Addressing House Speaker Sophon Zarum, Mr Chalermpong, the People’s Party MP for Phuket’s Constituency 2, asked that his concerns be forwarded to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, saying public frustration had intensified following recent upheaval within the provincial administration.
Mr Chalermpong referred to the recent dispute involving Phuket’s governor and vice governors, which resulted in officials being transferred after allegations of misconduct and internal conflict.
He also criticised the Department of Provincial Administration for investigating the matter without establishing a formal fact-finding committee.
“The people of Phuket are frustrated and dissatisfied,” he told Parliament.
He noted that senior Interior Ministry officials, including deputy interior ministers, had made repeated visits to Phuket in recent weeks, while five House of Representatives committees had also descended on the island at the same time.
“It’s as if they’ve attacked Phuket from every angle, as if all the problems remain unresolved,” he said. “But Rome wasn’t built in a day, and superficial solutions won’t solve anything.”
Mr Chalermpong argued that corruption remained deeply rooted despite the wave of official activity.
“Today, the problem of corruption in Phuket, whether it’s extortion from hotels, entertainment venues, or land encroachment by influential figures, persists,” he said.
“It remains unresolved, and extortion issues continue as before. You can change the ringleaders, but the extortion continues and remains the same.”
He said simply replacing governors and vice governors would not solve the island’s long-standing governance problems.
“Governors and vice governors come and go, but Phuket’s problems remain unresolved,” he said.
“The problems you claim to be digging up are ineffective. Digging too deep might uncover your own party’s corruption.”
Mr Chalermpong said the initial flurry of official attention had faded without delivering meaningful reform.
“It seems no one truly cares about Phuket anymore. When the problems first arose, everyone rushed to Phuket,” he said.
“Phuket’s problems are more complex than they seem and require structural solutions.”
He concluded by renewing his long-standing call for greater local autonomy, saying the people of Phuket should be allowed to elect their own governor and manage the province themselves.
“The people of Phuket want to elect their own governor and manage their own province,” he said.
Mr Chalermpong asked the House Speaker to forward his concerns to PM Anutin for consideration.