Sonthiya submitted a letter to the Cybercrime Police requesting an investigation into Piyabutr following his post about abolishing the Privy Council, viewing it as potentially violating Sections 108 and 112 of the Criminal Code. He hinted that on 28 May he plans to file additional complaints against Ice Rakchanok.
At 12:00 noon on 25 May 2026, at the Central Investigation Bureau's Crime Reporting Center (CIB). Mr. Sonthiya Sawasdee arrived to submit a formal complaint regarding posts made by Mr. Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, Secretary-General of the Progressive Movement and an independent academic, who has shared old posts online relating to the abolition of the Privy Council. He viewed these as potentially rejecting the authority of the monarchy.
Sonthiya said he had previously opposed the establishment of the Future Forward Party in 2018, seeing that Piyabutr advocated amending Section 112 of the Criminal Code and that this stance has continued into the current People's Party. He also cited the case where 44 MPs from the People's Party had their cases accepted by the Supreme Court for consideration.
Regarding the current complaint, Sonthiya explained it concerns two points about the Privy Council: a proposal to abolish it to save budget, and observations that its duties might overlap with the Cabinet. The proposal to abolish the Privy Council to reduce expenses, despite appointments being made at the monarch's discretion, may violate Section 108 of the Criminal Code. Therefore, he requested the police investigate whether these opinions and suggestions constitute an offense.
At the same time, he also asked for investigation under Section 112, viewing that proposing to abolish the Privy Council—appointed by royal prerogative—is tantamount to rejecting the monarchy's authority. He urged police to examine the facts of this matter further. He noted that the Privy Council is a constitutional body with roles under the monarch's royal powers and is not involved in politics. He affirmed that the council's duties differ from those of the Cabinet.
Additionally, Sonthiya mentioned that the origin of this issue relates to nine Privy Councillors attending meetings with the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation to prepare for the possible super El Niño event at the end of 2026. He views their participation as monitoring and advising for the benefit of the public, not political interference.
He added that the Privy Council oversees several royal projects, such as water management and the sufficiency economy. He considers Piyabutr's proposal to abolish the Privy Council may contradict the Constitutional Court's 2021 ruling on acts that might affect the monarchy.
, On Thursday, 28 May, Sonthiya stated he will file additional complaints concerning Miss Rakchanok Srinok under Section 112 and plans to submit documents to the Court of Appeal as well. For now, investigators have accepted the complaint for further examination and will proceed with legal action as appropriate.