Anutin Charnvirakul accompanied by his wife Ja Thananon paid respects at the City Pillar Shrine for good fortune, then stopped for lunch with Defence Minister General Adul, urging him to accelerate flood recovery efforts.
On 21 Oct 2026 at 11:11 a.m., at Bangkok's City Pillar Shrine, Anutin Charnvirakul, Prime Minister and Interior Minister, with his wife Thananon Charnvirakul, visited to pay respects for blessings. They were welcomed by Defence Minister General Adul Boonthamcharoen, Deputy Interior Minister Pol. Gen. Peer Suwanchawi, and Permanent Secretary of Defence General Saran Petchanont. The shrine staff arranged a full ceremonial offering and led the Prime Minister's party to pay respects at five key sacred spots: the Buddha statue hall, the replica city pillar pavilion, the city pillar itself, the five guardian spirit shrines, and lighting oil lamps to dispel misfortune and enhance blessings. Afterwards, Anutin proceeded to the Ministry of Defence to pay respects to its sacred symbols, including the spirit of the drum tower. General Adul then guided him on a tour of the ministry's building and grounds. During the visit, Anutin noticed marked spots on the floor taped for procession march rehearsals and inquired about their purpose. General Adul explained they marked positions for daily morning march practice, which he regularly attends. Anutin became interested and practiced marching along the marks for about 20 minutes, joined by the Permanent Secretary of Defence. The atmosphere was friendly, with ministry officials approaching to take photos with the Prime Minister.
At 12:10 p.m., General Adul hosted a lunch for the Prime Minister and his party in the Atsadang Room on the 3rd floor of the Ministry of Defence headquarters. The menu matched that served to the troops, including chicken tom yum soup, omelette, spicy chili dip with fresh vegetables, stir-fried sea bass with chili and herbs, and stir-fried cabbage with fish sauce, finishing with sweetened boiled mung beans.
According to reports, during lunch Anutin asked the military to continue supporting and expediting the restoration of living conditions for people affected by flooding after the waters receded, until the situation returns to normal and people can resume their regular lives. He expressed gratitude to the armed forces for fully mobilizing personnel and equipment to aid those impacted by the floods. At 12:55 p.m., Anutin departed the Ministry of Defence, thanking the Defence Minister for the warm welcome and the delicious lunch.
