On January 7, Natthaphong Rueangpanyawut, MP and leader of the People’s Party, commented on former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's campaign promise to reduce electricity prices to 3.70 THB per unit within the year. While acknowledging the benefit to citizens, Natthaphong warned against using taxpayer money to subsidize electricity costs, arguing that such measures would ultimately burden the public through the tax system.
He called for structural reforms in electricity pricing, emphasizing the need to address perceived monopolies in the energy sector. Key suggestions included reducing availability payments and pipeline fees to make the proposed price reduction feasible. Natthaphong expressed skepticism about achieving this reduction in 2025 without significant policy changes, which he claimed currently favor energy conglomerates.
The People’s Party also advocated canceling concessions for 3,600 MW of renewable energy and reallocating quotas to promote residential solar rooftop installations. Natthaphong underscored the importance of government transparency and criticized the perceived influence of unelected powerbrokers. He stressed the need for capable government representatives to address parliamentary queries directly.
Additionally, he criticized Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra for planning a trip to Phuket on Thursday, a regular day for addressing parliamentary questions, urging her to prioritize accountability in government.