Political Altercation between Phumtham and Anutin
In a recent turn of events, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who is also the current Interior Minister, has publicly accused his predecessor, Anutin Charnvirakul, of unfairly directing local budgets to Bhumjaithai Party strongholds during Anutin’s tenure as Interior Minister [1][2][4]. Anutin, who concurrently leads the Bhumjaithai Party (BJT), has denied these allegations, calling them “completely incorrect” [3].
Phumtham's accusation stems from the distribution of funds from the government’s 157-billion-baht economic stimulus package for local administrative bodies nationwide. According to Phumtham, while local administrative organisations outside BJT areas received only 1–3 million baht each, key BJT strongholds—such as Buri Ram and Surin—were allocated much larger sums, sometimes as much as 700 million baht [1]. Phumtham cited notifications from the Budget Bureau, alleging that budget requests approved by Anutin did not match those recorded in the bureau’s database, leading to the Bureau’s rejection of some requests and return of those files to the Interior Ministry for further review [1].
Anutin has refuted the claims, stating that the budget was not concentrated in provinces under BJT influence and labeling Phumtham’s accusation as “completely incorrect” [3]. He did not elaborate further on his side’s documentation or process, but he dismissed the allegations as baseless [3].
The matter is currently under scrutiny by the Budget Bureau, with the final decision on reinstating the disputed allocations resting with the Bureau. There is no publicly available evidence—such as a published official audit—that independently confirms or refutes either side’s claims.
| Allegation/Action | Status/Response | |-------------------|-----------------------------------------| | Phumtham Wechayachai | Ongoing review; Budget Bureau has final say [1] | | Anutin Charnvirakul | Denies allegations, calls them “completely incorrect” [3] |
As the investigation continues, the public awaits a resolution to this dispute, shedding light on the allocation of funds during the stimulus package and the potential influence of political parties in local budgeting.
The dispute over the distribution of funds from the economic stimulus package has sparked controversy in the realm of policy-and-legislation, with Phumtham Wechayachai accusing his predecessor, Anutin Charnvirakul, of unfairly directing local budgets to Bhumjaithai Party strongholds. Anutin denies these allegations, marking this as a contentious issue in politics and general news.
