Six media professional organizations issued a statement opposing budget control over Thai PBS, presenting four structural reform proposals to prevent state domination, stressing the need to maintain financial independence and forbid political interference.
On 2 Oct 2026 GMT+7, six media professional organizations—comprising the National Press Council, the Thai Radio and Television News Council, the Thai Journalists Association, the Thai Radio and Television Journalists Association, the Online News Producers Association, and the Central Media Labor Union—jointly issued a statement responding to a proposal by members of the House of Representatives to amend the Public Broadcasting Organization of Thailand Act B.E. 2551 (2008) to change Thai PBS's revenue source from the “excise tax on alcohol and tobacco” to the “annual government budget.”
The media professional organizations jointly issued a statement expressing their position and four proposals as follows.
1. Affirm the principle and necessity of public media in a democratic society. Public media must serve to promote citizens' right to information, provide a platform for exchanging opinions, and independently monitor government power, free from political and corporate domination. Legal amendments must not weaken these principles.
2. The law review must be comprehensive and open. Legal improvements should cover roles, missions, management structure, and cost-effectiveness, not just revenue sources. Parliament is urged to establish a process for hearing opinions from all sectors (media organizations, academics, civil society, and the public).
3. Guarantees of independence must exist both legally and financially. Financial discipline and public media independence can coexist. If the funding method shifts to annual budget allocation, there must be legal mechanisms ensuring sufficient, stable, and continuous funding without political interference.
4. Thai PBS must review its role and undergo major operational reforms. Thai PBS should seize this opportunity to reform the organization to demonstrate its value and distinction from commercial and state media by allowing public participation in setting direction, monitoring performance, and evaluating cost-effectiveness.
