Chaiyachonok said it is still unclear whether he will serve as Minister of Interior and that he wants to wait for election results certification first. He acknowledged that the Kla Tham Party has no conditions for negotiation. As for when discussions will take place, he said they are waiting for Anutin to talk with Thammanat first.
At 09:50 on 17 Feb 2026 GMT+7 Chaiyachonok Chidchob, Minister of Digital Economy and Society and Secretary-General of the Bhumjaithai Party, said at the Government House regarding the case of Phai Lik, Secretary-General of the Kla Tham Party, who called to discuss government formation without any conditions for negotiation, that there was a phone call and a brief conversation, but ultimately they agreed that party leaders should meet first before having official talks.
When asked if the principle of the Kla Tham Party is to support Bhumjaithai, Chaiyachonok said that initially they talked about it, but they will see how things turn out in the end. He said they must wait for Lt. Col. Thammanat Prompao, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, who is also chairman of the Kla Tham Party advisory board, to talk with Anutin Charnvirakul, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior and leader of Bhumjaithai Party, before proceeding to the party.
When pressed on whether the Kla Tham Party has no conditions for negotiation as Phai said, Chaiyachonok replied that was what was said during the phone call, but it is better to wait for official confirmation. As for when talks with Kla Tham will happen, they must wait for Lt. Col. Thammanat to talk with Anutin first. When reporters asked if the door is still open to working with Kla Tham, Chaiyachonok said, "We have clearly announced that we are ready to listen to everyone. That we can confirm."
Regarding whether there have been talks about ministerial positions within Bhumjaithai Party, because Chaiyachonok's name has been mentioned for Minister of Interior (Interior Minister 1), Chaiyachonok replied, "No. I must confirm that as long as the election results are not confirmed, we have not confirmed any position at all. Please wait for the official announcement."
