NBTC Chief Seeks Legal Review on Selection Committee Powers
NBTC Chairman Sopon Bunjaicharapruksa petitioned the Ombudsman to clarify whether a selection committee can review commissioners' qualifications after they've been appointed by royal decree and approved by the Senate.
On July 9, 2025, the Ombudsman received a petition dated July 3 from NBTC Chairman Sopon Bunjaicharapruksa requesting intervention regarding the use of Council of State Opinion Nos. 1005-1006/2568 as a basis for actions affecting his status and duties. The petition asks the Ombudsman to either review the matter or forward it to the Council of State for reconsideration, with recommendations that relevant agencies suspend application of that opinion pending legal clarification.
The core issue concerns whether the original NBTC selection committee—whose mandate ended after completing the selection process—retains authority to verify or rule on the status of individuals already approved by the Senate and appointed by royal decree. Sopon argues that once the selection process concludes and appointees assume office, the selection committee's duties should end, noting that the Broadcasting Organization Act does not explicitly grant the committee power to revisit commissioner qualifications after appointment.
The petition references Constitutional Court Ruling 25-27/2555, which established that the selection committee is a temporary body created solely to nominate qualified commissioners. Once the process ends, the committee's mandate expires. This aligns with Senate secretariat opinions that Article 15/1 of the Broadcasting Organization Act limits the selection committee's authority to evaluating applicant qualifications only, with no provisions for post-appointment reviews.
The Ombudsman previously identified a legal gap on June 22, 2025, noting that the Broadcasting Organization Act lacks clear procedures for addressing commissioners who are later found to lack required qualifications or possess disqualifying characteristics. The Ombudsman recommended that the NBTC Office and Prime Minister's secretariat study amendments to clarify which agencies hold responsibility for post-appointment qualification reviews and removal procedures.
