Cornered—Supachee's Fate: Isolated in the Political Storm

Political analysts had predicted that when Anutin Charnvirakul's government was formed, Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Supachee Sutharmpanthuk would be the first position to come under fire and struggle to survive. Though this seemed like unnecessarily harsh analysis when Anutin's second government began, once it took office after Songkran amid war crisis and economic hardship, Supachee's situation deteriorated within weeks. The latest durian price debacle has been particularly damaging—appearing with influencers offering 100 baht per fruit appeared to pressure fruit farmers nationwide. Notably, no government officials or Palang Pracharath members have publicly defended Deputy PM Supachee. Looking back at Supachee's entry into government, she began when the Thai Raksa Chart party helped Anutin form a minority government with numerous vacant ministerial seats. As an outsider minister alongside Ekniti Nitithanprapha and Seehasak Poungkatkheaw, she helped give the Palang Pracharath government a more professional image. This success was leveraged for the 2023 election to appeal to middle-class voters, earning her a continued ministerial position in Anutin's second government. The three outsiders became known as the "three kitchen moms" and won the party enough party-list votes to exceed targets. After winning, they joined the government as promised, along with other outsiders in defense and justice. This created tensions within Palang Pracharath, which lost several ministerial quota seats. As an outsider without supporting MPs or parliamentary advisors, Supachee lacks crucial allies. MPs and major party figures would prefer a Commerce Minister from their own ranks who understands farmers' struggles better than a technocrat. If the Commerce Ministry went to an MP, they might even secure an additional deputy minister position. Supachee's fate is becoming increasingly clear.