PM Presses NBTC to Explain Court Ruling Non-Compliance
Prime Minister has ordered the NBTC to explain why it continues to hold meetings despite a court ruling that Dr. Soran Bunbuchaiphuek is not eligible to serve as a commissioner. The Administrative Court found the NBTC selection committee’s decision against Dr. Soran lawful, meaning his appointment was void from the start. The PM’s letter demands clarification on the commission’s apparent defiance of the judgment.
The Prime Minister’s Office issued a letter (reference Sor 408/12973) dated October 9, 2026, to the NBTC Secretary-General asking for an explanation of the commission’s actions. It noted that the Central Administrative Court had ruled in case numbers 1455/2569 and 1590/2569 on September 25, 2026, between Dr. Soran Bunbuchaiphuek as plaintiff and the NBTC selection committee as defendant. The court found the selection committee’s determination that Dr. Soran lacked the required qualifications or possessed prohibited characteristics under Section 8(2) of the Organization to Allocate Frequency and Supervise Radio, Television and Telecommunications Business Act B.E. 2550 to be a lawful administrative order, and therefore dismissed the suit. The judgment emphasized that filing a lawsuit to annul an administrative order does not automatically stay its enforcement unless the court orders otherwise, per procedural rule 69(1) of the Administrative Court’s regulations. Consequently, Dr. Soran is deemed to have waived his right to assume an NBTC position from the outset and is not a commissioner. Nevertheless, media reports indicate that the NBTC issued invitations to its commissioners’ meetings on October 1 and 2, 2026, pursuant to the NBTC Chairman’s order, which appears inconsistent with the court ruling. Invoking Section 76(3) of the Frequency Allocation Act, the Prime Minister has ordered the NBTC Secretary-General to clarify the reasons for proceeding with those meetings.
