The Parliament Secretary-General clarified the issue regarding the rental of the official car for the Speaker of the House, emphasizing that Sopon has requested to use his personal vehicle. Meanwhile, the Speaker's advisor retorted, urging people to think before speaking and not to be thoughtless instead of thoughtful.
At 11:00 a.m. on 17 July 2026 at the Parliament, Mr. Siroj Paetphan, Secretary-General of the House of Representatives, together with Police Major General Wichai Sangprapai, Advisor to the Speaker of the House, held a joint press briefing to clarify the annual budget request for the fiscal year 2027 concerning the rental cost of the official vehicle for the Speaker of the House. This followed MP Phandil Nuamjeum from the Bangkok People's Party raising concerns about the appropriateness of requesting a budget of 1 million baht per year for car rental. Mr. Siroj explained that the Secretariat, as the responsible agency for preparing the budget request, needed to clarify the background. The current official vehicle for the Speaker was purchased on 4 January 2021, while the official vehicles for the two Deputy Speakers and the Leader of the Opposition were acquired on 16 April 2021. These four vehicles were initially procured during the tenure of Mr. Chuan Leekpai as Speaker. Mr. Chuan, the two Deputy Speakers, and the Opposition Leader at the time continuously used these official cars. Subsequently, during the term of Wan Muhamad Noor Matha as Speaker and the two Deputy Speakers, the same vehicles were still in use. These four cars will reach their six-year service life on 5 January 2027 and 16 April 2027, respectively, during the current term of Mr. Sopon Sarum as Speaker.
Emphasizing that Sopon has requested to use his personal vehicle
"The Speaker, Sopon, has informed the Secretariat that he wishes to use his personal car for official duties as Speaker and does not wish to use the official Speaker's vehicle. This is intended to save budget on fuel and maintenance costs. Meanwhile, the First and Second Deputy Speakers and the Leader of the Opposition have expressed their intention to use their official vehicles for their duties. Since the four existing official cars will reach their six-year service life according to government regulations, the Secretariat deems it necessary to request a budget to procure new official cars to replace the old ones. This will ensure suitable vehicles are available for official duties for the Speaker, Deputy Speakers, and Opposition Leader for another six-year period, in accordance with the Prime Minister's Office regulations on government vehicles, B.E. 2523 (1980). This procurement process follows regular government procedures."
Regarding the change in procurement method from purchase to rental, Mr. Siroj explained that leasing helps reduce the burden of long-term maintenance and repair. Many government agencies use this method. The budget request for fiscal year 2027 is 5,421,600 baht, covering binding expenses from 2027 to 2031, a five-year period, in accordance with the Ministry of Finance's guidelines.
Retorting: Think before you speak, don't be thoughtless
Police Major General Wichai added, addressing critics of this issue, urging them to consider whether their remarks are thoughtful or thoughtless. He pointed out that Speaker Sopon, since taking office as Speaker of the Parliament, has never used government vehicles nor claimed fuel expenses, thereby saving the nation's budget. Therefore, people should consider who is actually using the official vehicles before making comments.