Prime Minister Criticized for Disconnect with Working-Class Struggles

Bangkok: "Jury" criticized the Prime Minister, saying "This is too much. Born rich, he doesn't understand people who work hard to make ends meet." Jury criticized the government's policies as contradictory to reality, sarcastically remarking that the Prime Minister, born rich, doesn't understand the struggles of working-class people. He accused the government of letting prices skyrocket, saying the only thing cheap was methamphetamine. He declared, "There's no such thing as being too rich to cope, only being too desperate to make ends meet." According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Juri Numkaew, a Democrat Party MP from Songkhla, debated the government's policy statement, saying that while listening to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul read the policy statement yesterday, he felt a chill down his spine when he heard the phrase "for the benefit of the people." He looked up at the Prime Minister, wondering if, while speaking of "for the benefit of the people," the Prime Minister's heart was also considering the peo ple and perhaps even the capitalists. He argued that the Prime Minister's statement contradicted the reality of what the people are currently experiencing. He acknowledged that the Prime Minister was fortunate to be born a millionaire, but urged him to open his mind and look down at the people struggling to make ends meet, living hand-to-mouth, bearing the burden of low incomes and high expenses. Farmers can only sell their produce at low prices, while household goods are expensive. The only thing readily available and affordable for villagers is methamphetamine, at 10 baht per pill - easier to find and buy than paracetamol. He cited the example of his neighbor, Mrs. Somthawil, who sells coconuts for 2-3 baht each, which are then shipped to Phuket. To buy it back, we have to buy it at a price of 150 baht. So I would like to ask the Prime Minister to try to understand the situation. "In your administration, you didn't dare to crack down on capitalists, but today you're cracking down on the people, on the vill agers. I don't know when we'll get rich, just like the Prime Minister said. There's no such thing as 'getting too rich,' only 'getting too pushable,' because of the high price of oil," Mr. Juri said. Last week, members debated the disappearance of fuel during a period when fuel prices were normal, around 30 baht per liter. However, in the South, fuel was missing from almost every gas station. Now, with fuel prices almost 50 baht per liter, it's readily available at every station, as if it were magically appearing. This makes one feel that the Prime Minister only cares about capitalists and understands only them, never the hardships faced by the people. Mr. Juri stated that during the Prime Minister's statement, he mentioned the crackdown and enforcement of laws to seriously eradicate drugs. However, he questioned, "How serious is 'serious'?" He cited the recent incident earlier this year where a drug-addicted teenager took students hostage at a school, ultimately leading to the school principal, a highly re spected teacher, sacrificing his life for the students. While the entire nation praised the principal's actions, his family did not desire praise; they desired the principal's life. Mr. Juri emphasized that if the government is serious about solving the drug problem, it should address its root causes. He urged the Prime Minister and the Cabinet to avoid reckless actions in the future and expressed hope that this government would complete its term, not ending in the same way as Chuchok.