Thammanat Insists Ties With Anutin Remain Friendly
Thammanat says his Rak Thailand party will maintain friendly ties with Deputy PM Anutin while carefully scrutinizing government spending, declining to commit to either supporting or opposing the coalition.
On September 8, 2569, at Parliament, Thammanat Promboon, leader of the Rak Thailand party, outlined the party's voting direction on the fiscal 2570 budget bill (readings 2-3). He explained that the budget originated from plans he helped develop while serving as Deputy Prime Minister, with some items removed by committee but most remaining intact. He noted that voting section-by-section on September 7 aligned with his party's policy direction.
When asked whether Rak Thailand's abstention on a 400 billion baht emergency loan decree signaled a positive move toward joining the government, Thammanat replied that financial matters are crucial to the public and require careful scrutiny by lawmakers. He declined to speculate on whether his party would join opposition efforts to pass a no-confidence motion, saying it is premature to discuss.
Thammanat confirmed he and Anutin remain friends and that meetings between them serve the nation and people where appropriate, without denying such contact occurs. He stressed the government has been in office only months and deserves a chance to prove itself. When asked about criticism that Rak Thailand sits on the fence, he countered that the party performs its duties clearly and that political currents cannot determine a government's survival—only actual performance can.
