BANGKOK: The first day of the parliamentary session saw heightened tensions as Pheu Thai MPs expressed frustration over the absence of the Prime Minister, who was expected to address pressing questions concerning the black chin tilapia crisis. The People’s Party MPs were accused of misleading the Prime Minister, resulting in a situation where the Prime Minister did not answer the critical questions posed.
According to Thai News Agency, the parliamentary session, chaired by Mr. Paradorn Prisananantakul, the second vice president of the House of Representatives, aimed to tackle issues such as the black chin tilapia problem. Mr. Natcha Boonchaiinsawat, an MP from the Prachachon Party, directed his inquiry about the ongoing crisis to the Prime Minister. However, the Prime Minister delegated the task to the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, who further passed it to the Deputy Minister, leading to no direct response to Mr. Natcha’s inquiries.
Mr. Natcha, expressing his discontent, questioned the appropria
teness of the Prime Minister’s absence on such a crucial day. He criticized the lack of progress on what had been designated as a national agenda item, emphasizing the urgency of addressing the people’s suffering. His remarks were met with protest from Mr. Thetchat Chaiphong, a Chiang Rai MP from the Pheu Thai Party, who deemed Mr. Natcha’s comments inappropriate and requested a retraction.
The session was further complicated by Mr. Chulaphan Amornvivat, Deputy Minister of Finance, who explained the unplanned nature of the meeting and defended the Prime Minister’s absence due to overlapping commitments. He assured that the Prime Minister had delegated the matter to the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.
Adding to the debate, Mr. Pakornwut Udompipatsakul, a party-list MP and chief opposition whip, questioned the government’s decision to schedule a policy statement on the same day as the parliament’s opening. He criticized the apparent avoidance of answering questions and requested assurances that the
Prime Minister would be available the following week to address concerns raised by the Leader of the Opposition.
The session underscored the ongoing challenges in coordination and communication within the House of Representatives, with MPs calling for clearer scheduling and accountability from government leaders.