Suchart fired back at Ice Rakchanok's accusation that the budget was concentrated only in areas of Bhumjaithai Party MPs, sarcastically remarking that her review lacked knowledge and needed to be more professional. He proudly stated he is the one safeguarding the nation's highest interests within his agency.
At 08:55 on 5 August 2026 GMT+7. Mr. Suchart Chomklin, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, gave an interview at the Government House before the Cabinet meeting regarding the case of Ms. Rakchanok Srinok, a party-list MP from the Prachachon Party, who raised concerns about the Department of Groundwater Resources’ 6.5 billion baht budget, noting that over half was concentrated in areas represented by Bhumjaithai Party MPs. He said he felt the question was valid but insisted that inquiries should be based on truth and not perpetuate false beliefs. For example, regarding the 6.5 billion baht budget, it is correct that about 1 billion baht is for internal agency work, but more than 5 billion baht comes from project bidding with terms of reference. He confirmed he anticipated questions and instructed the Department of Groundwater Resources director that all groundwater requests must align with the national water plan, be approved by the National Water Resources Office (NWRO), pass multiple meetings, and be in drought-affected areas.
The most important point is the question about why over 6 billion baht is allocated to Bhumjaithai Party areas. He challenged claims that his group only received 3 billion baht, citing his own constituency in Chonburi Province’s District 1 as an example. These were not new surveys but original requests from 2023 to 2026, all from local administrative organizations (LAOs) experiencing hardship. He questioned whether the government would wait to drill for groundwater after a super El Niño drought, emphasizing the government’s scientifically based weather forecasts prompted plans to extract underground water for drought-stricken people’s domestic and agricultural use.
Suchart continued, “Regarding all that Ms. Rakchanok said, don’t forget that the Prachachon Party has over 80 constituency MPs across Bangkok’s 33 districts, plus Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, and Samut Prakan. Do you think these areas can drill groundwater or have agricultural land affected by drought? Inspectors must have their own knowledge to speak meaningfully. If not, it’s problematic for the opposition.” He added, “How could anyone know on 8 February 2026 how many MPs each party would have? All these requests were made before that date. There were no new surveys; all budget proposals were organic. More than 1 billion baht was distributed to the Kla Party areas. This is about helping citizens in hardship, not politics. The opposition must be more professional.”
When asked if the message was that Bhumjaithai received more budget because they have more constituency MPs, Suchart replied, “If Ms. Rakchanok’s party had 200 MPs, would they get the most budget? We don’t know who will win more seats in 2026. We don’t base allocations on MP counts but on LAOs’ requests. I knew what questions would arise: whether budgets were only surveyed within MPs’ own constituencies.”
He said this confusion is caused by opposition politicians checking without knowledge, which is the most dangerous aspect of Thai politics. The Department of Groundwater Resources director has already explained everything at the budget committee meeting, but the opposition set a narrative beforehand and repeated it after the meeting. That is their behavior. He urged the public to watch such behaviors carefully, emphasizing that a good politician or watchdog must base their statements on truth, not distort facts to mislead society and demoralize workers.
When asked if he was confident in handling any parliamentary scrutiny, Suchart said all answers were planned based on sincere work. He reaffirmed that all requests were organic, not new surveys, and that he acts with integrity. “Since joining Bhumjaithai Party, following the Prime Minister’s policy, I have dismantled hotel businesses worth tens of billions with losses of billions each time. I believe I protect the country’s highest interests in my agency,” he said. Regarding questions about the central budget, the director can explain because Suchart cannot access those details. Central budget allocations must go through the Budget Bureau and water management plans; nothing is granted just by request but must pass full consideration.