Pichit slams PM as 'nation’s weakest link' in fiery sovereignty rally

He delivered the blistering speech at an anti-government rally at Victory Monument in Bangkok on Saturday.

Rallying the crowd, Pichit said protesters had laced up their trainers and shown courage in defending national sovereignty. He said many had felt a growing sense of unease since August 22, 2023—the day former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra returned to Thailand and Srettha Thavisin was chosen as prime minister. 

That moment, he claimed, marked the collapse of the justice system and the return of a government controlled by Thaksin’s political dynasty.

Pichit went on to criticise the appointment of Thaksin’s close associates to Cabinet posts—especially that of Pichit Chuenban, a lawyer nicknamed “the snack bag attorney,” who was made Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office. 

He claimed the coalition government was formed at Thaksin’s Chan Song La residence, which he labelled "the home of traitors", and asserted that Paetongtarn’s rise to the premiership signalled the country's decline.

“The disaster began that very day,” he said. “Since then, it has been a freefall because of Paetongtarn’s utter lack of competence.”

He continued his tirade: “She’s clueless. She lacks knowledge. She can’t even read correctly from an iPad script. Politics is failing. The economy is failing. The justice system is failing—they’re propping up Thaksin. And now they want to legalise casinos. Though they recently announced a delay, if they insist on going ahead with it, the government might collapse alongside the casinos.”

Pichit said the administration had failed to govern and had led Thailand to ruin, which was why the people needed to rise up and say: “We won’t let this country collapse.”

The final straw, he said, was the leaked audio clip of a conversation between Paetongtarn and Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen. While the prime minister claimed it was merely a negotiation tactic, Pichit dismissed this as “a tactic of betrayal” and described the incident as “selling out the military leadership to Hun Sen”.

He posed a challenge to the public: “Will you stand with this government, or with the military that defends our sovereignty?” He added that “no one supports Paetongtarn’s government anyway” and declared that the audio clip would serve as proof of national failure and betrayal.

“Some say today’s rally is just about ousting the government—and that’s true. But the bigger cause is stopping a government that is destroying this country. Thailand can move forward without Paetongtarn,” he insisted.

“Paetongtarn is the weak point. If we want Thailand to stand strong, she must be removed from the political equation. Without her, the country is stronger. Without a Cambodian infiltrator, the country moves forward. Don’t talk to us about unity—we won’t unite with traitors. This country must rid itself of the Shinawatra regime and Paetongtarn.”

He concluded his speech by laying out three demands:

• Paetongtarn must take responsibility for the leaked audio and resign immediately.
• Coalition parties must withdraw from the government.
• The public must rise up together to defend Thai sovereignty.