Senators Somphan and Daeng are preparing to file a complaint against Yingchip for alleging they lack qualifications, noting that the Election Commission dismissed the case long ago. They advise against pursuing further legal battles and question whether the content has hidden motives.
On 28 Jul 2026 GMT+7, Mr. Somphan Palasak, Senator from Amnat Charoen, addressed the case where Mr. Yingchip Atchanon, director of the Internet for People's Law Project (iLaw), posted on his personal Facebook accusing Mr. Somphan and Ms. Daeng Kongma, Senators from Amnat Charoen province, of lacking qualifications to be Senators in group 10. Mr. Somphan stated this is an old case over two years old, in which the Election Commission dismissed the complaint because he fully meets the qualifications.
He added that if Mr. Yingchip doubts this, he should review the Election Commission's ruling 249/2567, which dismissed the complaint against Ms. Daeng Kongma for alleged lack of qualifications. The evidence and ruling clearly show Ms. Daeng has at least ten years of experience working in the group she applied with, and no evidence supports any legal violations as alleged.
Similarly, Election Commission ruling 17/2568 dismissed the complaint against Mr. Somphan, accused of not having the required knowledge, expertise, or at least ten years of experience in the relevant field. The evidence confirms that the accused has the necessary knowledge, expertise, and experience working in other business groups beyond small and medium enterprises as defined by law, for no less than ten years.
Mr. Somphan stated that Mr. Yingchip, as a legal expert, should know or be expected to know that the Election Commission's ruling concluded the matter. He emphasized that Mr. Yingchip should verify facts carefully. He also questioned why Yingchip interprets group 10 Senators—the group comprising business operators other than small and medium enterprises—as referring to 'large-scale business owners bigger than SMEs.' Mr. Somphan urged respect for the Election Commission's rulings and cautioned against causing public confusion or suspicion with possibly hidden motives, which could amount to dishonest persuasive commentary.
He said that he and Ms. Daeng are preparing to file a legal complaint against Mr. Yingchip for causing damage to their reputations. Despite having passed the qualification checks and receiving certification from the Election Commission, Mr. Yingchip continues to raise the issue, damaging their names and exposing them to contempt and hatred. Mr. Somphan plans to use police channels for the complaint, as he lacks donations to fund legal battles like iLaw. Nonetheless, he wished Mr. Yingchip well in his legal efforts in Amnat Charoen but advised against seeking more cases since he must travel to many provinces.
"Mr. Yingchip is a leader of certain political spirits and a law graduate. I did not expect him to fail in verifying information and to the extent of disrespecting other professions, despite identifying as a democrat. I wonder if his team advises producing such low-quality content with hidden agendas. If so, that team should be dismissed, as it harms the reputation of foreign NGOs supporting iLaw. Mr. Yingchip himself has admitted to receiving foreign funding," Mr. Somphan said.