Wiroj advises the government to adopt a careful stance and avoid rashness after the U.S. attacked Iran, interpreting that Thammanat seeks to join the government, not to overthrow it.
On 1 Mar 2026 GMT+7, Mr. Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, Deputy Leader of the Prachachon Party, commented on Thailand’s government formation amid the global situation where the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran. He acknowledged that U.S. military actions during Donald Trump’s presidency were decisive, both militarily and in trade wars. He suggested Thailand should carefully define its role and stance based on international law and universal principles. He emphasized the need for great caution—not so fearful as to abandon international principles and law, but also not rashly taking sides on who is right or wrong.
Joking about three cats carrying the cabinet.
Mr. Wiroj also discussed government formation, noting it is quota-based, with three key figures as the public face: Mr. Sihasak Puangkaewkaew as Foreign Minister, Mrs. Suphajee Suthampan as Commerce Minister, and Mr. Akniti Nititanprapas as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister. The rest follows the usual quota system. He described this as redistributing "cat dung" to allocate roles, with these three bearing the front-stage burden, while behind the scenes allocations follow faction quotas, not merit. Although many say the Bhumjaithai Party has no problems, he disagrees. The party’s core has about 70 members, while over a hundred others come from various political factions, possibly not fully aligned but wearing the party’s blue jacket. The "new Bhumjaithai" must negotiate with the original faction. Ultimately, if you remove the "cat dung" share of these three from the 35-member cabinet, only three stand as real hope. It’s like a football team with only three key players—fragile and unable to withstand injury.
300 votes won’t be easy; the big factions might rebel.
When asked if the Bhumjaithai Party, backed by good coaches and nearly 300 parliamentary seats, could work smoothly for a full four years, Mr. Wiroj said that if it were just the original Bhumjaithai faction with 70-plus seats, governance would be easier since they are controlled by the "Thunder Castle" faction and cannot be reckless. If their resources were cut off, it might end. But in this election, over a hundred members rely on their own resources as local power bases, so it’s unclear who supports whom. These factions have their own forces, like semi-autonomous regions prepared to offer tribute but expect appointments in return. If demands are unmet, they might rebel.
"In the short term, new dung smells good and poses no problem, but in the long run, old dung smells foul and the dog might kick it away. So, even 300 votes might not be as easy as imagined," Mr. Wiroj said. .
Reading the game: The Colonel wants to join the government.
Asked whether Col. Thammanat Phromphao joining the opposition alongside the Prachachon Party would strengthen the opposition and make it harder for the Bhumjaithai-led government, Mr. Wiroj said one must read Col. Thammanat’s intentions carefully. He does not want to overthrow the government; he is like a mistress wanting to take the house from the official wife. Why would he harm the man? He aims to undermine the official wife to have the man bring him into the house. The idea that Col. Thammanat joining the opposition endangers Deputy Prime Minister Anutin’s side is incorrect. Both sides are risky; the opposition might not trust all information, some possibly mixed or false, potentially causing legal troubles for Anutin. Or the conflict might be half-hearted and eventually resolved because Col. Thammanat wants to join the government, not overthrow it. The objective is key: those wanting to join the government cannot fight to the end—they fight to negotiate.
When pressed if the threats about invalidating the election might not be a genuine attempt to topple the government, Mr. Wiroj said that once Anutin appointed envoys, his position weakened. Also, both operate under the "Jarit" group’s secondary license; if that group orders them, would they dare to remain defiant?