Thammanat revealed he has not yet spoken with Anutin about forming a government, dismissing rumors that Bhumjaithai is abandoning the Kladtham party. He insisted there is no ill will, saying they have already discussed contesting electoral districts without any collusion. After securing seats in Suphanburi, he affirmed that cabinet meetings have not involved political discussions.
At 10:10 a.m. on 10 Feb 2026 GMT+7 Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat Prompao, also serving as chairman advisor of the Kladtham party and a prime ministerial candidate, gave an interview at the Government House before attending a cabinet meeting regarding progress on government formation. When asked if he had spoken with Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of Bhumjaithai party, Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat replied, "Not yet."
Regarding rumors that Bhumjaithai might betray Kladtham by excluding them from the government, Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat laughed before saying, "Rumors are just rumors. It's too early to talk about government formation now." When asked if he remained confident in his relationship with Anutin, Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat responded, "What reason is there for any ill feeling? Why would there be discord?"
Asked if he was concerned about such divisive rumors, Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat said, "I like it, actually, because at the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives there are also rumors and gossip." He then laughed. When reporters pressed if he was still confident in the relationship, he revealed, "Since the election, frankly, we haven't discussed government formation yet."
Regarding the formula for forming a government, whether aligning with certain party colors would ensure stability, Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat said, "I believe Bhumjaithai's strategy is already planned out; they are just waiting for a clear moment." "It's not the time to talk now. There is still a 60-day period for the Election Commission to certify results by law, which will conclude around early April 2026. So, it is premature to say which parties will align."
"If I were Bhumjaithai, I would be relaxing at home now, with no need to talk to other parties. But some parties eager to join the government might be talking more, which is normal. As for Kladtham, we're staying put."
Asked if, if joining the government, he wished to continue in his current ministry, Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat said, "If we get a ministry we're familiar with, that would be good. But in politics, don't expect anything 100 percent. Politics isn’t like 1+1 equals 2; political equations don’t work like math." When asked about clarity on which party would form the government, with most remaining silent, Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat said that referred to others, not them. He noted he consistently confirms that no discussions have yet taken place.
Asked if Bhumjaithai’s plan includes Kladtham, Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat said, "I don’t know; you should ask them." When asked if there was any prior agreement with Anutin, he said there was none. "We just had elections. Before the election, many media outlets asked if there was collusion, but as seen, there was none. We competed in every district."
Regarding whether government stability requires over 300 votes, Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat said it was unnecessary. "During General Prayut Chan-o-cha's premiership, I was a key driver, supported by no fewer than 19 small parties along with Palang Pracharath Party, forming a minority government with 251 votes that survived safely." On whether he and Anutin have a commitment to stay united, he replied, "No. We shared hardships and successes because the country couldn't move forward otherwise. We acted for the country rather than for any pact."
When asked about dissatisfaction rumors from elections where Kladtham didn’t withdraw in some districts, Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat said, "As I said earlier, some media questioned whether we colluded with Bhumjaithai. This proves there was none. Those who are confident do not dwell on such matters. The political game is over; there shouldn't be problems now. Even if some districts were closely contested, don't create issues or call for recounts."
Asked if Kladtham has conditions for joining the government, Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat said no. "Anything that brings peace and allows the country to move forward, we will do." When asked if he would use the same strategy managing small parties in this government formation, he said, "Anything can happen in politics. I won’t say I am allied with any party. As I said, politics isn’t 1+1 equals 2. I barely talk to any party; I only offer congratulations. So there is absolutely no formula yet for government formation."
Regarding Kladtham breaking into Suphanburi province and whether this would cause friction with Bhumjaithai, Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat said, "We discussed this before the election. Some members came from Chalermchai Sri-on, former Democrat Party leader, who brought people to join Kladtham. We can’t prohibit anything; it must be allowed, as in Phetchabun, where we talked, and in Narathiwat, where we also talked. There are no issues."
Later, at 11:30 a.m., Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat said after the cabinet meeting that there was no discussion about forming a government coalition. He laughed and said the meeting focused solely on work moving forward. Meanwhile, the prime minister emphasized work until a new government is formed. When asked if there was any indication of when a new government might be formed, he replied, "We must wait for the Election Commission to certify the results completely. If you ask the prime minister, he would say the same. After this, I will return to the ministry to continue working."
However, when asked if there were any positive signs about joining the government, Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat said, "There are no signals. There was little political talk in the meeting. Mostly, congratulations were exchanged among those successful in the election. Those present in the meeting collectively hold more than 200 seats, which is a majority." .
