Sirikan points to suspicions in the 400 billion baht loan decree that the Department of Provincial Administration may be locking procurement specifications. Meanwhile, Ice Rakchanok fears contractors affiliated with the blue camp may be dividing contracts and is closely monitoring the budget for solar panel procurement.
At 08:30 on 25 Aug 2026 GMT+7 at the parliament, the Prachachon Party held a shadow cabinet meeting led by party leader Natthapong Rueangpanyawut, with Sirikan Tansakul, deputy leader, and Rakchanok Srinok, party-list MP and member of the special parliamentary committee overseeing the 400 billion baht loan decree. They discussed solutions for several issues, including monitoring the loan decree and unrest in the South. After the meeting, Sirikan stated that the loan decree is about to be presented to parliament for approval. Following the Constitutional Court’s ruling, they found several points of interest. In tracking the government’s energy transition project plans, they discovered irregularities, such as the local Department of Provincial Administration providing catalogs that may lock product codes to favor certain contractors in procurement.
Rakchanok said that within the 400 billion baht loan decree, half (200 billion baht) is keyed to solar energy for the energy transition, which is a current buzzword. Meanwhile, the central budget allocated 6.5 billion baht to the Department of Groundwater with a similar solar pump keyword. She questioned whether procurement and contractors are already predetermined, noting that if the procurement amounts to tens or hundreds of billions, how could contractors or suppliers not know in advance? She suspects this project might be a "Noah's Ark" carrying contractors from the blue camp or blue network MPs to divide and share benefits.
Rakchanok added that officials have expressed concern about being held accountable if problems arise. They reported that budget requests for projects are already coming in from local authorities, but project criteria remain unclear. Most funds are going to procure solar panels or solar pumps. The parliamentary committee has requested documents from agencies to examine how many contractors previously held TISI certification and how many have applied during the loan decree period. If no new contractors have applied recently, it may mean old certified contractors are receiving large benefits, suggesting a specification lock-in. If 2-3 new contractors have been fast-tracked for certification, this raises questions about whether new players are also benefiting. The committee awaits the requested information.
