Parliament Approves Nophadol Pherierueksa as Secretary-General of Legislative Drafting Committee with 436 Votes

Parliament has approved Nophadol Pherierueksa as Secretary-General of the Legislative Drafting Committee with 436 votes on May 6, 2569. During the House of Representatives meeting chaired by Speaker Sophon Saranom, Deputy Prime Minister Pokorn Nilprapan explained that the position has been vacant since March 30. The Cabinet approved Nophadol's nomination on April 21 to fill the vacancy. According to Section 63(3) of the Legislative Drafting Committee Act B.E. 2522, the secretary-general must be a civil servant.

Parliamentarian Nattavut Buapprathum of the Pracharaj Party raised concerns about the distinction between position-specific and person-specific qualifications. He questioned whether the secretary-general's position allows serving as a board chairman in government agencies, state enterprises, or private companies, and whether it would ensure neutrality. He cited examples of Pokorn previously serving on Bank of Thailand and other boards while as secretary-general, and noted that Nophadol similarly held corporate positions but recently changed to independent director status on April 8—timing that coincided suspiciously with government formation efforts.

Nattavut questioned what legal authority permits the secretary-general to sit on various state organization boards and whether it serves national interest. He also noted differences between House and Senate procedures, as the Senate has investigative powers while the House does not.

Pokorn clarified that under Section 63(3) of the Legislative Drafting Committee Act, the secretary-general is classified as a civil servant and thus falls under the Civil Service Act B.E. 2504, which states in Section 83(6) that civil servants cannot serve as managers or executives in private partnerships or companies.