NBTC initiates director recruitment amid leadership dispute

The Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has announced a recruitment process for 13 director positions across various departments, including internal audit, human resources, and regional offices. Acting Secretary-General Trirat Viriyasirikul signed the announcement, noting that candidates will be selected by the Secretary-General before being submitted to the NBTC Chairperson for final approval.

This administrative push occurs amid an ongoing leadership dispute regarding the status of NBTC Chairperson Dr. Soron Boonbaichaiyapruck. Following a Central Administrative Court ruling that dismissed Dr. Soron’s lawsuit against the selection committee’s decision regarding his qualifications, questions have arisen concerning his authority to perform duties.

Despite the dispute, Trirat has scheduled NBTC board meetings for October 20 and 22, 2026. The meeting notices refer to these sessions as being scheduled by the ‘NBTC Chairperson,’ even though an administrative order previously directed Dr. Soron to cease his duties. The ability of these meetings to proceed and the determination of who will preside over them remain uncertain.