Pheu Thai Party Votes to Turn Over Chonnapat to DSI, Urges Him to Take Responsibility and Waive Immunity
Pheu Thai Party voted to allow Songkhla MP Chonnapat Naksan to face DSI charges related to an online gambling investigation, urging him to voluntarily waive his parliamentary immunity to demonstrate transparency.
On May 27, 2569, Panida Mongkholswasdi, a Samut Prakan MP and Pheu Thai deputy spokesperson, announced that following a DSI request for the arrest of Chonnapat Naksan, a Songkhla MP from Palang Pracharath Party, in connection with an online gambling website investigation, parliament had scheduled an urgent agenda item for May 28. The Pheu Thai parliamentary caucus voted to permit Chonnapat to appear before parliament to hear the charges and answer questions during the session.
The party justified this decision on two grounds: First, constitutional immunity under Article 125 of Thailand's Constitution is intended to protect MPs' ability to freely perform their duties as people's representatives, particularly during parliamentary sessions, without obstruction. Second, the immunity provisions exist to prevent political persecution and to protect MPs from having the justice system weaponized against them to obstruct their oversight functions.
However, after reviewing the facts and law in this case, the party believes justice should proceed normally in the interest of transparency. To set an appropriate standard and demonstrate sincerity to the public, the Pheu Thai Party believes the accused should publicly declare his voluntary waiver of immunity and submit fully to legal proceedings to prove his innocence as quickly as possible.
