Senator Phisit retorts to Somchai's allegations regarding the insertion of election collusion amnesty in the Senate, affirming no amendments related to Senate collusion or MP election fraud were added, and criticizes him for not reading even eight lines, demanding a correction of the news.
On 26 June 2026, Senator Phisit Apivatapong, speaking on former Senator Somchai Sangwankan's scrutiny of the draft Social Harmony Promotion Act—also referred to as the political amnesty bill—under Senate review, stated that as secretary to the commission examining the bill, he affirms no amendments were made concerning Senate election collusion or MP election fraud. He explained that all processes remain under the Election Commission's jurisdiction, no charges have been made, and even if wrongdoing occurred, they would not seek amnesty for themselves.
He apologized to those communicating with the media spreading fake news and urged them to read the bill carefully. The draft includes only two amendments: 1) additions to the Act on Certain Offenses Against Aviation, B.E. 2521 (1978), and 2) additions to the same Act, B.E. 2551 (2008), specifically sections 26/1 and 26/2. He emphasized these additions are unrelated to election collusion or MP election fraud. These were added after consulting relevant groups, including the People's Alliance for Democracy, who had closed airports, and the commission voted only to include these two points.
"Last year, many in Thailand read beyond eight lines, but some still read less than eight lines, leading to misunderstanding. The articles were reordered from the House of Representatives stage to the Senate stage, not originally arranged by legal hierarchy. Today, everything remains the same from the House, with only the two points I mentioned added, along with adjustments to legal hierarchies to comply with legislative principles. If you read every line, you'll see that all adjustments keep the law unchanged, especially the bill's annex. I emphasize this has no relation to Senate election collusion or election fraud."
When asked whether this damages the Senate's image, Senator Phisit said he does not know the intent behind discrediting the current Senate but emphasized they never intended to enact any amnesty law. He expressed concern over fake news, especially from a former senator speaking inaccurately, and urged him to clarify to the media and public to ensure fairness to the current Senate.