Deputy PM Piphat Denies Talks with Nevin on Government Joining
Deputy Prime Minister Piphat Ratchakitprakan said he met Buriram United chief Nevin Chidchob only to watch a football match in Songkhla and did not discuss the Klathamm Party joining the government. He insisted any decision on such a move rests with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, and dismissed rumors of a party merger as unfounded. Piphat also stated that after six months in office a cabinet reshuffle is premature.
At a press briefing on October 20, 2069, Deputy Prime Minister Piphat Ratchakitprakan said he had met Nevin Chidchob, chairman of Buriram United Football Club, only to watch a Thai League match in Songkhla after Pattani's stadium was under renovation. He stressed that no political discussion took place during the meeting, and that any talk about the Klathamm Party joining the government would be decided by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. Piphat said he had not heard anything from Anutin about such a move, and noted that seeing Anutin dining with Thamanat Prompow, leader of the Klathamm Party, was merely coincidental, as the two often eat together. He added that rumors of a merger between the Klathamm Party and his own Bhumjaithai Party originated from unspecified media sources, and that any decision would require senior leaders to discuss it. Regarding a possible cabinet reshuffle, Piphat said that after six months in office the government is still finding its footing, especially within the Transport Ministry, and that a reshuffle is not warranted at this stage, though the final decision rests with the Prime Minister and the party's executive board.
