Phumtham threatens surprise inspections to check drug suppression efforts
Phumtham vows surprise visits to provinces to check anti-drug efforts, warns of transfers for complacent officials amid push to tighten nationwide crackdown.
- Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai will conduct unannounced visits to provinces to evaluate the effectiveness of their anti-drug operations.
- He has warned that provincial officials who fail to produce tangible results within three months may face transfer.
- The move comes in response to what Phumtham described as sluggish progress and weak coordination among agencies responsible for tackling drug trafficking.
- Phumtham stated that these surprise inspections are intended to reveal the real situation on the ground and ensure officials take the matter seriously as a national agenda.
Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has warned provincial officials that he may make unannounced visits to assess their efforts in tackling drug trafficking.
Crackdown orders follow slow progress
Phumtham, who is also Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, made the warning during his appearance on the government’s weekly television programme “Thailand’s Chance”, broadcast on NBT and Radio Thailand. He is currently serving as acting prime minister while Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is suspended from duty by the Constitutional Court.
Government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub said Phumtham raised the issue in response to sluggish progress on anti-drug operations. He specifically warned that any provincial officials found to be complacent or failing to produce concrete results within three months risk being transferred.
Past failures blamed on previous leadership
Without naming names, Phumtham indirectly criticised the previous interior minister for ineffective drug suppression. He noted that provincial governors, district chiefs, and other officials under the Department of Provincial Administration (DPA) are essential to the success of anti-drug campaigns, but said they had not previously made full efforts.
Phumtham recently replaced Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin
Charnvirakul as interior minister after a Cabinet reshuffle. The reshuffle followed the Pheu Thai Party’s demand to reclaim the Interior Ministry, prompting Bhumjaithai to join the opposition.
Interior Ministry holds the key to anti-drug coordination
“All the mechanisms to fight drug trafficking are at the Interior Ministry,” Phumtham said.
He added that he had met with related agencies — including the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, the national police chief, and ministry officials — and found weak coordination among them.
According to Phumtham, community members often have valuable knowledge about local drug activity and have shared that information with authorities. However, these tips have frequently gone unacted upon due to either complacency or corruption among local officials.
Surprise visits planned to expose real situation
“To see the reality, I will make unannounced visits to the provinces. I want to witness how operations are actually conducted,” Phumtham said.
“Drug issues are a national agenda. I want all officials to take this matter more seriously.”
Strengthening the Seal, Stop and Safe operation
Phumtham said the government’s Seal, Stop and Safe operation has been active for three to four months, targeting drug smuggling in 51 districts across 14 border provinces. While early results have been promising, he said there is still room for improvement.
The Interior Ministry, he added, will strengthen the operation during its second and third phases. Provincial governors, district chiefs, subdistrict (tambon) leaders, village heads, and some 600,000 village defence volunteers will all play a critical role.
Nationwide directive beyond border provinces
Phumtham has also ordered all other provinces, including Bangkok, to step up their anti-drug efforts. He emphasised that drug suppression must be a coordinated and sustained national mission — not limited to border areas alone.
