A chaotic protest arose when Teng Natthapong accused the Pheu Thai Party of 'selling their soul' to join the government, prompting Chulapan to demand a retraction. The House Speaker ruled the comment defamatory and inappropriate, requiring Teng to change his words. He ultimately complied.
On 9 April 2026, Chulapan Amornwiwat, party-list MP and leader of the Pheu Thai Party, exercised his right to respond after Natthapong Ruangpanyawut, party-list MP and leader of the People's Party, referenced Pheu Thai during a government policy debate. Natthapong had said that the second-largest party in the government, referring to Pheu Thai, had joined the government by 'selling their soul.' Chulapan asked Natthapong to retract this statement, explaining that joining the government followed constitutional procedures and parliamentary political mechanisms. When the largest party invited the third-largest party to join, they held policy discussions, and Pheu Thai agreed. This process was entirely democratic.
Natthapong stated that under the meeting rules, Chulapan had the right to clarify, so he requested the Speaker to make a ruling. Sopon Sarum, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, ruled that the phrase 'selling their soul' was an accusation and inappropriate to use as defamation. He asked Natthapong to change his wording to allow the meeting to proceed smoothly.
Meanwhile, Pakornwut Udomphipatsakul, party-list MP of the People's Party, commented that if the Speaker’s ruling stands, then any accusation in the House would have to be retracted. He personally felt this standard might be incorrect because in the future, anyone making even minor accusations would have to withdraw them all. Speaker Sopon reaffirmed that the phrase was serious and asked Natthapong to change his wording.
Rangsiman Rome, party-list MP of the People's Party, rose to discuss, noting that both sides had used language reflecting their feelings. He believed the public following the debate would be the ultimate judge. He said Chulapan had the right to disagree and clarify, but if all statements were retracted, the House could not proceed. He urged the Speaker to carefully rule to set a proper precedent.
During this, Chulapan immediately exercised his right to protest, citing Rule 69, which prohibits sarcasm and defamation during debate. He argued that one cannot simply accuse others and then claim they can respond freely. He requested the rules be read carefully and the Speaker enforce smooth proceedings, saying if everyone accuses others, the meeting cannot continue. He demanded the withdrawal of the disputed remarks.
Speaker Sopon reiterated that he had already ruled from the start that the remark was defamatory and inappropriate, requesting Natthapong to change his wording. Ultimately, Natthapong agreed to change the phrase from 'selling their soul' to 'abandoning their original stance,' allowing the meeting to proceed.