We shouldn't be surprised when those who have been invited to "rest" by the junta, should suddenly make comments that are out of character. It's the price they have to pay to stay out of jail.
What's interesting about Sombat's choice of topic (drugs), is that the smuggling of illegal narcotics is a hot issue in Thailand, and one that Prayuth is desperately trying to use to win over Thai people.
Thailand's controlled press is full of articles about this topic, with people lining up before TV cameras to say how pleased they are with the progress that has been made on this issue since the coup.
Without a doubt, the problem of drug smuggling is the junta's flag ship, but that flag ship is about to sink. While the General is busy putting on a show to divert the public's attention, Thai army trucks up and down the country are smuggling and distributing drugs with complete impunity.
There can't be many people in Thailand who don't know this. It's a well-known fact that Thailand's army smuggles drugs in military vehicles precisely because they are never stopped and searched by police.
The army vehicles' special markings, make them exempt from police searches, and so far Prayuth has done nothing to prevent this. It is clear, that the propaganda surrounding this issue is nothing but a smoke screen.
monopoly
Rather than prevent drugs from being smuggled around Thailand, what the army chief is doing, is to monopolise the drug smuggling market to rake in more cash for the junta.
No journalist in Thailand would dare say this, but it is common knowledge that the Thai army is involved in the smuggling of drugs in military vehicles. All that Prayuth has to do to crush these rumours, is to make army trucks subject to police inspection.
Will he do it? Will Prayuth allow army trucks to be searched by police in the fight against drug smuggling? Unlikely. The whole point of the coup is to safeguard the army's illegal activities and to silence a critical press.