Opposition Denounces PM's Absent Ministers at Parliamentary Hearing
Opposition MPs criticized the absence of government ministers during parliamentary questioning on September 24, with Deputy PM Vorasit postponing answers on firearm control and prompting calls for procedural penalties against no-shows.
At 10:50 a.m. on September 24, 2025, during a parliamentary session chaired by Sophon Saram, opposition Democrat MP Jarayut Jaturapromserti posed an urgent live question to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Interior Minister regarding firearm control. Anutin delegated Deputy Interior Minister Vorasit Leangprasit to respond, but Vorasit postponed his answer, causing the question to be dropped. The chair then allowed Jarayut to leave the question on record.
Jarayut noted that most guns used in recent mass shooting incidents were illegal or unregistered weapons, and government gun import bans caused public confusion. Opposition list MP Pakornchai Udomphipatthasakul then challenged the coordination procedure, pointing out that despite advance notice of which minister would be questioned, ministers still failed to attend. He suggested this followed a remark by the prime minister that ministers would only come if their fortune improved.
Parliamentary Chair Sophon Saram defended his position, saying that the executive and legislative branches have clear legal roles and he cannot compel the government to attend. He suggested amending parliamentary rules instead. Opposition deputy leader Preerath Vatchrasindu, chairing the opposition coordination committee, presented a draft amendment proposing that if government ministers skip opposition questions, those questions be postponed to the following week as a penalty. Government coordinator Krawitee Parisananuttakul objected, stating that previous coordination meetings had reached agreement with no opposition objections.
