The ruling Pheu Thai Party has dismissed the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle anytime soon, saying the party is focused on the new budget bill for fiscal year 2026, which starts Oct 1.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has expressed a wish to continue working without making any cabinet changes for a long time, said Pheu Thai spokesman Danuporn Punakanta on Monday.
Mr Danuporn was responding to rumours about the likelihood of the Bhumjaithai Party being axed from the cabinet in a new cabinet shake-up amid findings from a Nida Poll public opinion survey.
The poll showed that many people expected the commerce minister and the agriculture and cooperatives minister to be replaced.
Mr Danuporn said Pheu Thai was currently focusing on preparing for the House of Representatives' deliberation of the new budget bill, which was expected in a special House session that would likely take place in late May.
During this parliamentary recess, MPs were visiting their constituencies in the provinces to listen to their needs and expectations from the government's new budgetary plan, he said.
A meeting of these MPs would be called next for them to share what they had learned from their voters, which could be treated as additional input into the government's budget allocation and spending plan, he said.
Pheu Thai MPs would also need time in preparing to defend the budget bill in the House, Mr Danuporn said.
The spokesman said he was confident that the budget bill would receive overwhelming support from all coalition parties, as the prime minister had in the past during a vote of no confidence.
Somkid Chueakong, a deputy secretary-general to the PM, and Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, meanwhile, shrugged off the results of the Nida Poll's survey, saying they were just some of a multitude of opinions.
Mr Phumtham said that a decision on a new cabinet reshuffle lies with the premier, adding that Bhumjaithai is a good coalition partner and that there is no reason to justify a reshuffle for the time being.
Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, in his capacity as a Bhumjaithai leader, said Ms Paetongtarn had never discussed any possible cabinet reshuffles with him. He said Bhumjaithai continues to support Pheu Thai as always.