Nares, Chiang Mai MP, defers to Thammanat on the Bhumjaithai-Green Cobra deal, saying it is a matter for senior leaders. Attention focuses on “Captain” entering the Ministry of Agriculture on his first day back from Finland, with explanations awaited on his stance toward joining the government after the Anutin 2 cabinet list excludes Kla Party representatives.
26 Feb 2026 GMT+7 Mr. Nares Thamrongthippayakun, Member of Parliament (MP) for Chiang Mai's 9th constituency, representing the Kla Party, and Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, revealed after receiving his certificate of election as a constituency MP regarding the direction of the Kla Party that personally, he did not know, as everything depends on senior leaders and he has not yet had the chance to speak with Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat Prompao, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, who also serves as the Kla Party's advisory chairman.
Regarding rumors about possible Green Cobras, Mr. Nares said he personally did not know and that it was a matter for senior leaders. When the reporter pressed again about whether there would be Green Cobras, Mr. Nares stated there would not be. When further asked whether all MPs would follow Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat wherever he went, Mr. Nares answered briefly, “Yes.”
On criticism of the Election Commission's (EC) work, Mr. Nares said that it is the EC's matter to handle and that the certification of MPs is a normal process. As an MP, he must comply with the rules, which include checks and balances, and everything is already within the established procedures.
Meanwhile, at the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, journalists waited for Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat after Mr. Amin Mayuso, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives and member of the Kla Party's executive committee, confirmed that today Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat would return to the ministry to carry out official duties as usual. It is closely watched whether Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat will enter the ministry and give interviews to the press about his approach to joining the Anutin 2 government.
At 09:12, Mr. Winaroj Supsangsuk, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, arrived at the ministry. Reports said he coordinated for officials to invite the seven newly appointed deputy directors from various departments to meet Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat to thank him for trusting them with their roles. It is expected that they will also hear policy guidance from Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat.
Today’s key issue to watch is that after the EC certified some constituency election results, political parties have begun moving to form a government. In current government formation talks, the Kla Party is not included, and the Anutin 2 cabinet list does not contain any Kla Party representatives. Therefore, attention is on the Kla Party’s future direction, with Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat expected to provide clarity on this matter.