Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has pledged he will avoid going overseas over the next two months in light of public criticism about his frequent trips abroad since taking office.
The prime minister wrote on his X account that he heard the criticism, and he was thankful for people's opinions and suggestions.
"From March 14 to May 15, I won't travel abroad. I've heard the comments and concerns. I'll visit the Mor Chit bus terminal, which is used by low-income earners. But I insist my trips abroad are for the nation's best interest," he said.
His post was thought to be a response to an article by columnist Sorakol Adulyanont in the Prachachart Thurakij newspaper.
The columnist urged Mr Srettha to pay more heed to issues at home and visit the bus terminal or inspect fire-fighting operations in the northern region choked by fine-dust pollution.
The columnist also reminded the prime minister of his own remarks that a leader must listen to people's opinions, even from those he may not want to hear.
Critics, including Senator Somchai Sawangkarn, recently took Mr Srettha to task over his frequent travels abroad.
"Our PM must hold the world record for the most overseas trips by a leader of a country. The big question is: Where are the results?" Mr Somchai said.
The prime minister has reportedly spent about 30% of his time in office in the past six months on 15 overseas trips.
His recent travels included visits to Germany and France, which were made back-to-back with an official trip to Australia, where he participated in the 2024 Asean-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne.
Mr Srettha has stood firm that the trips were to promote investments and tourism in Thailand.