Pakamon, Chair of the Media Committee, discussed the excavation-for-water project and the lawsuits aimed at silencing media and villagers. The National Anti-Corruption Commission and prosecutors expressed their intention to provide protection and plan to push Anti-SLAPP legislation to Parliament to prevent such lawsuits.
On 13 August 2026, the Political Development, Mass Communication, and Public Participation Committee of the House of Representatives, led by Chairwoman Pakamon Nun-anun, invited relevant agencies—including representatives from the Prachinburi Provincial Governor's Office, Nadi District Office, NACC Prachinburi, the Office of the Auditor General Prachinburi, the Department of Local Administration, Wang Nam Yen Police Station in Sa Kaeo Province, as well as advisory bodies such as the Lawyers Council, the Thai Journalists Association, and the Office of the Judiciary—to provide information, facts, and opinions regarding the SLAPP lawsuits filed against journalists and villagers following their investigations into four excavation-for-water projects in Nadi District, Prachinburi Province.
The complainants include Ms. Porntip Mongyai, News Editor at Workpoint TV, and Ms. Siriporn Chaiwatana, representing villagers, who reported facing defamation lawsuits filed by individuals and the Nadi District Chief. Currently, there are three cases and one complaint under appeal with the Department of Local Administration. Most recently, Ms. Siriporn informed the meeting that individuals connected to the project have posted threats on Facebook demanding an additional 50 million baht in damages.
During the committee's discussion, the excavation-for-water project was reviewed. It is currently under investigation by the NACC Prachinburi and the Office of the Auditor General Prachinburi, responding to villagers' petitions. Measurements are underway to estimate the volume of sand lost from Khlong Yang and Khae Hanuman for damage valuation. The investigation uncovered suspicious and questionable aspects of the project's execution.
Anusorn Kaewwichian, Deputy Chair of the committee, inquired about the regulations governing canal dredging and sand excavation permits—specifically, which rules apply.
A land official from Prachinburi Province explained that the excavation-for-water project follows the Ministry of Interior’s regulation on dredging public water sources that have become shallow, B.E. 2547 (2004). Under this regulation, contractors, whether individuals or private entities, may use excavated stones, gravel, and sand as compensation instead of payment, saving over 20 million baht. The project underwent public hearings and received excavation plans approved by the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning of Prachinburi. Following media reports and complaints, the Prachinburi Governor ordered the project suspended, and all four projects have now been halted.
Chairwoman Pakamon asked about the quantity of natural resources extracted to estimate the damage value, but the government agencies present were unable to provide an answer.
Ms. Porntip Mongyai, News Editor at Workpoint TV, reported that the contract documents for all four projects specify a total volume of 1,055,000 cubic meters. Comparing the value to washed sand prices, which range from 498 to 510 baht per cubic meter at sand factories, the total value if completed would exceed 515 million baht. However, the actual extracted volume from the four projects has not yet been confirmed by the Nadi District Office. Due to initial damage, villagers have appealed to the media to report on the issue. After media coverage, they faced threats, defamation lawsuits, or SLAPP lawsuits, causing distress and fear among journalists and villagers, who are now reluctant to provide further information or continue investigating the projects.
The meeting then discussed ways to protect the public and media who report or call for investigations into state corruption projects, examining existing mechanisms.
A NACC representative explained that Section 132 of the Organic Act on Counter Corruption focuses on protecting and assisting individuals from harassment or strategic lawsuits against public participation (Anti-SLAPP Law). Protection applies if the sued party files a petition to the NACC. However, in these cases, media and public disclosures occurred before such petitions were filed, so they do not meet the legal criteria.
Chairwoman Pakamon commented that villagers and media working to protect the public interest are threatened and harassed; at that time, none would have submitted petitions to the NACC. This practical reality conflicts with the legal principle. Following this, the NACC agreed to discuss and asked the committee to submit a list of journalists and villagers sued in connection with the excavation-for-water projects to include them in a protection system.
Simultaneously, the committee questioned how to assist villagers and media sued to silence them, seeking ways to dismiss cases early, such as during police investigations. The Attorney General’s order under Section 161/1 of the Criminal Procedure Code was enacted to prevent malicious criminal complaints or SLAPP lawsuits, protecting private individuals who file complaints themselves but does not cover cases initiated by police or prosecutors.
A representative from the Office of the Attorney General stated that letters would be sent to the Prachinburi and Sa Kaeo provincial prosecutors to alert them about SLAPP-related cases and advise caution in prosecution or possible dismissal. However, as media and villagers have already been formally accused during police investigations, the legal process must proceed accordingly.
Meanwhile, a deputy investigation superintendent from Wang Nam Yen Police Station noted that the complainants against the media claimed to have suffered damages, but the investigation has not yet clarified facts about the excavation-for-water project.
The meeting also addressed progress on promoting Anti-SLAPP legislation, urging cooperation from relevant agencies to push the bill into Parliament and enact it into law. This would encourage media and citizens to defend their rights and demand scrutiny of potentially irregular state projects, preventing public resource losses.