The Constitutional Court unanimously agreed to review whether the ban on individuals with final drug-related convictions from running in local elections violates the constitution, ordering relevant agencies to provide explanations within 15 days.
On 22 April 2026, the Constitutional Court considered a petition submitted by the Court of Appeal Region 2, which included objections from opponents in election case number LTTT 1/2569. The petition requested the Constitutional Court to interpret under Article 212 of the Constitution whether Section 50 (10) of the Local Council or Local Executive Election Act B.E. 2562 (2019), which prohibits those with final convictions for drug offenses involving production, import, export, or trafficking from candidacy, conflicts with Articles 3 and 26 of the Constitution.
After deliberation, the Constitutional Court found based on the facts, the objection letter, and supporting documents from the opponents, along with their specific reasons, that Section 50 (10) of the Local Council or Local Executive Election Act B.E. 2562, which prohibits those with final convictions for drug offenses involving production, import, export, or trafficking from candidacy, conflicts with Article 26, paragraph one of the Constitution. There is currently no prior Constitutional Court ruling on this provision.
This falls under Article 212, paragraph one of the Constitution. The Constitutional Court unanimously decided to accept this specific issue for review. It ordered that evidence from case rulings 11/2565 and 26-27/2567, to the extent relevant, be incorporated into this case. For the purpose of the review, the Court instructed relevant agencies to prepare and submit their opinions and copies of evidence as required by the Court within 15 days. The 15-day period starts from the date the agencies receive the letter, to support further consideration and ruling.