Phatthalung Veterans Protest Hall Fee, Accept Apology
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On October 26, 2026, reporters at the front of Phatthalung Provincial Hall found approximately 100 veterans from Phatthalung province assembled to demand clarification from relevant agencies regarding the denial of their request to use the Muang Phatthalung district community hall. The hall was sought for a mobile welfare unit event on October 20, organized by the Veterans Welfare Office, Songkhla Region, Senanarong Camp, Kho Hong Subdistrict, Hat Yai District, Songkhla Province. The event aimed to provide services to veterans and their families in Muang Phatthalung district, including medical welfare payments, ID card issuance and replacement, death benefits, occasional assistance, Veterans Welfare Fund membership recruitment, and briefings on rights and benefits under Veterans Council regulations, with both able-bodied and disabled veterans attending.
However, the request to use the community hall was not approved unless a 5,000 baht venue fee was paid. This forced a sudden relocation to Wat Pradu Hom, causing significant difficulty for the many attendees, particularly the disabled and elderly, who had to travel and access services under difficult conditions.
The veterans consequently traveled to Phatthalung Provincial Hall to seek explanations and demand clarification. Officials arranged a meeting in the 5th-floor conference room, attended by Phatthalung Deputy Governor Tharawut Chuaykit and Muang Phatthalung District Chief Suruda Inthapraphan.
District Chief Suruda Inthapraphan explained that the failure to grant permission stemmed from a documentation error: coordination documents did not reach the district office's document section in time, resulting in no approval being issued as requested. She apologized to the veterans for the incident.
The district chief added that following the incident, she summoned relevant staff to review the coordination failure and apologized for any remarks by staff that may have upset the veterans. She affirmed that the incident would be used to improve operations and prevent similar problems.
A veterans' representative stated that in over 30 years, such an incident had never occurred with their group, who hold honor and dignity. They view this as an important lesson in inter-agency coordination and confirmed that the more than 16,000 veterans in Phatthalung province are ready to forgive the incident.
