The Digital TV Association submitted a letter to the NBTC ahead of the meeting, expressing concern that issues regarding Dr. Sorn’s qualifications could affect resolutions on the digital TV roadmap.
Today (27 July 2026) at 08:30, representatives of the Digital Television Association of Thailand, led by Mr. Chakrit Direkwattanachai, Vice President of the Association, and Mr. Adisak Limprungpattanakit, advisor to the Association, submitted a letter to Professor Dr. Sorn Boonbaichaiyapruk, Chairman of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), and all seven NBTC commissioners before the NBTC meeting scheduled to start at 09:30. The letter was handed over to Mr. Ratchapong Pintuseni, Acting Director of the Corporate Communications Office of the NBTC. The submission took place amid concerns about the status and duties of the NBTC chairman following the selection committee’s resolution on 17 July 2026.
The letter, signed by Mr. Supap Kleeckajai, President of the Digital Television Association of Thailand, expressed concern that holding a meeting and passing resolutions on important agendas while there is ongoing legal debate over the NBTC chairman’s qualifications could lead to challenges to the legitimacy of those decisions later. After the selection committee’s unanimous 4-0 resolution on 17 July 2026 regarding the chairman’s qualifications, legal processes are still pending. However, the association fears this situation could raise disputes about convening meetings, the chairman’s role in them, and participation in key decision-making, especially on two major agenda items defining Thailand’s TV future at today’s NBTC meeting: the Digital TV Roadmap and the National Streaming Platform (NSP). These issues are critical for the future transition of Thailand’s television industry, particularly the Digital TV Roadmap, which the NBTC had previously ordered to be reconsidered within 30 days—a deadline now reached. Operators require clarity to prepare for the expiry of current digital TV licenses in 2029. The NSP is also vital for establishing infrastructure for online content distribution in response to shifting viewer behavior from terrestrial TV to internet and digital platforms.
Section 23 of the Act on Frequency Allocation and the Regulation of Broadcasting, Television, and Telecommunications Organizations B.E. 2553 (2010) and its amendments set out principles for NBTC meetings and voting, including provisions that commissioners with conflicts of interest must not attend relevant meetings. The association therefore believes that before discussing and voting on key agendas, there should be legal clarity regarding the status and duties of the NBTC chairman to prevent the risk that resolutions passed might later be challenged.
Currently, there are six other NBTC commissioners able to perform duties to maintain quorum. The association proposes that these six commissioners continue their work while legal questions about the chairman remain unresolved. They emphasize that this is not intended to halt NBTC operations but to ensure important decisions are made carefully, legitimately, and with broad acceptance.
The association affirms it does not want the chairman’s qualification issues to cause disruptions to the NBTC’s work or to the future planning of the television industry.
Specifically regarding the Digital TV Roadmap, the association believes it must proceed without further delay. However, any consideration and voting should be conducted within a framework of clear and stable legal processes, allowing operators to use it as a basis for their future operational planning.
The association therefore urges all seven NBTC commissioners to consider three points: to verify legal clarity about the chairman’s status and duties following the selection committee’s resolution; to expedite consideration of the Digital TV Roadmap within the prescribed 30-day timeframe; and to ensure that meetings and votes on key agendas proceed free from legal doubts.
