Sabida revealed they are waiting for the new Cabinet to approve the budget for restoring Ta Kwai Castle before moving forward with repairs. "Big Lek" proposed that the Cabinet acknowledge legislation controlling construction equipment at the Thai-Cambodian border, aiming to prevent its use in repairing scammer buildings.
At 11:00 a.m. on 10 February 2026, Ms. Sabida Thaiset, Minister of Culture, said at the Government House about the progress of repairing Ta Kwai Castle in Phanom Dong Rak district, Surin province, that the project is currently in the survey phase and preparing for a committee meeting tomorrow (11 February 2026) to decide where and how to begin restoration. Regarding the timeline, consultations have been held with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and security agencies, as well as budget planning. It is expected to await approval from the new Cabinet since the budget must be authorized. She admitted that the work needs to proceed quickly to prevent further collapse. The Director-General of the Fine Arts Department and related officials confirmed that repairs are easier than initially anticipated.
Regarding the safety of officials conducting the repairs, Ms. Sabida said security agencies have indicated that every entry into the area must be notified in advance, and situation assessments will be conducted to ensure safety. So far, requests to enter the area have always been approved by the security agencies.
"Big Lek" admits controlling construction equipment at the Thai-Cambodian border to prevent misuse. Preventing use in repairing scammer buildings.
General Natthaphon Nakpanich, Minister of Defense, said before the Cabinet meeting that the Ministry of Defense will propose additional legislation controlling goods exported along the Thai-Cambodian border for Cabinet acknowledgment. This is a longstanding issue; problems differ between the western border (Thailand-Myanmar) and the eastern border (Thailand-Cambodia), so modernization is needed.
When asked if it is necessary to control construction materials like cement and steel, General Natthaphon said such controls already exist but will be standardized. For example, the western border previously controlled scammer-related issues, but the eastern border still uses old regulations, including for fuels. When reporters asked if the control aims to prevent construction equipment from being used to repair damaged scammer buildings, he admitted this was true but said part of the update is to modernize and unify enforcement on both borders. At the same time, General Natthaphon declined to answer questions about any approach to join the new government.