Democrat Party Spokesperson Questions New Energy Permanent Secretary

Thairath•Politics•4d ago

Reader Briefing

Pongsakorn Kwanmuang of the Democrat Party questioned the appointment of Chantanont Wannakhejorn as the new Permanent Secretary for Energy due to a lack of direct energy sector experience.

•Pongsakorn Kwanmuang expressed concern over the appointment of Chantanont Wannakhejorn, who previously grew in the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.
•The Democrat Party spokesperson questioned whether political closeness was prioritized over technical expertise for the Energy Permanent Secretary position.
•Five key national energy agendas for the next 2-5 years were identified as critical areas requiring expert leadership.
•The Democrat Party challenged the government to prove its performance through four dimensions of solving people's livelihood problems.

Overview

•On August 22, 2026, Pongsakorn Kwanmuang expressed views regarding the appointment of the new Permanent Secretary for Energy.
•Pongsakorn Kwanmuang noted that Chantanont Wannakhejorn grew in the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and lacks direct experience in energy policy administration.
•Pongsakorn Kwanmuang questioned if the selection prioritized political closeness or 'close allies' over specialized knowledge.
•Pongsakorn Kwanmuang identified five key agendas for the next 2-5 years: a new PDP plan, Direct PPA and TPA liberalization, energy infrastructure for Data Centers and AI, long-term LNG security, and Energy Transition.
•Pongsakorn Kwanmuang stated that the trend of moving officials from other ministries to lead the Ministry of Energy is a warning sign for existing ministry officials.
•Pongsakorn Kwanmuang called for the Prime Minister and Minister of Energy to clarify the evaluation criteria for the appointment.
•Pongsakorn Kwanmuang urged the government to demonstrate sincerity in solving four areas: fair oil price structures, transparent imported gas price calculations, and concrete renewable energy investment.

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Key Entities

Person

Pongsakorn Kwanmuang(พงศกร ขวัญเมือง)

Spokesperson of the Democrat Party.

Chantanont Wannakhejorn(ฉันทานนท์ วรรณเขจร)

The new Permanent Secretary for Energy who previously served in the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.

Organization

Democrat Party(พรรคประชาธิปัตย์)

Political party whose spokesperson questioned the appointment of the Energy Permanent Secretary.

Ministry of Energy(กระทรวงพลังงาน)ℹ️

The ministry where Chantanont Wannakhejorn was appointed as Permanent Secretary.

Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives(กระทรวงเกษตรและสหกรณ์)

The ministry where Chantanont Wannakhejorn's civil service career grew.