Anudit acknowledged that Kla Tham Party had thoroughly screened its candidates but missed issues related to asset declarations, which led to the Supreme Court disqualifying a Phuket MP candidate for holding media shares. He pointed out this should be seen as a lesson learned, while Kongkiat has already submitted an appeal.
At 10:00 a.m. on 23 Jan 2026 at the Kla Tham Party headquarters, Lt. Cmdr. Anudit Nakornthap, the party’s strategy chairman, spoke about the Supreme Court’s decision to disqualify the party’s Phuket MP candidate due to media shareholding and whether it would affect the party. He explained that one of the qualifications for parliamentary candidates is the prohibition on holding media shares, an issue that has arisen multiple times. The party’s candidate selection committee had conducted as thorough a review as possible, especially regarding asset declarations, but admitted the party had not examined these details closely enough, including relying on candidates to disclose media shareholdings. This oversight is a lesson for Kla Tham Party and other political parties as well.
Lt. Cmdr. Anudit said that media shareholding might involve shares in companies authorized to operate media businesses but which may not yet be active, an issue that remains debatable. Nevertheless, he emphasized that the matter is the responsibility of the Election Commission (EC), and candidates have the right to file appeals.
Regarding reports that the EC decided to remove Kongkiat Ketsombat, Kla Tham Party’s candidate for Nakhon Si Thammarat constituency 7, due to a past conviction for theft fraud, Kongkiat has claimed it is political harassment. Lt. Cmdr. Anudit said whether it is harassment depends on the intense competition candidates face, as they must employ strategies to win. Kongkiat is a former champion and considered a front-runner. Therefore, it is up to the candidate to appeal with facts to determine if he can return as a candidate or be disqualified permanently. They will let the verification process proceed, and as far as he knows, Kongkiat has already filed an appeal.