Deputy PM Supajee Boosts Transport, Curbs Veg Prices Amid Floods
Deputy Prime Minister Supajee Sutthaphan said flooding has driven up vegetable prices and ordered nationwide transport coordination, including military trucks, to reach flood‑affected areas. She announced a 2‑3‑week delay in egg exports and a war room to monitor shortages, while questioning the need for mobile vendor trucks during the crisis. Supajee also dismissed any conflict of interest regarding her past ties to Dusit Thani College after its win in a TV cooking competition.
Supajee acknowledges flooding contributes to high vegetable prices, urges nationwide transport coordination, plans to delay egg exports for 2-3 weeks to ease costs, questions necessity of mobile vendor trucks during floods, denies links to Dusit Thani College issue. At 09:45 on October 6, 2026 at Government House, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce Supajee Sutthaphan gave an interview before the Cabinet meeting on expensive leafy vegetables, stating they will maximize coordination from producers to wholesale markets and work with military trucks to deliver vegetables to hard‑to‑reach areas. She admitted flooding drives up vegetable costs, ordering provincial commerce offices to work with governors to report obstacles directly to the Ministry of Commerce for assistance, citing Prachin Buri province where essential goods are lacking in many spots. The Internal Trade Department has set up a war room to liaison with producers and wholesalers; if a shortage is found, they will connect producers to send goods to the area. The Ministry also inspected distribution centers, ordered staffing and stock levels, required correct price labeling, warned action against overpricing and opportunism, and gave the public a hotline (1569) to report issues if ministry outreach is insufficient. Regarding complaints about high egg prices, the Internal Trade Department met with egg producers, traders and farmers to assess whether supplies are sufficient for all areas, requesting bi‑weekly reports from the department to monitor nationwide distribution, while delaying exports by 3‑50 % and postponing shipments by 2‑3 weeks to ensure adequate domestic supply. When asked about deploying mobile vendor trucks to villages to aid flood relief, Supajee questioned whether such trucks are useful, noting the intention is to reach remote areas lacking affordable goods, though some say they are unnecessary while others stress their need during floods, requiring discussion on how to reach isolated communities. Asked about the Thai Chef Pan competition whose winner was Dusit Thani College, raising speculation of a conflict of interest given her prior role there, Supajee countered asking how a conflict could arise, stating she is unaware of any sponsorship by the Internal Trade Department in the show, which she described as a regular program, and that even if she had formerly managed the college, she no longer has ties, so no conflict exists; however, if she still oversaw the college a conflict could be perceived. The Internal Trade Department had previously allowed the program to use locally sourced GI products in its broadcasts.
