The Minister of Interior signed an order removing Songsot Aranyakannon from his position as mayor of Tha Pha municipality, Ratchaburi Province, due to his violation of the law by refusing to suspend his duties after being indicted by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). Meanwhile, the Ratchaburi Election Commission is accelerating preparations for a new election.
On 16 June 2026, reporters reported that the Ministry of Interior issued an order removing Mr. Songsot Aranyakannon from his position as mayor of Tha Pha municipality, Ban Pong district, Ratchaburi Province, after investigations found he violated legal provisions by refusing to suspend his duties following criminal charges filed by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and the submission of the case to the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Region 7.
The Ministry of Interior’s order dated 29 May 2026 stated that the Governor of Ratchaburi appointed a committee to investigate the case after it was established that Mr. Songsot was indicted by the NACC and the case was submitted to the court. By law, he was required to suspend his duties, but investigations found he continued signing official documents and performing mayoral duties after the court accepted the case.
The investigation committee concluded that such conduct violated legal provisions by refusing to suspend duties as required by law and was considered misconduct disrupting public order under Section 73 of the Municipal Act B.E. 2496 (1953) and its amendments.
After receiving the investigation report, the Minister of Interior agreed with the committee’s findings and, under Section 73/1 of the Municipal Act B.E. 2496 (1953) and its amendments, ordered Mr. Songsot Aranyakannon removed from the mayoral office of Tha Pha municipality, effective from 29 May 2026, covering both terms beginning 28 March 2021 and 11 May 2025.
Meanwhile, the Ratchaburi Provincial Election Commission issued an urgent letter dated 12 June 2026 instructing the election director of Tha Pha municipality to prepare for a new mayoral election following the removal of the local executive.
The Ratchaburi Election Commission emphasized reporting the vacancy, assessing readiness of the municipal election committee, and preparing personnel, documents, and related processes to ensure the election is conducted smoothly, transparently, and in accordance with the law.
This process is a crucial step following the mayor’s removal and will lead to the official scheduling of a new mayoral election for Tha Pha municipality. The Election Commission is expected to expedite proceedings within the legal timeframe to prevent a governance vacuum in Tha Pha municipality.
