Thanathorn laying out the Eastern priorities at the Nation Debate in Pattaya.
BANGKOK: Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, an assistant campaigner for the People’s Party, said the party would tackle four major problems in Thailand’s Eastern region—water management, land disputes, fruit-sector labour shortages and wild elephant conflict—if it wins the upcoming election.
Thanathorn made the remarks during a policy debate hosted by Nation Group in Pattaya, Chonburi, under the banner “Nation Debate 2026: The Crossroads – Eastern Stage” on Wednesday (Jan 21).
Water: balance demand from industry, commerce and agriculture
Thanathorn said the East faces intense competition for water among industry, commerce and agriculture. He said the People’s Party would expand water sources, improve water distribution and supply systems, and ensure a fairer allocation of water resources.
As an example, he cited Koh Larn, saying water there currently costs 72 baht per unit, which he described as excessively high. Ensuring balanced and fair water management across sectors is therefore essential, he said.
Land disputes: speed up rights verification in overlap areas
Thanathorn said state land claims in the East overlap with people’s farmland and residential areas, leaving some communities facing insecurity and higher costs.
He pointed to Chonburi, specifically Sattahip, saying Samae San has overlapping state land claims affecting farmland. As a result, residents in overlap zones must rely on temporary electricity meters, paying 7 baht per unit rather than 4 baht per unit under standard meters.
He said land issues in areas such as Kaeng Hang Maeo and Koh Samet require urgent rights verification so residents can gain greater stability and security.
Wild elephants: barriers, trenches and tech-based tracking
Thanathorn said wild elephant problems in the East are widely known, with deaths reported and farms damaged every year.
He said the People’s Party would speed up the installation of elephant barriers and trenches in multiple areas and adopt modern technology to track elephants, mapping their movement to strengthen monitoring and early warning systems.
He added that the party would increase budgets for elephant monitoring units to support their work and improve morale.
Fruit sector: address labour shortages and expand worker cards
Thanathorn said the Eastern region is known for fruits such as durian and longan, but the sector is facing labour shortages as workers return to Cambodia.
He said the People’s Party would expand the existing migrant worker card system to prevent hardship and accelerate efforts to bring workers into the Eastern fruit sector so growers can continue operations. - The Nation/ANN
