PM Paetongtarn laughs off media rumours of a cabinet reshuffle and coalition breakup, as key partners Bhumjaithai and Pheu Thai vow to stay united until the 2027 General Election—mocking speculation with jokes, smiles and a public show of solidarity.
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister put paid to speculation of a government breakup and a cabinet reshuffle. It followed mounting speculation on Monday, which went into overdrive on Monday night. However, on Tuesday afternoon, following a cabinet budget meeting, the tables were turned by the ministers on the media. The key coalition partners, the Pheu Thai Party and Bhumjaithai Party pledged to stay the course until the next General Election in 2027.
There were mirthful grins and smiles all around at Government House on Tuesday as cabinet shake-up — indeed, breakup — reports proved groundless. Notably, these reports had been aired on Monday by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who promised reporters she would make an announcement on Tuesday.
The speculation had followed an upswell of chatter about cabinet instability. In particular, this was tied to polling and ministerial underperformance.
However, by midday Tuesday, the Prime Minister was laughing off such concerns. It came during a press interview.
Prime Minister dismisses reshuffle talk while urging openness and reflecting on political impermanence
In brief, she dismissed talk of a cabinet reshuffle while also noting philosophically that “everything in the world is impermanent. Even the position of Prime Minister.” She added, however, that she remains open to listening to all opinions. Certainly, that included public sentiment and poll results, but no decisions have yet been finalised.
Indeed, after a meeting of the cabinet which looked again at the 2026 budget, the press was greeted by Deputy Prime Ministers Anutin Charnvirakul of Bhumjaithai and Phumtham Wechayachai of Pheu Thai walking ahead hand in hand. The pair were smiling.
Their stroll followed a closed-door meeting chaired by Ms Paetongtarn at 2:30 p.m. It convened to accelerate the disbursement of the 2025 budget and lay the groundwork for the following fiscal year.
According to Mr Phumtham, the meeting addressed the need for ministries to expedite spending. At the same time, there was a need to ensure the efficient use of public funds. He explained that progress was made since a previous budget meeting on 30 March. The Prime Minister was satisfied overall, as several ministries had now picked up the pace.
Coalition partners show unity with smiles and walkabout following closed-door budget discussions
Certainly, the joke on Tuesday was on the media. This came after strong swirling rumours on Monday suggested that the Pheu Thai Party was going to ditch the Bhumjaithai Party. In the end, the two parties have pledged to stay the course together.
Reinforcing that sentiment, Mr Phumtham, leader of the Pheu Thai Party, playfully walked with Mr Anutin. They both declared the coalition was very much intact.
“I walked down here holding hands. We still love each other,” he said. Mr Anutin replied in jest, saying he would kiss Mr Phumtham on the cheek. It was a light-hearted moment that emphasised the unity message.
As laughter rippled through the gathered press, Mr Phumtham added that there was no friction at all between coalition members. Furthermore, the government remained committed to economic management and cooperation across ministries.
Before that, at a press conference, a very relaxed and cheerful Prime Minister addressed the reports of an alleged split. These reports last night suggested that the Palang Pracharat Party would replace the Bhumjaithai Party in government.
Prime Minister rebuffs rumoured split and says she prefers teamwork and avoiding ministerial friction
Prime Minister Paetongtarn, however, on Tuesday underlined the need for calm. She said: “No. Everyone said that we have to calm down. Right now, everything is the same. We don’t plan to change anything. But when we listen to opinions, we have to see what happens. Because in reality, I like working as a team. I like working together without having to fight in each ministry. In reality, I don’t like disunity. But I’ve done my best and will see what happens. If something happens, we can go and fix it then.”
Ms Paetongtarn also addressed comments about her governance style. In particular, that it differed from that of her father, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
She acknowledged that they often hold different views. Meanwhile, she insisted this was nothing unusual and not a sign of discord. “There are many things we agree on,” she said, “but even if we disagree, it will never lead to problems.”
After that, when asked specifically about last night’s rumours, the Prime Minister appeared to dismiss the notion.
Paetongtarn brushes off coup-era ties and reiterates current coalition stability after strong questioning
“What? Take the Bhumjaithai Party out and bring in the Palang Pracharat Party instead? Wow, this is a strong question. There’s nothing like that yet. Right now, everything is the same,” Ms Paetongtarn said.
After that, she gave a little political history of her relationship previously with the Palang Pracharat Party.
“Yes, I said that I would look at my face, that I would not shake hands with the coup makers. That was 2 years ago. It later happened that the votes weren’t enough, so we had to match. However, it’s been a while since the match,” said the PM.
The Prime Minister’s remarks were a reference to her campaign pledge not to work with parties linked to the 2014 coup. However, she said political reality had intervened. This came after the 2023 election when forming a government required securing a parliamentary majority.
Prime Minister suggests coalition should hold until 2027 as rumours swirl and jokes to defuse tension
Meanwhile, Ms Paetongtarn agreed with the statement that she would like the present coalition government to continue — certainly until the next General Election. She then made a quip suggesting that she might be leaving a hostage to fortune.
“Is there anything else? Tell me. Let me read your fortune,” she said.
Regarding discussion within the coalition about a cabinet reshuffle, Mr Phumtham continued with the theme of the day. Prime Minister Paetongtarn also joked about it all being media-driven. “I was asked so many times by reporters that I even started to wonder if something was actually wrong,” he said.
Meanwhile, at a Palang Pracharat Party press conference, the leader General Prawit Wongsuwan was mute on the subject. His response to reporters was to purse his lips and shake his head.
Palang Pracharat denies reshuffle rumours as false while Bhumjaithai faces speculation of removal
Nevertheless, the party’s Secretary-General Paiboon Nititawan was more blunt. He described yesterday’s news reports as nothing but fake news. In addition, he said they were spread by people for personal benefit.
Mr Paiboon insisted that the Palang Pracharat Party had no plans to re-enter the government. He labelled the entire story a fabrication. He attributed the rumours to individuals attempting to create political instability for their own advantage.
Big political moves in the offing. Rumours in Bangkok say the Bhumjaithai Party may be shown the door
Thai economy thrown into disarray by Trump’s tariffs. Exports and Tourism may both be far lower in 2025
Rising anger and tension between the main coalition parties in government after Chidchob Scion’s speech
Meanwhile, Deputy Spokesman Akkhara Thongchaisod announced the party’s focus remained internal. He noted it would hold its annual general meeting on 27 April to review operations and consider amendments to its regulations.
Join the Thai News forum, follow Thai Examiner on Facebook here
Receive all our stories as they come out on Telegram here
Follow Thai Examiner here
Further reading:
New era for Thailand’s foreign tourism industry may be dawning as Casino bill is approved by cabinet
Minister outlines plans for Casinos, Disneyland and a tax support system for workers to Parliament
Legal casinos and gambling in Thailand being weighed up carefully after Deputy PM’s backing
