The NBTC board meeting failed for the 9th consecutive time after three members refused to attend, citing the chairman's suspension. Meanwhile, the Consumer Council and Digital TV Association submitted a letter urging urgent resolution of 148 pending agenda items.
On 9 Sep 2026 GMT+7, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) announced the postponement of its 25/2569 board meeting to 10 Sep 2026 at 09:00, after it could not convene due to an insufficient number of members present. This marked the ninth consecutive failed NBTC board meeting.
Reports stated that only Professor Clinician Dr. Saran Boonbaichayapruk, NBTC chairman, Mr. Torpong Selanont, and Police General Dr. Natthorn Phersunthorn attended online. Mr. Tosaporn Kwanrod requested sick leave. The other three members—Emeritus Professor Dr. Pirongrong Ramasut, Air Marshal Dr. Thanaphan Raijaroen, and Associate Professor Dr. Supat Supachalasai—did not attend. After waiting 30 minutes past the scheduled time, the meeting invoked meeting regulation Article 28 to postpone.
The three absent members explained to the media that they declined to attend because they could not participate in an unlawful process. Since the chairman was suspended by court order, the meeting called by him was invalid. The Supreme Administrative Court clarified that the remaining members could continue duties to avoid harm. They had previously requested meetings only of the remaining members, but the administration rejected this, citing procedural regulations.
Earlier that morning, Ms. Supinya Klangnarong, chair of the Consumer Council's Subcommittee on Communications, Telecommunications, and IT, along with representatives from the Digital Television Association of Thailand and the Committee for Democracy Campaign (CDC), submitted a letter to the NBTC acting secretary-general. They demanded Dr. Saran's temporary suspension to allow the remaining six members to urgently convene and address over 148 pending agenda items.
Ms. Supinya stated that NBTC currently faces a vacuum severely impacting the future of digital TV, free TV, and telecom networks. She emphasized that internationally, if more than four members remain, they can convene and elect an interim chair to proceed with work.
Representatives of the Digital Television Association expressed concern that digital TV licenses will expire in 2029. Without a clear framework or roadmap due to internal organizational issues, this will directly affect investment decisions, content production, and the country's long-term communication security.
Mr. Metha Maskhao from the CDC pointed out that the remaining six board members have the legal authority to elect an interim chairman to conduct meetings and push forward pending work immediately. The NBTC must earnestly facilitate this process and should no longer use ongoing court cases as an excuse to freeze the organization.
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