Pakorn affirmed that he will continue the procedure to submit the royal request for Dr. Sorn's removal from office despite the Supreme Administrative Court ordering acceptance of the lawsuit against the NBTC selection committee. Since no court order has been issued yet, he asks for patience to await the court's decision, fearing confusion that could affect the entire system.
At 15:20 on 2 Sep 2026 at the Government House, Pakorn Nilprapunt, Deputy Prime Minister for Legal Affairs, addressed the Supreme Administrative Court's reversal of the lower court’s dismissal, ordering acceptance of the lawsuit filed by Dr. Sorn Boonbaichaiyapruk against the NBTC selection committee concerning the review of his qualifications. He said this would not affect the process of submitting the royal request for removal. This is because the Supreme Administrative Court ordered the lower court to accept the case since Dr. Sorn is a stakeholder, which is normal. Furthermore, the law allows lawsuits related to NBTC selection, which is Dr. Sorn's normal right.
When asked if the Supreme Administrative Court’s order to accept the case would have any consequences, Pakorn said there was no impact on current actions, as the government insists it is acting according to law. He views the selection committee’s decision as final, as stipulated in Article 203 paragraph 5 and Article 217 of the Constitution, along with Section 15/1 of the NBTC Act, with normal effect and no issues. At this stage, they must await the lower administrative court’s judgment and any court orders.
When asked whether Dr. Sorn currently has any court protection, Pakorn said, to his knowledge, the court has issued no order; he learned about the case only from media reports and has not seen official documents. Regarding the submission of the royal request for removal already underway, Pakorn said this follows the prescribed legal process. Now that it is a matter for the court, they will proceed as normal and wait to see if the court issues any temporary injunction or further orders, which they will comply with.
Asked if the royal submission should be retracted, Pakorn said no, because they are waiting for the court’s ruling. Since the court has issued no order, it is premature to speculate. He urged waiting for the court to avoid confusion and to protect the integrity of the whole system.
When asked if the Prime Minister has been informed, Pakorn said he does not know as he has not yet met with the Prime Minister.