Jakrapon, Assistant Secretary of the People’s Party, exploded in anger, calling Thai media "immature" for obsessing over the party’s fragmentation to gain engagement. He said this distorts the party’s image, making its collapse seem worse than it is. He urged an end to the drama over a few resignations, noting the party still has many members.
On 22 Apr 2026 GMT+7, Jakrapon Phollarao, Assistant Secretary of the People’s Party, posted on X regarding criticism of the party’s performance, saying this issue is actually outside the scope of the party’s grassroots work but something he has been reflecting on for some time. He stated frankly that "our media are becoming increasingly immature every day," apologizing for the harsh language.
In the past, even before my time, we believed the media to be the fourth estate, a special class with privileges, acting as a bastion protecting freedom and democracy. It was often said that freedom of the press is freedom of the people.
But look at the quality of today’s media. What can we expect from the media as a protector? The media no longer filters news or guides societal thinking. Instead, it picks any immature topic that might attract attention and reports it daily. The role of thought leader or democracy defender is nearly lost. Only a few media outlets still think this way, and sadly, many who do are independent or citizen journalists without large affiliations, who often observe media ethics more strictly than some professional journalists who make a living in the field.
For me, if we want this country to progress and have a future, the media as the fourth estate must help guide societal thinking. It should stop reporting immature, meaningless drama and instead promote ideas that enlighten society. We must move beyond simplistic, opportunistic reporting on trivial matters and produce in-depth news that builds social wisdom.
Saying this may upset or alienate close friends and media colleagues, but it is something I feel must be said. Otherwise, we will be stuck in this endless cycle. Solving Thailand’s political issues requires not only an awakened public but also an alert media in its news presentation.
Jakrapon also posted again on X, saying that since the recent election he hasn’t followed political news closely. However, he feels that currently the media or society is shaping an atmosphere suggesting the “Orange Party is fragmenting and collapsing.” Whether intentional or just to gain engagement, this atmosphere causes political despair and fatigue. For example, recently reporters have tried to provoke conflicts between party leader Teng (Natthapong Ruangpanyawut) and Professor Piyabutr (Piyabutr Saengkanokkul), or repeatedly presented stories about former party politicians who left.
Internal party management issues or differing opinions are normal, including members changing minds, shifting positions, withdrawing, or switching parties to seek better opportunities or positions. These are common occurrences.
But these matters are exaggerated to claim the Orange Party is collapsing, which is an overstatement. This thinking assumes political parties revolve solely around politicians; when former MPs or politicians leave, the party is seen as doomed. Yet it overlooks that tens or hundreds of thousands of other party members remain steadfast with the party.
I send encouragement to fellow MPs and local politicians at all levels still working with the party: ignore these rumors and focus on your work. To party members, I invite you to see these issues as normal. As long as the party remains firm in its principles and has loyal members, I do not believe the party will fall simply because some politicians resign or we have internal debates.