Sarun Boonbaichai Chairmanship Dispute Rocks Thailand's NBTC

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) in Thailand failed to hold a meeting after several commissioners, led by Air Force Lt. Col. Thanphun Horachon, refused to sit with Dr. Sarun Boonbaichai as chair. The dissenters argue that Sarun lost his legal status as a commissioner when he originally relinquished the post, making any decisions taken in his presence vulnerable to legal challenge.

Sarun filed a petition with the Central Administrative Court seeking an urgent order to suspend the enforcement of the commission’s decisions, but the court dismissed the request, stating there was no need for expedited relief. The dispute has drawn comments from Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who must forward the matter to the King for a royal decree, and Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapap, who emphasized that the process must follow existing law. The stalemate threatens the legitimacy of NBTC rulings and could have broader implications for Thailand’s media regulation, economic stability, and public interest.