PM to opposition: “Don’t insult my intelligence.”

“The PM emphasised that his government has never approved a project to favour any particular individual or company.”

PM Prayut Chan-o-cha lashed out at some MPs from the opposition Kao Klai party, for what he took as an insult to his and his ministers’ intelligence. When the MPs questioned some Transport Ministry projects, Prayut insisted that all of them were properly vetted and transparently implemented.

“We are no less intelligent than the speaker, so do not insult our intelligence. Public sector projects require a lot of investment, we invest under a public-private-partnership structure. There is a transparent bidding process, and the contracts are then signed in accordance with the law.”

He was apparently referring to remarks made by Surachet Prawinwongvut, a Kao Klai MP, during the third day of the 2021 budget debate. He says he has no personal grudge against Surachet, and emphasised that his government has never approved a project to favour any particular individual or company.

The PM added that he won’t keep responding to questions on similar issues from the opposition, about how the government will use the 400 billion baht fund for economic rehabilitation and whether the funds will be used wisely.

Prayut says his priorities are to build better cooperation between the governmental and private sectors and the public, to ensure the country weathers one of its worst-ever economic crises, and turn it into an opportunity, noting that economies around the world are suffering due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a related story, the deputy transport minister told Parliament his ministry has allocated 14 billion baht to redevelop 3 airports, specifically 1.6 billion baht for Betong airport in the southern Yala province, 1.1 billion baht for Mae Sot airport at the Burmese border and 5.1 billion for Krabi airport.

SOURCE: Thai PBS World