogether, the total is about 700-800 seats. Every party has high hopes, but ultimately, on 8 February, it will be up to the voters to decide which party will be given the opportunity to lead the government formation.
Regarding whether Bhumjaithai has conducted its own opinion polls, Mr. Pradorn said he does not know as he is in the field and is not involved in polling. When asked if he had any message for the Election Commission (EC), he said that any errors occurring during the advance voting on 1 February should be investigated to confirm if mistakes truly happened. If so, the EC must find measures or guidelines to correct those errors. He urged the EC to be cautious because the matter is very sensitive and has caused the public to lose confidence in the election process.
On rumors of pre-election deals for ministerial seats in the new government, Mr. Pradorn stated that Bhumjaithai has none. They are waiting for election results and to see which party the public trusts to lead government formation. When asked if there have been any shootings in his area, he joked, "There are only rubber bullet craters; the tires are all flat."
Mr. Pradorn also revealed that before the Cabinet meeting on flood relief budgets, there have been two or three rounds of approval. The Cabinet has already approved payments, especially the 9,000 baht relief amount, twice, totaling over 20 billion baht. However, after disbursement, additional surveys from people registering later showed some missing funds. This concerns stepped flood relief for the central and lower northern regions, plus some increases in the southern region, totaling about 2.1 billion baht. Two to three weeks ago, this was discussed at a Cabinet meeting, and the Cabinet approved the budget. Since this coincided with the dissolution of parliament, using the central budget requires approval from the EC first. Last week, the EC reviewed this and decided not to approve it. Today, the Cabinet is expected to discuss and be informed of the EC's decision.
Mr. Pradorn added that the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) is preparing a new proposal. After the Cabinet reaches a new resolution, the Secretariat of the Cabinet (SOC) will resubmit it to the EC. This is not a new project but a continuation of flood relief efforts the Cabinet has already clearly approved. The requested amount is additional because the original budget was insufficient to compensate the affected people, hence the extra 2 billion baht. He is unsure if the EC misunderstood the purpose. Therefore, a Cabinet meeting today should approve it and send the matter back to the EC.
Regarding criticism from political parties that flood relief has not reached the people, Mr. Pradorn said approvals were already made before the dissolution of parliament. After dissolution, additional surveys identified more needs, but funds were insufficient, requiring approval for an extra budget of over 2 billion baht. If the EC approves, the DDPM and provinces have already passed their committees’ approvals and are just waiting for these funds. The Budget Bureau is ready as well, only awaiting the EC's signal. He emphasized the Cabinet has not delayed and has fully approved the relief; the only issue arose due to the timing of the parliamentary dissolution.