Court to rule Friday on NBTC chief’s disqualification

The Central Administrative Court has scheduled Sept 25 for its ruling in a closely watched case – National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission chairman Sarana Boonbaichaiyapruck’s challenge to the NBTC selection committee’s decision to disqualify him from office.

The court summoned both parties to testify in its inquiry to establish facts on Sep 21.

Dr Sarana filed suit in the administrative court, challenging the NBTC selection committee’s July 21 decision and seeking its revocation. The committee ruled him unsuited for the position and lacking the qualifications to serve as NBTC chairman.

Initially, the court dismissed the case. Dr Sarana appealed to the Supreme Administrative Court, which overturned the lower court’s decision.

An NBTC source who requested anonymity, said Dr Sarana attended the court hearing on Sep 21, accompanied by a representative from Ramathibodi Hospital.

The NBTC selection committee was represented by Kiatipong Amatayakul, who chaired the NBTC selection committee meeting on July 21, 2026.

Others at the hearing included Dr Prawit Leesatapornwongsa, MD, a university professor and an adviser to NBTC commissioner Pirongrong Ramasoota. 

The hearing lasted about three hours.

NBTC board meetings have repeatedly dissolved in chaos since late July because of disagreement among commissioners over Dr Sarana’s qualifications, and whether he could continue performing the duties of chairman after the NBTC selection committee’s ruling.

An adviser to Dr Sarana said that whatever Friday’s decision, one of the disputing parties would probably file an appeal with the Supreme Administrative Court. 

That would mean the Sept 25 judgement was unlikely, by itself, to bring the long-running legal dispute to a definitive close. 

On July 21, the NBTC selection committee officially passed a resolution declaring that Dr Sarana was prohibited from serving as chairman under the 2010 NBTC Act.

The law states that commissioners must not be employees of state agencies or state enterprises, nor directors or advisrrs to state enterprises or to state agencies.

On Dec 22, 2021, the Senate instructed the five NBTC candidates, including Dr Sarana, to resign from any prohibited posts mentioned in the law by Jan 11, 2022.

All of them were then royally appointed on April 13, 2022.

Later, the NBTC selection panel was shown evidence that Dr Sarana still allegedly held temporary employee status as a physician at Ramathibodi Hospital’s Faculty of Medicine, with hourly payments from Jan 8 to April 12, 2022. 

This resulted in the NBTC selection committee passing a resolution to disqualify him in July this year.

Later, Dr Sarana said he was not a government officer, having resigned from government service on Jan 8, 2022, nor was he an employee.

Source – Bangkok News