Ruttapon revealed that he has not yet received a report on whether Thaksin has requested amnesty or qualifies for it, stating that the subcommittee must first review the petition.
On 3 Nov 2026 at 08:20 at Montathip Hall, Udon Thani province, Pol. Lt. Gen. Ruttapon Naowarat, Minister of Justice and vice chairman of the Peace Promotion Committee, was asked whether he had received Thaksin Shinawatra's amnesty petition. He said that as a member of the main committee, the matter must first go through the subcommittee chaired by the Permanent Secretary of Justice for screening. Currently, the main committee has not received the case. He believes everything must follow the Peace Promotion Act. When asked if the Permanent Secretary had reported informally whether Thaksin qualifies for amnesty, Ruttapon said no report has come in; if any, it would likely be presented directly to the main committee meeting. Regarding rumors that Thaksin pressured the committee to exchange votes during a no-confidence debate, Ruttapon said this was unlikely and unrelated since the law clearly excludes corruption and offenses under Section 112 from amnesty eligibility. When asked again if such pressure rumors reached him, Ruttapon said no, and the matter has not reached the main committee.
When asked if Thaksin claiming his cases stem from coup consequences would qualify him for amnesty, Ruttapon said the subcommittee must review the petition, adhering to the Peace Promotion Act's legal substance. When pressed whether he could definitively say Thaksin does not qualify, Ruttapon replied that the subcommittee must first determine the conditions before forwarding it to the main committee, which will clarify the matter. Asked if there are other channels for Thaksin to seek amnesty if deemed ineligible, Ruttapon said he did not know where or how that could be done. When asked if Thaksin could sue the committee if found ineligible, Ruttapon confirmed he has the right to sue, but the committee must proceed according to the law.