Phradon criticized Juree for not fully hearing the information and accused her of alleging budget cuts for flood relief, while the government is about to use 457 million baht from the central budget to complete the R.1 canal project by October. He questioned the local government for requesting budgets for smart classrooms and jet skis totaling 8 million baht.
At 08:32 on 10 July 2026 GMT+7. Mr. Phradon Prisananantakul, Minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office. He posted a video clip on his personal Facebook page responding to allegations from the 'Tee Lom Fa Akat' page, which posted harsh messages accusing the government of cutting Hat Yai's budget, originating from Mr. Juree Numkaew, Member of Parliament for Songkhla from the Democrat Party. At the recent special meeting of the Joint Public-Private Committee for Economic Problem Solving (JPC) on 8 July 2026, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul convened a meeting to address issues affecting residents of Hat Yai district, Songkhla province, in particular.
The Songkhla Provincial Private Sector Joint Committee (SPJSC) presented the issue to the Prime Minister, proposing short-, medium-, and long-term solutions, requesting a budget of 99.5 million baht to resolve the R.1 irrigation canal problem. However, Mr. Narongporn Na Phatthalung, Mayor of Hat Yai Municipality (Mayor Paen), complained that this amount did not reflect the municipality's importance, despite it being the area most affected by flooding.
Phradon further stated that he had inquired with various agencies, especially Hat Yai Municipality, about their budget requests' details. Past local meetings rejected budget requests, opting to use reserve funds. At the recent JPC meeting, he discussed with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, the Royal Irrigation Department, and the National Water Resources Office (NWRO) about using the central budget to assist the area immediately. The Prime Minister's directive was to complete the work by October before the flood season begins. Currently, 457 million baht from the central budget will be used to address the R.1 canal issue, with a proposal to be submitted at the next meeting.
“I want to tell the people of Hat Yai, why is your municipality complaining that the government does not prioritize you? Do you know that in the fiscal year 2027 budget passed in the first reading, your municipality requested funding not for dredging or repairing canals as you might expect, but for four smart classrooms, road repairs, and jet skis worth 8 million baht? I was shocked. I don't know if they want to buy jet skis or yachts. I urge the people of Hat Yai to reconsider what I say. I am not lying; I am sharing all the information so you can hear the truth from another perspective.”
Phradon also said the public's real concern should be about politicians who lie and do not reveal the whole truth. Some MPs only see part of the facts from the municipality and claim the government cut budgets and neglected the area, which is not true. He urged people to look at the local government's prioritization of flooding issues, noting there were no projects proposed specifically to address flood problems.
“Another important point is that Hat Yai Municipality's reserve funds still exceed 200 million baht. I ask the mayor what that money is being used for. Why keep over 200 million baht unused? I am not afraid of capable people; we can discuss with facts. But I fear skilled liars because they are dangerous. They know only a little truth but exaggerate and tell lies with a sad face. I ask the local people to listen to the government's side as well.”