Lieutenant Colonel Kittipong points out that the 4th Army Commander's interview about the assassination attempt on MP Kamolsak may affect the strategic credibility of the state. He questions whether the former ISOC officer suspected in the case possesses professional skills in targeted killing. He also highlights three issues related to the reference to Police Colonel Tawee.
On 14 Apr 2026 GMT+7, Lieutenant Colonel Kittipong Piyawanno, a party-list MP from the Prachachon Party, posted on Facebook regarding Lieutenant General Narathip Pho-inok’s media interview about the assassination attempt on MP Kamolsak Liwamo of Narathiwat from the Prachachon Party. Kittipong observed that Narathip’s communication problems, as the 4th Army Commander and Director of ISOC Region 4 Front, extend beyond the statement “If I did it, no one would escape.” The commander is escalating the issue by discussing the professionalism of the suspect and implicating others such as Police Colonel Tawee Sodsong, head of the Prachachon Party. This interview not only reveals communication skill issues but directly affects public perception and may strategically harm the state's credibility.
Furthermore, Narathip’s comment, “In my view, such operations, if aimed at killing and done professionally, must achieve their objective,” raises further doubts about ISOC’s mission. It suggests that the former ISOC officer suspect may have professional assassination skills, which could be misinterpreted and cause public concern about ISOC’s role.
Additionally, Narathip implicated Police Colonel Tawee Sodsong, leader of the Prachachon Party, who formerly served as secretary of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC), Director-General of the DSI, and Minister of Justice. This reference raises at least three problems.
First, the three agencies where Police Colonel Tawee served are not primary units responsible for security in the region. Therefore, implicating him in this context is mistaken. Moreover, Police Colonel Tawee is currently an MP without authority related to regional problem-solving. Mentioning him without proper context may reflect the speaker’s bias.
Second, if assessing individuals’ performance in regional problem-solving, the most appropriate to question would be the former Director of ISOC Region 4 Front, the former Army Commander-in-Chief as Deputy Director of ISOC, and the former Prime Minister as Director of ISOC. Why does Lieutenant General Narathip avoid questioning these figures? Perhaps because they hold influence over him, leading to his reluctance to mention them.
Third, although the past affects the present, the present is more important. Lieutenant General Narathip may have momentarily forgotten during the interview that he is directly responsible for the current issues. Since the incidents occurred under his watch and agency vehicles were used during his tenure, he bears direct responsibility. Implicating unrelated individuals does not reduce his accountability; it rather suggests a lack of courage to openly accept responsibility.
“This interview may reflect not only Lieutenant General Narathip’s communication skill problems but also his ability to analyze causes and synthesize solutions. While media interviews can be challenging, they are not complex tasks. At least, if he lacks these skills, he could delegate this role to a capable person. Similarly, problem-solving in the region can be assigned to experts in specific fields. However, before reaching that point, ISOC must accurately analyze the root causes of these long-standing, highly complex issues that have persisted for over 22 years—far more complicated than giving media interviews,” Lieutenant Colonel Kittipong stated.