"I'm very busy," said Thammanat, deferring to Chonnaphat as the DSI summons is due tomorrow. He described it as a personal matter beyond his ability to respond to but said, as they are from the same party, he offers moral support.
At 10:10 a.m. on 11 March 2026 at the Prince Palace Hotel in Bangkok, Lieutenant Colonel Thammanat Prompao, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, and Chairman Advisor of the Kla Tham Party (KTP), was interviewed regarding the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) issuing a summons to Songkhla MP Chonnaphat Naksua of KTP to meet investigators on 12 March. He said, "You have to ask him. It is a personal matter. I am very busy and cannot get involved. At most, I offer moral support as we are in the same party. I believe party members inquire about each other, which is normal. We encourage each other."
When asked whether he saw the case as political harassment, Thammanat replied, "I don’t know. If I were involved, I could answer." When asked if he was confident in Chonnaphat’s innocence, Thammanat said, "It’s a personal matter. I cannot respond on his behalf."