Satit dissected the government's policies, saying, "Victory is not an honor but a burden to bear." Meanwhile, Chaiyanat nicknamed the cabinet "Ultraman Plus Powerless," urging the "Nook and Nim" government not to abandon the people stranded at sea.
On 9 Apr 2026 GMT+7, Mr. Satit Wongnongtoey, Member of Parliament for the Democrat Party, spoke during the parliamentary debate on the government's policy statement. He said the statement came amid one of the country's greatest crises, with people facing hardships worse than ever. Those who won the election and formed the government must recognize that their position is not an honor but a burden entrusted by the people to bear and resolve problems. Most importantly, politics must not deepen the people's crisis.
Mr. Satit also referred to the Constitutional Court's ruling on 19 Feb 2026 GMT+7, which clearly states that ministers must exhibit evident honesty and have no signs of dishonest conduct. However, in practice, inconsistent standards are applied. He cited examples where some individuals were heavily scrutinized and failed eligibility due to land encroachment cases still at the prosecutor's stage with no charges filed. Meanwhile, the government allowed individuals linked to vote-rigging cases and formally accused to serve as ministers in this cabinet.
"How can you be sure that none of the ministers sitting above have been charged? Or is it selective for your own group? If so, the lofty principles written are deceptive, leading to politics that worsen the crisis because lost trust will spread to the entire group of politicians," Mr. Satit said.
Towards the end of his debate, Satit painted a picture of the gap between the ruling class and the governed by referencing the Prime Minister's interview on high oil prices. The PM expressed concern that refineries might stop producing oil, causing hardship for the people, which seemed more about fearing that capitalists would lose wealth rather than truly considering the people's cost-of-living burden. The Prime Minister's visit to see a 31 million baht Rolls-Royce electric car at a motor show recalled the French Revolution era when the ruling class told starving people, "If you have no bread, eat cake," implying that if oil prices are high, people should just buy expensive electric cars.
"It reminds me of the French era when people starved without bread, and the ruling class said, 'If you have no bread, eat cake.' What I fear is that the desperate people, with shrinking incomes and rising prices for oil and fertilizer, will one day lose patience, take to the streets, and say, 'Enough is enough,'" Mr. Satit concluded.
Mr. Chaiyanat Dechadecho, a party-list MP from the Democrat Party, delivered a debate in which he nicknamed this cabinet "Ultraman Plus," referencing the Prime Minister’s signature campaign gesture accompanied by saying "Plus." However, since becoming PM, he has become an "Ultraman Plus" powerless, as oil and energy prices have continuously surged, forcing people to bear heavy living costs.
Chaiyanat also raised questions about campaign promises made by the coalition party, especially the policy to have one volunteer nurse per village with a 15,000 baht stipend, which appeared as policy item 15 in the statement but lacked clarity on whether it overlaps with existing Village Health Volunteers (VHV) or signals a reduced focus on VHVs. He also noted that welfare policies for the elderly and disabled were not concretely mentioned, questioning if the government has neglected these groups.
Towards the end, Mr. Chaiyanat described the government as a mix of "Nook and Nim," combining red and blue colors that all Thais are watching closely to see if this ship can really navigate out of crisis. He ended by addressing the Prime Minister: "Please do not view the people's lives as you did with your ideological allies last year, such as the Kla Party. Do not abandon them midway like the political party you once allied with left stranded at sea. Fully protect the people, the true owners of democratic power."
