General Anantaporn, former chair of the Senate ICT Committee, clarified to the NBTC selection board that Dr. Sorn lacks the qualifications to be NBTC chairman. Meanwhile, Praphan Khunmee pointed out that this both contradicts and violates the Frequency Allocation Act.
At 10:30 a.m. on 26 June 2026, General Anantaporn Kanchanarat, former senator and former chair of the Senate Committee on Information Technology, Communications, and Telecommunications, provided information to the NBTC selection committee regarding the disqualification and prohibitive traits of Dr. Sorn Boonbaichayapruk in serving as NBTC chairman. He said he and his team presented to ensure accurate information was known. The case was delayed over a year because it was unclear who had the authority to decide, but the Council of State and the Constitutional Court have ruled that the selection committee holds that authority. He expects the selection committee to conclude the matter soon, as all facts have been presented, though it is uncertain if the committee will take more time to review documents. The timing of the vote depends on the selection committee, but it is expected they will meet once more before issuing a decision.
When asked if a decision based on the presented information would have retroactive effect on Dr. Sorn's role as NBTC chairman, General Anantaporn said that according to the law, disqualification takes effect from the date the disqualifying condition arose, which in this case was before his royal appointment. The law clearly states this. Asked whether the evidence is sufficient to lead to a clear decision by the selection committee, he said the facts are supported by documents and meeting records from 16 joint sessions, with confirmations from complainants including government and private agencies. While not labeling it as right or wrong, the documents clearly show Dr. Sorn violates the NBTC Act. He believes the selection committee must consider these facts as they are more important than the procedural aspects.
Mr. Praphan Khunmee, former senator and former Senate ICT Committee member, added that General Anantaporn explained why the Senate ICT Committee took up the factual investigation: the then Senate president, Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, received the complaint and referred it to the committee to verify whether the allegations were true. The complaint stated that Dr. Sorn had disqualifying characteristics violating the law, breaching the Frequency Allocation Act, and thus lacked qualifications to be an NBTC member. The committee investigated and reported to the Senate president that Dr. Sorn indeed had disqualifying traits violating the law. This concluded the Senate ICT Committee's role, which was only to verify facts. The authority to determine whether the NBTC chairman is unqualified and thus removed lies with the selection committee, as ruled by the Council of State. The selection committee is currently reviewing the matter.
"The previous Senate ICT Committee confirms it conducted a thorough investigation with evidence from Mahidol University submitted to the committee, as well as tax documents (Por Ngor Dor 40) from the Revenue Department. Additionally, documents from banks, the Stock Exchange, and various agencies were collected and analyzed. The findings confirmed the allegations were true, and we have already informed the NBTC selection committee accordingly."