Phetcharat criticized the Prime Minister for rejecting the People's Party's decentralization bills. She accused him of verbally supporting the idea but using the legal technicality that the bills involved "financial drafts" to block them. She challenged whether the government was truly so afraid of returning power to the people.
On 17 September 2026 at the parliament, People's Party MPs led by Phetcharat Maichomphu, MP for Chiang Mai Constituency 1, held a press conference after the Prime Minister signed a refusal to endorse the bill on planning and procedures for decentralizing power to local administrative organizations. This bill was one of five decentralization bills the People's Party jointly proposed in mid-March 2026 to genuinely unlock work, budgets, and authority for local governments nationwide.
Phetcharat explained the bill's three key points: 1. Increasing public service authority by allowing local governments to perform all functions except military, judiciary, currency, and foreign affairs (Negative List); 2. Enhancing revenue powers by unlocking the ability for local governments to borrow, issue bonds, and collect fees independently; 3. Establishing a decentralization commission to set nationwide minimum public service standards, guaranteed quality, and clear transfer plans to restructure provincial administrative organizations, municipalities, subdistrict administrative organizations, and Pattaya City so that localities can be self-reliant without continually seeking central budget handouts.
The final response from the Prime Minister was to refuse to endorse the financial bill. This raises questions directed at the Prime Minister, especially the Bhumjaithai Party which controls the Ministry of Interior and the Department of Local Administration and often claims to support decentralization. Where, then, is your true sincerity?
"You verbally support decentralization but your signature rejects it. You use the legal technicality that it is a 'financial bill' to dismiss it before it even reaches parliamentary debate. What are you afraid of when it comes to returning power and budgets to the people?" Phetcharat stated and questioned,
Is this behavior a way to deceive or cheat the public? Because decentralization is not just about throwing scraps of budget as temporary relief; it is about structural power. If the government is truly sincere, it should allow representatives to debate in parliament. This refusal proves the government fears decentralization more than anything else.
She affirmed that they will not stop here and will continue to seek every channel to reclaim work, funds, and authority for local governments and the people.