At 5:40 PM on June 23, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai spoke to the press during a visit to the Ministry of Interior. He clarified that the visit was not for issuing policies, but rather in his capacity as Deputy Prime Minister overseeing the ministry, as the appointment of the new Interior Minister is still pending.
When asked about disputes involving the ministry, such as the Khao Kradong issue, Phumtham said it’s best to wait for the new Interior Minister to address those. His visit focused only on important matters during this transitional period.
On whether it’s now confirmed that the Ministry of Interior will be under the Pheu Thai Party, he confirmed it is. However, whether this change will lead to improvements is up to the new minister to explain. Still, he emphasized that real improvement will come from fully implementing government policies at the local level—a key area where past governments fell short. He has urged all provincial governors to turn policies into tangible outcomes.
When asked if the visit was related to any civil servant reshuffles, Phumtham denied any such intention, humorously noting that he isn’t even the Interior Minister yet and redirected the question to the ministry's permanent secretary.
Finally, when mentioned that his reception felt like that of an actual Interior Minister, Phumtham quickly dismissed the idea, saying the atmosphere reminded him of when he served as Secretary to the Interior Minister in 2001—his last time at the ministry in over 20 years.