Prior to the new Srettha Thavisin government policy statement on September 11, Rangsiman Rome, spokesman for the opposition Move Forward Party, criticised the administration’s policies for lacking clarity and being of even lower quality than that of the Prayut Chan-o-cha administration.
However, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin spent the weekend visiting three economically significant provinces in the northeast or Isan region: Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, and Nong Khai, to strengthen the economy that reaches the grassroots, and to discuss drug suppression to highlight these two most important policies of this administration.
This has built a reputation for the Pheu Thai Party in the past.
Srettha visited Udon Thani Province on Friday to look at the progress of preparations for the World Horticultural Exposition 2026, which will be held in Nong Dae Wetland, Kut Sa Subdistrict, and Mueang District, Udon Thani, between November 1, 2026, and March 14, 2027, a total of 134 days.
He demonstrated his role as finance minister by reminding the province of the budget, which had been set at 2.5 billion baht but was requested to be increased by 3 billion to 5.5 billion baht.
“How did it get to 3,000 million? Where will we obtain the money? I That the budget more than doubled. I believe we cannot accept that because the government has a limited budget. We must manage a variety of sectors. We need solid budgetary discipline and effective financial management. This is critical; I insist on management within the budget framework that we agreed on at first,” he said.
During his Saturday visit to Nong Khai Province, the Prime Minister stated that despite its modest size, Nong Khai generates the fourth-highest income in the Isan region, indicating its economic significance.
Therefore, he spoke with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport about facilitating the connection of freight routes from Thailand to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and the People’s Republic of China more easily in order to transform Nong Khai into a one-stop service centre for the transfer of products.
He also stated that the drug problem in the Northeast is a critical problem that must be resolved. Therefore, if there is a travelling Cabinet meeting, he will choose Nong Bua Lamphu as the first site because it is the province in the Northeast with the lowest per capita income and a narcotic problem.
For the drug suppression meeting in Bangkok, which was attended by the Secretary-General of the Narcotics Prevention and Suppression Committee (NACC) and Pol. Gen. Surachet Hakpal, Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, Srettha only revealed that he listened to all the information.
They also discussed the case of a sub-district headman in Nakhon Pathom province involved in the shooting death of a police officer, along with the investigation of 25 other police officers involved in the incident, of whom four have already been fired.
Pol. Gen. Surachet indicated that the Prime Minister has emphasised the importance of eradicating the mafia and influential locals in order to give people trust in their safety. The police should not be used as a crutch by those in positions of authority.
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