Jiradet strongly defends the OTOK market project in Phayao after questions were raised in the 2570 budget committee about "Why Phayao?" He emphasizes it as a connection point for agricultural products from four provinces and supports the Thai-Lao-China railway, cautioning against closing northern agricultural trade doors.
16 Jul 2026 GMT+7 Mr. Jiradet Sriwirat, Member of Parliament for Phayao from the Kalatham Party, addressed concerns raised during the special committee meeting reviewing the draft budget bill for fiscal year 2570 regarding the project to construct the Central Market of the Agricultural Market Organization (OTOK) in Phayao Province, with a budget allocation of 168 million baht. (Read more:“Mr. Veera” criticized OTOK as a “severe failure,” questioning why Phayao was chosen for the northern central market project,) and stated that the selection of Phayao as the project site was not coincidental or politically motivated but based on logistics capabilities and northern agricultural product collection potential.
Mr. Jiradet further explained that Phayao is a central hub linking products from Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Nan, Phrae, and Lampang provinces, enabling efficient collection and distribution of agricultural goods. It also aligns with national infrastructure plans, especially the R3A highway passing through Phayao and the Thai-Lao-China railway project, which will enhance transportation and cross-border trade capacity in the future.
"Viewing OTOK as unable to compete with private markets and therefore unworthy of investment is a one-dimensional perspective, because OTOK’s role is not only business competition but also to create market opportunities and enhance farmers’ bargaining power."
The Phayao MP from Kalatham also acknowledged that OTOK currently faces financial difficulties, which require urgent resolution and organizational efficiency improvements, but argued that these problems should not be used to reject all investment projects with potential long-term benefits for farmers and the economy. He emphasized that "The important question is not why it must be Phayao, but how to maximize the benefits of this investment for Thai farmers, a goal all parties should jointly pursue rather than closing the project’s opportunities from the start."
