Sophon acknowledged the party's decision to nominate him for Speaker of the House of Representatives, alongside Mallika as First Deputy Speaker. He described the choice as appropriate and vowed to prove their capability through work, responding to criticism that Buriram is monopolizing leadership in both parliamentary houses.
At 15:35 on 12 March 2026 at the Bhumjaithai Party headquarters, Sophon Sarum, Deputy Prime Minister and Bhumjaithai Party MP for Buriram, revealed that the party meeting officially nominated him for Speaker of the House of Representatives and Ms. Mallika Jirapanwanich, Deputy Minister of Transport and MP for Lopburi, as First Deputy Speaker. The election will be held after the parliamentary opening ceremony on 14 March, during the House meeting on 15 March. Whether he is elected depends on the parliamentary vote.
Regarding the reason for nominating him and Ms. Mallika, Sophon said it was a matter of suitability. The party's executive committee believes both are appropriate and capable of fulfilling the roles. He affirmed he is 100 percent ready and emphasized that whatever position he holds, he will work earnestly and is not someone who takes things lightly.
When asked about concerns that the Senate President is also from Buriram, as is the Speaker nominee, Sophon said the matters are unrelated. He is not involved with the Senate President's role since it concerns the Senate's workings. For Bhumjaithai, without majority support, he would not have been nominated. If it is a coincidence that both are from Buriram, that cannot be controlled. If he is deemed unsuitable or unqualified as a Buriram MP, society will judge. But if the party considers him suitable and beneficial for the country, he asked that people judge him based on his work.
Regarding the nominee for Second Deputy Speaker from the Pheu Thai Party, Sophon said he does not know who has been proposed, as it is up to the Pheu Thai Party to decide.
Addressing concerns about monopolizing power between the upper and lower houses, Sophon stated that whether power is monopolized depends on how they perform. Even in provinces, if work is done in a monopolistic way, it can happen. Therefore, everything depends on performance and must be proven through work.
Asked if the opposition, consisting of the Democrat Party, Kla Party, and People’s Party, causes him concern, Sophon said he is not worried. Each side fulfills its role: the opposition performs its duties, and the government performs its own. The executive and legislative branches each have their roles. The Speaker's role is to preside over meetings.