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The Thailand Consumers Council and the Digital Television Association (Thailand) have urged the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to resume meetings and address 148 pending agenda items, warning that the prolonged deadlock is delaying decisions affecting consumers, telecommunications, broadcasting and Thailand’s digital economy.
BANGKOK, September 9, 2026 — The Thailand Consumers Council (TCC) and the Digital Television Association (Thailand) on Wednesday called on the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to resume board meetings and clear a backlog of 148 pending agenda items, as uncertainty continues over the legal status of NBTC chairman Clinical Professor Sarana Boonbaichaiyapruck.
The two organisations submitted a letter to the NBTC secretary-general asking the regulator’s office to notify Sarana to stop performing his duties until the Central Administrative Court orders otherwise. They also urged the office to facilitate a meeting of the six remaining NBTC commissioners.
The letter was received on behalf of the NBTC office by Ratchatapong Pintuseney, director of the Office of the Secretary and acting director of the NBTC Corporate Communications Bureau.
The groups said the prolonged lack of NBTC meetings was delaying decisions affecting Thailand’s telecommunications and broadcasting industries, the wider digital economy and consumers.
TCC calls for clarity over NBTC chairman’s status
Supinya Klangnarong, chair of the Thailand Consumers Council’s subcommittee on communications, telecommunications and information technology, said efforts to restart NBTC meetings should go hand in hand with clarifying who is legally entitled to exercise the powers of the chairman.
She said the regulator needed clarity over both the person exercising authority and the decision-making process.
The issue follows an Aug. 31 order by the Supreme Administrative Court in case No. 952/2569, which overturned a lower court order and allowed Sarana’s lawsuit challenging a decision by the NBTC selection committee to proceed.
The selection committee had found that Sarana was subject to a legal disqualification and lacked the qualifications required to serve as NBTC chairman from the outset. The Supreme Administrative Court’s decision to accept his case for consideration did not determine whether the selection committee’s finding was right or wrong, the council said.
The court order also stated that the remaining NBTC commissioners could continue performing their duties as long as at least four commissioners remained, allowing public services in radio, television and telecommunications to continue without disruption.
Supinya said Sarana’s lawsuit did not automatically suspend the effect of the selection committee’s ruling. The TCC therefore asked the NBTC office to clarify his status and notify him to stop performing his duties until the Central Administrative Court issues a further order.
The council said it could also ask the National Anti-Corruption Commission to examine whether officials responsible for the continued failure to convene NBTC meetings had wrongfully failed to perform their duties under Section 157 of the Criminal Code.
“There are many agenda items awaiting consideration involving the telecommunications and television industries, particularly in the digital economy,” Supinya said. “If these matters cannot move forward, the country could suffer significant damage, and many of them directly affect consumers.”
She said that if the law allows the remaining commissioners to continue working, the NBTC office should explain why no meeting has been arranged. The TCC would consider legal avenues to seek further scrutiny if the situation remains unresolved.
Metha says NBTC can resume meetings without waiting for chairman
Metha Masakhao, acting secretary-general of the Campaign for Popular Democracy (CPD), said the six remaining NBTC commissioners should not have to wait for clarity over the chairman’s position before resuming meetings.
He said the law provides a way for the remaining commissioners to continue performing their duties and appoint an acting chairman so the commission can continue its work before proceeding with the formal selection of a chairman in accordance with the law.
Metha also referred to guidance from the Secretariat of the Cabinet stating that pending litigation should not be used as a reason for a state agency to stop or delay performing its duties.
He said the principle should be applied to ensure that the NBTC continues to exercise its legal powers and that internal disputes do not become an obstacle to considering pending matters or providing public services.
Digital TV industry seeks roadmap before licences expire
Chakrit Direkwattanachai, vice president of the Digital Television Association (Thailand), said the submission also sought to press the NBTC for updates and a clear digital TV roadmap.
Current digital television licences are due to expire in April 2029, but the industry has yet to receive clarity on how terrestrial television will operate after that date.
Chakrit said the roadmap would affect not only broadcasters’ planning but also their investment decisions and content production during the remaining licence period.
Thailand’s digital television industry is currently worth around 60 billion baht, but some operators have begun reducing investment in drama, variety programmes and news.
If the uncertainty continues, it could affect the quality and diversity of content available to the public, as well as the more than 30,000–50,000 people working in and supporting the television industry.
The association called for a clear timeline and policy direction ahead of 2029 on how digital television will transition to its next phase, giving broadcasters, content producers and the public enough time to prepare.
The association said the lack of a clear roadmap was another example of an issue awaiting a decision from the NBTC, highlighting the need for NBTC meetings to resume as soon as possible.
Thanapant urges NBTC office to convene six commissioners
NBTC commissioner Air Marshal Dr Thanapant Raicharoen said he had written to the regulator’s office on September 7 requesting an urgent meeting of the six remaining commissioners on September 9 so the commission could resume its work.
Thanapant cited legal provisions allowing the remaining commissioners to continue performing their duties when a commissioner leaves office, provided at least four remain in office.
He also argued that the selection committee’s ruling continued to have legal effect against Sarana unless it was revoked or otherwise ceased to have effect. He cited Section 42 of the Administrative Procedure Act, under which an administrative order takes effect against the person concerned once notified and remains effective until it is revoked or otherwise expires.
His letter asked the NBTC office to explain its reasons if it did not arrange a meeting by September 9. Thanapant said continued inaction after officials had been made aware of the relevant legal provisions could raise questions about a failure to perform official duties and could lead to further legal proceedings.
