Anutin wore royal patterned clothing and demonstrated a power pose with Ultraman during the Songkhla mobile cabinet meeting, proposing agendas including construction of three southern double-track railway lines and nationwide disaster insurance covering 30 million households across the country.
At 10:00 a.m. on 1 September 2026, at the International Convention Center commemorating the 60th anniversary of the reign at Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai campus, Hat Yai district, Songkhla province, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul arrived by electric bus to preside over the first official off-site cabinet meeting (mobile cabinet meeting) of 2026, marking the first mobile cabinet meeting under his government.
The prime minister and cabinet members wore handwoven royal patterned fabric in a bluish-gray tone, featuring small floral designs, which the organizing committee responsible for attire, souvenirs, and the Songkhla exhibition had prepared for the cabinet members to wear.
Before the meeting, the prime minister toured exhibitions from local agencies. At one point, he visited the "Thai Charm, Songkhla Charm" booth by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), which featured an Ultraman mascot promoting tourism. The prime minister took photos and posed with Ultraman in the same "power" stance as the Bhumjaithai Party’s symbol. TAT also presented him with a photo of himself with Nong Nene Royal. Afterwards, he met with welcoming students and took selfies in a friendly manner, then posed for group photos with the cabinet, Songkhla provincial governor, southern Gulf provinces' governors, and government representatives.
The prime minister opened the meeting by saying this was the first cabinet meeting in Songkhla under his premiership. He thanked organizers for the smooth and comprehensive preparations enabling all ministers to fully engage in their duties locally. He acknowledged local issues including economy, security, tourism, quality of life, and importantly, safety of life and property as well as protection from natural and human-made disasters. This mobile cabinet meeting was originally planned soon after recent floods to monitor recovery and problem-solving, but was postponed due to various reasons.
He added that on 31 August, cabinet members separately visited sites to monitor problem-solving and listen to public opinions locally, then reconvened with local agencies. The information gathered was sufficient to form a concrete picture to support decisions for improved development across all dimensions in southern provinces. Many key projects underway focus on prevention and mitigation of natural disasters, aiming to reduce their impacts or ideally prevent recurrence. This involves assessing agency readiness, project progress, and public feedback.
The prime minister further stated the government remains vigilant and continuously seeks solutions to ensure peace and security for the people. Workshop conclusions will be presented to the cabinet, including quick-win measures for immediate action and long-term proposals requiring ongoing planning. Key agenda items include the second phase of the southern double-track railway project covering routes from Chumphon through Surat Thani to Hat Yai and ending at Padang Besar. This will enhance transportation and logistics efficiency, linking the southern economy with neighboring countries, forming part of the government's effort to close missing links ensuring nationwide connectivity across all regions and provinces.
He also mentioned the cabinet would consider a proposal from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), together with the Ministry of Finance, for a universal disaster insurance scheme. The government would subsidize premiums covering three types of hazards: floods, storms, and earthquakes, benefiting citizens nationwide, not just the south, targeting about 30 million households. This system aims to provide faster and greater compensation after disasters compared to traditional relief programs while enabling the government to manage risk and disaster aid budgets more efficiently.
"This represents a shift from the old approach where the state waited for disasters to happen before paying compensation, to proactively managing risks in advance," the prime minister explained. "Today is an important opportunity for the government to directly link local problems with cabinet decisions. This mobile cabinet meeting is not just a change of venue but an occasion to incorporate public feedback, suggestions, and problems into government actions to address them on-site."
Reporters noted that the cabinet was served local Songkhla cuisine. The snack menu ("Horoi Nut") included chicken floss and salted egg dumplings, charcoal-grilled egg cakes, and Thanon golden melon. The breakfast menu ("Horoi Raeng Tai Raeng Ok") featured three-flavored sea bass porridge from the Songkhla River group, fried dough with custard or condensed milk, and Sawa cake. The lunch menu ("Horoi Jang Hu") consisted of three-flavored sea bass sour curry, Songkhla’s mango with GI certification, aromatic golden mullet, stir-fried bai liang with eggs, Thanatsri noodles, Hat Yai fried chicken, Betong chicken rice showcasing local southern chicken breeds, palm sugar with fresh coconut milk, Thai-Thai ice cream, and a halal menu including halal beef soup, halal chicken rice, original recipe stewed beef noodles, and palm sugar with fresh coconut milk and Thai-Thai ice cream.
