Sophon Sarum emphasized that drug problems are a critical issue for the country, requiring sincere cooperation from all sectors. He vowed that no matter what political position he holds, he will continue to drive efforts to resolve the issue.
On 9 March 2026 at 13:00 in Meeting Room 901, Chalermphrakiat Building, Buriram Hospital, Nai Mueang Subdistrict, Mueang District, Buriram Province, Mr. Sophon Sarum, Deputy Prime Minister, chaired a follow-up meeting on the project “Uniting Faith and Strength to Solve Drug Problems in an Integrated Way in Buriram Province.” Present were Buriram Governor Piya Pichnam, provincial secretary, provincial police commander, Buriram provincial health officer, representatives from Buriram Hospital, district chiefs from all districts, hospital directors, and district public health officials.
Mr. Sophon stated that this meeting emphasized urging all agencies to seriously and continuously advance prevention, suppression, and resolution of drug problems. He pointed out that addressing drug issues requires integrated cooperation from all agencies and sectors and cannot be left to any single agency alone. If all parties collaborate and work in the same direction, they can achieve tangible and sustainable solutions.
Additionally, the issue has been pushed for consideration in the parliament to propose budget allocations supporting national-level drug problem resolution efforts. This aims to strengthen capabilities in prevention and sustainable resolution of drug problems. During the meeting, the Ku Mueang District Chief reported and presented integrated drug problem-solving approaches in the area, exemplifying inter-sectoral collaboration at the district level to support government policies for systematic drug problem resolution. Today, encouragement was also given to medical personnel at Buriram Hospital’s psychiatric ward, which cares for psychiatric patients and those with drug-related issues, a group that continues to grow steadily.
It was also highlighted that addressing drug problems must start at the source, especially through effective treatment and rehabilitation of patients. Failure to reduce these problems could increase the workload of medical and public health personnel and potentially impact their capacity to care for other patient groups in the long term.
Mr. Sophon concluded that regardless of his political position, he will continue driving efforts to solve drug problems, as this issue is vital to the nation and requires serious cooperation from all sectors.
