“Phonphee” orders PEA to set up committee investigating leaked document on “People's Solar” scheme in Chiang Mai, asserting standard price of 140,000 baht and citizens' right to select contractors

Today (2 November 2026) at 12:55 PM at Nong Khai Hospital, Nai Mueang Subdistrict, Mueang Nong Khai District, Nong Khai Province, Mr. Phonphee Suwanchawee, Deputy Minister of Interior, disclosed regarding the case where Mr. Treerat Sirichantaropas, a member of the Democrat Party’s energy economics team, disclosed documents related to the government's “People's Solar” project and raised concerns that the project structure might create loopholes favoring electricity authorities. Mr. Phonphee stated that he received a report from the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) Region 1 (responsible for Chiang Mai Province), explaining that conducting surveys among operators may have been done out of goodwill to assess readiness for installation. As for the 110,000 baht figure appearing in the questionnaire, he noted its exact origin remains unclear. Consequently, he instructed the PEA Governor to appoint a fact-finding committee, as under existing regulations, the standard price set by both the Metropolitan Electricity Authority and the PEA is 140,000 baht. He admitted being shocked upon seeing the 110,000 baht figure, speculating that the 10,000-20,000 baht discrepancy might represent security deposits deducted in advance, though he could not confirm this. Nevertheless, he reassured the public and operators that the standard installation price remains at 140,000 baht, emphasizing that citizens retain full freedom to choose their installation contractors rather than having the electricity authority select contractors for them.

When asked about concerns that this issue might become a loophole for seeking kickbacks, Mr. Phonphee clarified that the standard price of 140,000 baht is accessible to all operators. However, questions were raised regarding whether the 50,000 baht security deposit is excessively high. He explained his intention was to enable medium-capability operators to proceed gradually—for instance, if capable of installing 100 households, they should work within their capacity before expanding by another 100 households iteratively, rather than taking on an overwhelming load of 1,000 households at once. Furthermore, the project spans a 1-year period with over 70,000 citizens already registered, leaving ample room for broader participation. He expressed gratitude to all parties scrutinizing the information, confirming that this issue occurred solely in Chiang Mai, while central management only learned about it through news media. In the afternoon, he will convene a meeting with all regional PEA department heads in Udon Thani Province.

Regarding claims made by the People's Party that most registered solar installation companies share linked board members, Mr. Phonphee explained that during the operator registration process, officials evaluate financial status, licensed engineers on staff, work experience, and workforce readiness to serve the public, without deep-diving into lists of shareholders or executive directors. Nonetheless, he appreciated the input and will order the PEA to investigate both aspects thoroughly—including work distribution, direct contracting, and subcontracting to third parties moving forward.