A senator angrily condemned the People's Party for posting fake news accusing him of clearing himself in the Senate election rigging case. He questioned the standards of the country's second-largest party and clarified that no amnesty will be granted to 18-year-olds for Article 112 offenses, fearing youth could be exploited to incite involvement in the 'Orange Cult.' Tags: [senator, fake news, People's Party, amnesty, Article 112, youth, political standards]
At 08:30 on 9 Jul 2026 GMT+7 at the parliament, Senator Phisit Apiwatnapong responded to a People's Party Facebook post claiming that government MPs voted with the Senate to approve amnesty excluding Article 112 cases—effectively clearing those who rigged the Senate election, describing this as discriminatory reconciliation. Although the People's Party later corrected the post, he questioned whether such a post qualifies as fake news. The Senate's review follows what the House of Representatives has already considered. The People's Party, as the country's second-largest party, should uphold higher standards when trusted by the public. He affirmed that the amnesty for the Senate election rigging case is untrue. The original draft included offenses related to election misconduct, such as closing polling stations or tearing ballots before the current Senate election took place—this happened four months prior. He personally refined the wording to clarify it excludes fraud, unfairness, or false qualifications. Currently, 138 senators have not been charged; thus, there is no need to amend laws to benefit themselves. Senators reject legislation that serves self-interest and will not support it.
Senator Phisit explained that the addition in Article 11 explicitly excludes amnesty for 18-year-old youths who violate Article 112 because of concerns that some groups or cults might use this as a precedent to incite youth against the institution. Without this clarity, youths could be wrongly implicated. Certain groups attempt to connect these issues, so clear wording is necessary. He urged the People's Party to post factual information and avoid lowering the party’s credibility with fake news. He asked what intent lies behind such posts instead of merely deleting them after mistakes. Previously called the 'Orange Regime,' now he refers to it as the 'Orange Cult,' criticizing its disregard for facts and law in favor of likes and shares. He requested People's Party leader Natthapong Ruangpanyawut to clarify the intent behind the post and offered that an apology would be acceptable but silence is not.