Senator Patima clarified her debate remarks, advising people to grow vegetables and raise chickens, stating there was no intention to cause misunderstanding but to raise public awareness and preparedness in case a real war crisis occurs, emphasizing that a sufficiency economy can support us.
At 11:20 a.m. on 24 March 2026 GMT+7, Mr. Patima Jiraphet, Member of the Senate (Senator), issued a statement at the parliament explaining her comments during an urgent debate on the impact of the Middle East conflict on Thailand, where she suggested citizens grow vegetables, raise fish, and chickens amid the energy crisis, which later sparked public criticism.
Mr. Patima stated, "My intention was to make people aware of how to cope if a real war crisis happens. If everyone recalls the COVID-19 period, people couldn’t easily go out to buy food, even with available fuel. City dwellers living in Bangkok condominiums faced great difficulties, but rural residents, even with limited land, could grow vegetables, raise fish and chickens, and sustain their lives without food shortages. This was the purpose of my debate remarks because we currently face an energy crisis that causes rising living costs, so we must find solutions to help ourselves."
He added, "I can offer advice or training because I personally grow vegetables in five foam boxes on my rooftop, which helps reduce expenses. The solution is to follow King Rama IX’s sufficiency economy philosophy. It’s time we survive on our own; the sufficiency economy can help us." He confirmed there was no intention to cause negative perceptions, even if unexpected events make living difficult, such as having no fuel or electricity during a war crisis.