Deputy government spokesperson Lalida refutes "Ice Rakchanok"'s claim regarding groundwater budget concentration in areas of Bhumjaithai MPs, emphasizing that project areas were determined before the election and that 858 approved requests follow official criteria rather than political allocation.
On 6 Aug 2026 GMT+7, Ms. Lalida Pertviwattana, deputy spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, addressed the allegation by Rakchanok Srinok, a party-list MP from the Prachachon Party, concerning the 6,541.98 million baht groundwater development project for community security, spanning 858 sites, which was said to be concentrated in areas of Bhumjaithai MPs. She stated that while the government respects parliamentary oversight, the facts clarified by the Director-General of the Department of Groundwater Resources to the parliamentary committee clearly show the project's allocation follows official government criteria, not political reasons.
The deputy spokesperson said the first fact is that the 858 sites are not new projects but previously proposed items by the Department of Groundwater Resources for budget allocation since the prior government. These had passed the National Water Resources Committee process and received Cabinet approval, but at that time did not receive full funding due to prioritization of more urgent budget needs.
"The important fact is that all project areas were determined before the general election. Therefore, no one could have known in advance which electoral districts would have MPs from which political parties. Linking later election results to project area designations does not align with the factual sequence."
Ms. Lalida added that the second point is the Director-General of the Department of Groundwater Resources explained to the committee that over 900 project applications were submitted, with 858 approved, representing more than 90% of all requests. Projects not approved were mainly duplicates of existing projects or cases where local administrative organizations were not ready to receive them.
"This data reflects that there was almost no discretion in selecting new areas; approvals were based on requests meeting the criteria. Thus, the distribution of projects results from the distribution of requests from local administrative organizations, not political discrimination."
The deputy spokesperson further noted an important fact that Chonburi province, where the minister responsible for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is from, did not receive any project allocations. If political benefit was a factor, that province would have been the first to receive funding.
Additionally, project areas cover many provinces and various political parties, including districts with MPs from other parties, which contradicts allegations that the allocation benefited any single political party.
The deputy spokesperson said the project area selection prioritized public need, focusing on areas lacking sufficient water supply systems or not served by the Provincial Waterworks Authority or Metropolitan Waterworks Authority. Bangkok and provinces under legal groundwater use control are excluded from the project.
"All project applications come from local administrative organizations, not politicians. Once approved by the Cabinet, project locations cannot be changed arbitrarily, as this would violate government regulations and prevent budget execution."
Ms. Lalida added that the government is ready to disclose information and fully support oversight by coordinating with the Department of Groundwater Resources to release a list of all applications, both approved and denied, with explanations, allowing the public to verify the facts independently.
"The government believes oversight is positive when based on documents, data, and facts, as this builds transparency and public confidence more than premature accusations."
The deputy spokesperson said the project covers 63 provinces, improving water security for at least 171,600 households and increasing raw water volume by over 75 million cubic meters annually, directly benefiting local residents.
"The government welcomes all oversight and is ready to improve budget transparency further, but asks that reviews be based on facts, as the main goal is to ensure people have sufficient and sustainable access to clean water, not to politicize a project beneficial to the public."