Siripong rebuts A. Pichai's criticism of the Cabinet's mobile sessions as mere entertainment tours, viewing the remarks as biased and demeaning. He likened it to forcing cattle to eat grass, emphasizing that the Cabinet conducted workshops with locals and approved projects beneficial to southern Thailand and the nation as a whole. Tags: [Cabinet, mobile sessions, workshops, project approval, southern Thailand, government response]
On 2 Sep 2026 GMT+7, Siripong Angkasakulkit, Deputy Minister of Transport, posted on Facebook a rebuttal to A. Pichai Ratanadilok Na Phuket, who criticized the Cabinet's mobile sessions as 'entertainment tours.' Siripong said that if viewed with bias, one might miss the full picture. He noted this was likely the first Cabinet mobile session beginning with listening and conducting workshops with local people, involving ministers and government officials.Tags: [Siripong Angkasakulkit, Cabinet mobile session, workshop, local engagement, criticism rebuttal]
Siripong stated the Prime Minister actively participated in all activities and meetings without excluding locals. Many sessions ran overtime, with the Prime Minister insisting on fully hearing concerns despite organizers attempting to cut short the discussions. He said, 'I want to listen.' Issues raised included southern border problems, transport concerns, and flooding. Several projects were presented spontaneously, without prior preparation.Tags: [Prime Minister, active participation, local issues, spontaneous presentations, southern border, transport, flooding]
At the Cabinet reception, the Prime Minister arrived two hours late due to extended listening sessions. He urged everyone to attend, as the locals intended to showcase their best—performances and food. It was also a good opportunity for different groups to get acquainted for easier future collaboration. During the reception, the Prime Minister signed additional Cabinet documents related to local matters.Tags: [Cabinet reception, Prime Minister, local showcases, collaboration, document signing]
Siripong viewed the singing as a normal part of the event, especially as it closed the program, allowing attendees to head home. The South has many excellent offerings. The Cabinet meeting focused on solving southern problems and other pending national issues, including double-track railways benefiting the North and Northeast, and a nationwide natural disaster insurance system.Tags: [event entertainment, southern culture, Cabinet meeting, infrastructure projects, disaster insurance]
He believed many had seen various news images, but some might not have due to bias or intentional blindness, choosing to focus only on aspects that diminish all the work done through a few words or photos.Tags: [media coverage, bias, selective perception, criticism]
Siripong acknowledged that criticism is something leaders should accept, but criticized attacks lacking factual basis that narrow perspectives and demean others to elevate oneself. He referenced a proverb about belittling others and noted that if bias exists, it might be unchangeable, likening it to forcing cattle to eat grass. He hopes to address this by explaining the overall picture.Tags: [criticism, leadership, bias, proverb, explanation, perspective]