Suchart quickly apologized to the reporter after a heated exchange during an interview where they viewed the issue from different perspectives. He admitted feeling disappointed by the matter. The reporter said they bore no grudge and asked to overlook the minor issue.
At 11:40 a.m. on 18 May 2026 at the Government House, after Suchart Chomklin, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, gave an interview to the media before the Cabinet meeting regarding a private sector survey on government transparency by the Zero Corruption task force and allies, which named the Pollution Control Department as having the highest average bribe value per transaction, a verbal clash occurred followed by Suchart accidentally bumping shoulders with a reporter.
Later at 11:40 a.m., Suchart had his team contact the reporter to apologize and seek understanding. He then left the Cabinet meeting room early, though the meeting was not yet finished, to meet and talk with the reporter at the Government House media workspace.
Upon arrival, Suchart raised his hands in a wai gesture to apologize to the reporter, saying, "Sorry, brother," shook hands, and sat down to talk and clear the air. The reporter also returned the wai. Suchart said, "I apologize and humbly accept your advice. I must apologize again because we saw things from different angles."
The reporter replied, "It's okay, no need to apologize. At first, I thought the minister would come to talk because usually after interviews, we talk in circles and come out to discuss. I hope the minister won't hold grudges over small things."
Suchart continued, "I must apologize. Since we are committed to our work, we initially tried to solve problems and clarify the facts. I'm truly sorry for speaking to you poorly. As a man, I must apologize. Please consider me your junior. What I said might reflect another side; I may have only heard from outside sources. While sitting in the Cabinet meeting, I thought it better to come down and apologize to you. I asked my team to coordinate this. Please forgive me for the mistake. I assure you of my sincerity. Listening back to your questions, I see you meant well. I also felt uneasy. I sincerely apologize with respect. I have never refused any media interviews before, but perhaps our expectations caused this friction. I sincerely apologize."
Suchart then raised his hands in a wai again, directing the gesture to all media present, saying, "I apologize to all the media." The reporter involved said they held no grievances.
Suchart added, "Thank you all for your advice. I admit that while working, encountering this issue also made me feel disappointed. I don’t know what happened." He then raised his hands in a wai once more, shook hands with the reporter, and returned to the Cabinet meeting.