Abhisit urges the government to learn from past mistakes and work to restore public trust, stating he wants to see concrete measures to ease the burden on citizens.
At 12:50 p.m. on 6 Apr 2026 GMT+7 at the Democrat Party headquarters, Abhisit Vejjajiva, party-list MP and party leader, spoke about the party’s work. He said activities are planned throughout the year to elevate the party's performance and move into its 81st year by using technology to monitor government work and oversee corruption, as well as to nurture new personnel. Asked about the current political scene in Thailand, Abhisit said the country just went through an election and the government is now presenting its policy agenda. While the numbers look stable, challenging situations lie ahead, especially the crisis stemming from the conflict in the Middle East. If the government is sincere in addressing problems, there should be no issue, but if vested interests are involved, government stability could be at risk. When asked about the public’s lack of confidence in the government, including the three outside team members, as reflected by the NIDA Poll, Abhisit said the government must work to eliminate this distrust, learning lessons from past mistakes. Past operations may have had errors, limitations, communication issues, failure to follow up on measures, or incomplete information.
There has been no real implementation or effective problem-solving.
When pressed on how, as opposition, he will follow up on the issue of high oil prices and the masked individuals hoarding oil, Abhisit said the opposition raised concerns from the start because the data clearly indicated hoarding. At that time, the government denied it, but now they have admitted it and plan to assign relevant agencies, possibly treating it as a special case, which the party will continue to monitor. He reaffirmed that neither the government nor businesses or refineries have eased the burden on citizens bearing the high oil prices. Asked if he is concerned that the actual culprits behind oil hoarding may never be caught, even though Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Pipat Ratchakitprakarn has resigned from overseeing oil matters, Abhisit said they are continuing to monitor the situation and will give the government a chance to work seriously on it. However, he reiterated that he wants to see tangible relief measures for citizens, including targeted assistance for vulnerable groups. While the government has spoken about such principles, the implementation has not been comprehensive or effective yet.