Democrat Party slams government over meritless civil service appointments

On August 21, 2026, at the Democrat Party headquarters, Natthakan Chuchana, deputy spokesperson for the Democrat Party, held a press briefing to criticize the government's overall public administration and bureaucratic reshuffles. He began by expressing deep concern for citizens affected by severe flooding in Nan province while sending encouragement to all officials working on rescue operations.

Natthakan pointed out that despite the government's previous pledge to parliament to uphold good governance and meritocracy, a poll conducted by IFD earlier in the week among more than 1,300 respondents revealed a different reality. Over 60 percent of those surveyed believe that bureaucratic appointments under the administration of Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul lack integrity, being heavily influenced by politics, patronage, factional networks, and financial interests.

The deputy spokesperson further highlighted high-level bureaucratic reshuffles, such as appointing permanent secretaries with eight to ten years remaining in their terms. While legally permissible, public perception views these moves as laying political groundwork that undermines the morale of other officials who lose career advancement opportunities. Furthermore, following a seminar led by Democrat party-list MP Chuan Leekpai at the Ministry of Education, nearly the entire room expressed clear disapproval of current reshuffle practices.

"If the government appoints unqualified individuals simply for political gain, the resulting damage will fall back on the government itself. Such behavior is just as despicable as Senate rigging."

Natthakan Chuchana, Democrat Party Deputy Spokesperson

Natthakan emphasized that both the constitution and the Civil Service Act clearly dictate that public personnel management must rely on merit, capability, performance, and conduct, completely barring political opinions from consideration. He added that officials already appointed must prove they do not act as agents for any political faction. He also recalled earlier in the year when Anutin expressed embarrassment over rising corruption figures during an Interior Ministry meeting, arguing that the Prime Minister does not need to blame anyone else since he is the one who appointed those individuals.