Thai Examiner
Prime Minister seeks decree removing Broadcasting Commission Chairman following weeks of turmoil
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Crisis grips Thailand’s telecoms watchdog as Anutin moves to remove NBTC chairman Dr Saran. Three meetings have failed, 34 urgent matters remain stalled and commissioners face Section 157 risks after previous regulatory battles reached the courts.
Key facts
- Section 157 raises the stakes for NBTC commissioners as regulatory decisions bring personal legal risks
- Commissioners face legal risks over disputed meetings as 34 urgent matters remain in the deadlock
- Three board meetings have since collapsed, leaving 34 urgent matters stalled
- The crisis is further sharpened by Section 157 exposure for commissioners, including Professor Pirongrong Ramasoota, who remains on the board after receiving a two-year prison sentence.
- Crisis grips Thailand’s telecoms watchdog as Anutin moves to remove NBTC chairman Dr Saran
- Anutin’s move comes as three failed meetings leave dozens of urgent NBTC regulatory matters delayed
Summary
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has moved to remove NBTC Chairman Dr Saran Boonbaichaiyapruk as Thailand’s powerful communications regulator faces mounting legal turmoil and paralysis. His intervention follows a unanimous finding that Dr Saran possessed a prohibited characteristic, while an attempted court challenge failed to stop the removal process. Three board meetings have since collapsed, leaving 34 urgent matters stalled.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has signed the formal submission seeking the removal of NBTC Chairman Dr Saran. The move pushes a deepening regulatory crisis into a decisive new stage. Mr Anutin confirmed the action at Government House at 12.45 pm on August 11. He said the document was being submitted to His Majesty the King.