Anutin confirmed that the qualification vetting of prospective ministers is expected to take one week. He is confident the government will be formed before Songkran and declined to comment on whether the DSI's summons of Sudawan would affect Cabinet formation.
On 20 March 2026, Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul spoke about drafting the policy statement for Parliament, saying discussions have been ongoing and will follow the campaign promises. When asked about the timetable for the policy speech, Anutin said it must be as soon as possible. He has already received names from the Pheu Thai Party and will have the Secretariat of the Cabinet (SLC) expedite qualification vetting. Asked if this would be completed before Songkran, Anutin said he hopes it will be, noting today is 20 March. He added that vetting is not only for Pheu Thai but also for Bhumjaithai Party members, expecting the process to take about one week, which is the fastest possible since it involves checks by 18 agencies.
Regarding Pheu Thai's nomination of Ms. Sudawan Hangsupakijkosol, who is currently summoned by the DSI over the Suan Ya land encroachment case but is also included in the Cabinet candidate list, Anutin said he is not aware of the details. He explained that Cabinet appointments require royal endorsement before any disclosure. When asked about previous statements that any candidate with legal issues would be excluded, the Prime Minister referred to the Constitutional Court's procedures, noting that the vetting results must be returned to them.
When pressed about comments by former Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, who yesterday questioned the Prime Minister's qualifications due to involvement in a Senate vote-rigging case and repeatedly attacked him on this issue, Anutin appeared ready to leave the interview. Reporters then shifted to asking whether the Cabinet list will be submitted for royal endorsement by the end of the month. Anutin replied that once vetting is complete and no issues arise, the list can be submitted for the King's approval and signature. He emphasized that until royal endorsement occurs, they have no right to comment and assured the process will not be delayed. When asked if reserve candidates were also submitted for vetting, Anutin laughed but did not answer when asked specifically if the number of names exceeded quotas, walking away from the interview.