Thanakorn defended Prime Minister Anutin after the Legal Affairs Committee used its authority to summon him for explanation in a parliamentary session, criticizing the committee chairman for exercising power arbitrarily and neglecting to uphold the legislature’s dignity.
7 Nov 2026 GMT+7 Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana a party-list MP from the Bhumjaithai Party, gave an interview regarding the case in which the Legal Affairs, Justice, and Human Rights Committee of the House of Representatives resolved to summon Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul to provide explanations to the committee.
Thanakorn revealed that if the invitation to explain in the committee room was a joint resolution of the committee members, it was a legitimate right. However, he believed the public probably saw, as he did, an attempt to summon the Prime Minister to explain in a parliamentary session, something no committee had dared do before without regard for procedural rules or whether it was an overreach of authority. He believed the Prime Minister was always ready to explain, but the opposition’s duty to scrutinize the executive must be lawful and legitimate, not based on anyone’s personal preference.
What the Legal Affairs Committee is doing likely responds best to the case where House Speaker Sopon Sarum issued a regulation requiring all 35 committee chairmen to obtain a resolution before inviting anyone to explain, to ensure parliamentary work follows rules and the constitution. Therefore, he cautioned the opposition not to forget that although committees have the power to invite people to explain, they must seek approval from the committee meeting, not just the chairman acting unilaterally without regard for rules, since the power belongs to the entire committee, not any single chairman or member.
"Previously, the opposition frequently accused others of dictatorship, alleging the government ignored dissenting views and accused it of arbitrary power use. But today, the opposition’s actions prove who truly abuses power, who is dictatorial with power in hand, and who uses authority as they please, forgetting to preserve the legislature's dignity. Ultimately, I believe the public will judge and give lessons to the opposition themselves."