Prime Minister Anutin responded to the drama over the checkpoint inspection by advising people to focus on other matters. He emphasized that the Senate election in 2024 occurred before the current government took office and mocked attempts by election losers to undermine confidence, dismissing fake news about protests to oust the government.
At 08:30 on 17 Aug 2026 GMT+7, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul gave an interview at Military Airport 2, Wing 6, Don Mueang, regarding being stopped for a weapons and drug check in Ban Dan Subdistrict, Ban Dan District, Buriram Province, while traveling there on 16 Aug. He said the checkpoint was a routine operation. His vehicle happened to pass through, and there was nothing unusual. "Don’t read too much into it. Having checkpoints is good."
When asked if the checkpoint had seized many drugs, Anutin said he was told they had. A motorcyclist carrying drugs panicked upon seeing the checkpoint and crashed. When asked if he had planned or informed anyone about going to that checkpoint, Anutin said he hadn’t been to Buriram for several weeks and just needed to stop by.
Regarding the drama following news reports with suspicions that it was staged, questioning whether the police knew it was the prime minister’s car, Anutin responded, "Better to think about other things. The police didn’t know because there was no escort vehicle. It was a holiday, no convoy. I went with my personal team, no formal reception, no one came to meet me."
Anutin also addressed the opposition’s planned no-confidence debate in the upcoming parliamentary session, saying all ministers are prepared to clarify doubts or address issues causing distrust. Many ministers mentioned must be ready to provide clear explanations to the public. "We don’t answer only to parliament members; we answer to the whole country. Therefore, all ministers must be ready."
Regarding the opposition party’s focus on alleged collusion in the Senate election, Anutin said he did not know who was pushing that narrative. This government has no involvement with the Senate, which is a separate institution. Allegations of collusion are someone’s creation. This government started in 2026, while the Senate was elected in 2024, so there is no connection. When asked if he would respond to opposition raising this issue in debate, Anutin said they answer questions related to the government’s performance but do not respond to unrelated matters.
. Parit Watcharasindhu Party-list Member of Parliament (MP) of the People’s Party, and Rakchanok Srinok also party-list MPs of the People’s Party, revealed a clip allegedly showing Senate collusion. Anutin said, "Don’t ask me about Senate collusion. I’m in the executive branch. There’s an effort to link this to the government, which seems to be an attempt to undermine confidence. It’s the game of those out of government who want to be in power." He chuckled quietly and added, "Don’t overthink it. Everything depends on election results. If you lose the election, you must accept the rules. You can check and investigate, but don’t play outside the rules."
Regarding the spread of fake news about protests aiming to oust the prime minister in front of Government House and Victory Monument, he said, "Fake news is fake news. When consuming such media, people should verify facts." When asked if he was concerned about escalation from social media agitation, Anutin replied, "The government performs its duties with dedication and honesty." .