Sophon Sarum, the newly appointed Speaker of the House, invited monks to a merit-making ceremony to boost auspiciousness, declaring his intention to erase the Parliament's negative image and address concerns over cutting the MPs' lunch budget.
On 17 March 2026 at the Parliament, Mr. Sophon Sarum, Speaker of the House of Representatives, held a merit-making ceremony offering alms to 10 monks for good fortune on the occasion of assuming office. Renowned monks participated, including Somdet Phra Phutthachan of Wat Traimit, Phra Promwatcharamedhi of Wat Arun, and Phra Rajwachiraphawanakosol of Wat Weerachot. After the ceremony, Sophon, smiling, said today marks an auspicious sign as the moonlight brightens his life. He urged parliamentary officials to work together to erase past negative perceptions. He also emphasized that today's merit-making was fully funded from his personal budget to prevent any controversy over using state funds for personal purposes.
Sophon also addressed the case raised by Dr. Warong Dechkitvikrom, leader of the Thai Pakdee Party, regarding the proposal to cut MPs' meal budgets. He clarified that when he called it "a joke," he did not refer to the content of the budget cut itself but to the inappropriate timing and manner of its presentation. He said the MPs' meal budget under his tenure must be revised based on reason and appropriateness. Anything that the public finds tiresome or that diminishes the Parliament's dignity must be genuinely corrected, not just used as rhetoric to gain popularity. If something is unsuitable, it can be revoked. He said he makes decisions after listening to those around him, comparing it to cutting off a problematic finger rather than killing one mouse and burning down the entire house.
Regarding concerns about the parliamentary meeting to vote for the Prime Minister on 19 March, Sophon confirmed he has no worries and is confident there will be no disorder or parliamentary obstruction. He pledged to strictly adhere to meeting regulations to ensure the Parliament remains a place of integrity and to rebuild public confidence.