Dr. Vayo and MP Panida summarized the study on the 2024 Senate election and proposed three recommendations to the Election Commission, urging an in-depth investigation and rapid submission of evidence to the Supreme Court, along with calls to reform the Senate election process before drafting a new constitution.
On 9 July 2026 at the Parliament building, Mr. Vayo Asvarungroj, chairman of the parliamentary committee on judicial affairs, independent organizations, prosecutors, state enterprises, public organizations, and funds, together with Ms. Panida Mongkolsawat, chair of the subcommittee studying the general election process of the House of Representatives 2026 and the Senate election 2024, and their team, held a press conference to report progress on the subcommittee's study of the 2024 Senate election process.
Following the parliamentary committee’s resolution to establish the subcommittee on 28 May 2026, the subcommittee has held five meetings to study issues and develop recommendations, yielding key preliminary findings concerning the 2024 Senate election process as follows.
1. The Senate election system was expected to represent all groups, but in reality, some groups such as persons with disabilities and ethnic minorities were excluded from the selection process.
2. The Senate election was expected to focus on knowledge and capability, but in practice, it depended on planning, political setups, and exchanges of benefits. Some candidates had only brief work histories yet were overwhelmingly elected, indicating that the criteria for selection were not based on knowledge or ability.
3. The indirect election system aimed for Senators to be politically independent and neutral, but allegations arose that elected Senators were under the influence of political parties.
The preliminary study by the subcommittee noted that problems in the 2024 Senate election process involved the Election Commission (EC) and district- and provincial-level election committees, matters which the subcommittee believes require further investigation.
The subcommittee called on the Election Commission to investigate the 2024 Senate election thoroughly and perform its duties with integrity and fairness, as follows.
1. The Election Commission must examine evidence thoroughly and swiftly. Where unclear or disputed issues arise, especially differing opinions between investigative committee 26 and adjudicative subcommittee 36, the EC should conduct in-depth investigations to gather more factual evidence to increase reliability.
2. The Election Commission must promptly submit all investigation files and evidence to the Supreme Court, particularly data from investigative committee 26, which comprises no less than 90,000 pages.
3. The Election Commission must act transparently by publicly disclosing information on progress in investigating Senate election fraud cases, allowing the public to monitor the stages, types of evidence, and involved individuals.
Additionally, the subcommittee is preparing three levels of proposals to present to Parliament as follows.
1. At the constitutional level, a review may be necessary regarding the need for a Senate and the legitimacy of the process for selecting Senators under democratic principles.
2. At the organic law level, proposals should improve the Senate election process to ensure democratic legitimacy, represent diverse social groups, and operate with honesty and fairness, to prevent delays during the drafting of a new constitution.
3. At the regulatory level, measures should ensure the Election Commission’s operations exemplify integrity and efficiency.
Subsequently, Mr. Vayo Asvarungroj received a letter from Associate Professor Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, former Election Commissioner, requesting investigation into a lawyer’s public comments on a Supreme Administrative Court judgment, which the complainant believes may violate court authority.