thailandedition
Village chiefs protest MP's drug remarks, demand apology

Village chiefs protest MP's drug remarks, demand apology

MGR Online•Society•20d ago

Reader Briefing

Over 600 village chiefs from 25 central provinces gathered to protest remarks by an MP that broadly linked them to drug activities.

  • •Over 600 village chiefs from 25 central provinces protested at Ayutthaya Provincial Hall.
  • •They submitted a letter to Governor Chawanin Wongsolaraya, opposing MP Phantee Nuanjem's parliamentary statements.
  • •The chiefs demanded a review of the MP's words and a public apology for remarks allegedly linking them to drug dealing and use.
  • •The protest occurred on the date of the article's publication, May 5th.

Overview

  • •On April 30, 2026, MP Phantee Nuanjem made statements in parliament.
  • •MP Phantee Nuanjem stated, 'Village chiefs are truly excellent. Let's call a meeting of village chiefs and test everyone for drugs. These people are all drug dealers and users.'
  • •The statement was made in the House of Representatives and broadly implicated village chiefs in drug activities.
  • •Over 600 village chiefs from 25 provinces gathered at Ayutthaya Provincial Hall on May 5th.
  • •Village chiefs submitted a letter of protest to the Governor of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya.
  • •The remarks caused distress and impacted the reputation of village chiefs nationwide.
  • •Village chiefs consider themselves fronts in drug prevention and are willing to undergo fair investigations.
  • •The provincial governor will forward the letter to the Ministry of Interior, Department of Provincial Administration, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Full article content is available on the original source.

Read on MGR Online (Thai Version)View in Google Translate

Source: MGR Online (Original)

View Original Article

Key Quotes

Phantee Nuanjem
"“Village chiefs are truly excellent. Let's call a meeting of village chiefs and test everyone for drugs. These people are all drug dealers and users.”"
“กำนัน ผู้ใหญ่บ้าน ตัวดีครับ เนี่ยนัดประชุมกำนัน ผู้ใหญ่บ้าน จับตรวจฉี่ให้หมดเลยครับ พวกนี้คือพวกค้ายา เสพยาทั้งนั้น”

Key Entities

Organization

Village Chiefs(กำนัน–ผู้ใหญ่บ้าน)
Local administrators who play a frontline role in community security and drug prevention and suppression.
Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Village Chiefs Association(สมาคมกำนันผู้ใหญ่บ้านพระนครศรีอยุธยา)
The local association representing village chiefs in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya.
Village Chiefs Club of 25 Central Provinces(ชมรมกำนันผู้ใหญ่บ้าน 25 จังหวัดภาคกลาง)
A regional club representing village chiefs from 25 central provinces.
House of Representatives(สภาผู้แทนราษฎร)ℹ️
The legislative body where MP Phantee Nuanjem made his controversial remarks.
Department of Provincial Administration(กรมการปกครอง)
A government department responsible for local administration in Thailand, which village chiefs are part of.
Ministry of Interior(กระทรวงมหาดไทย)
The ministry that oversees the Department of Provincial Administration and to which the village chiefs' grievance will be forwarded.

Person

Phantee Nuanjem(ภัณฑิล น่วมเจิม)
Member of Parliament for Khlong Toei-Watthana, who made alleged defamatory statements linking village chiefs to drug activities.
Chawanin Wongsolaraya(นายชวนินทร์ วงศ์สถิตจิรกาล)
Governor of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, who received the letter of protest from the village chiefs.
King Chulalongkorn (Rama V)(พระบาทสมเด็จพระจุลจอมเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว รัชกาลที่ 5)ℹ️
The historical figure credited with establishing the administrative system that includes village chiefs.
Anutin Charnvirakul(นายอนุทิน ชาญวีรกูล)ℹ️
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, under whose policy the resolution of national issues like drug problems falls.

Place

Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya(พระนครศรีอยุธยา)ℹ️
The province where village chiefs gathered and submitted their letter of protest.

Timeline

April 30, 2026(30 เมษายน 2026)
The date when MP Phantee Nuanjem reportedly made the controversial remarks in the House of Representatives.
May 5(5 พ.ค.)
The date when over 600 village chiefs gathered to protest and submit their letter.