Nonthaburi’s ‘iron fist’: Sujin enters battle as new national ombudsman

The Senate has overwhelmingly confirmed former Nonthaburi governor Sujin Chaichumsak as ombudsman, installing a watchdog empowered to investigate allegations of electoral fraud in the Upper House. But if senators accused of election rigging expect an easy ride from their latest appointee, they may be disappointed.

Sujin, 64, secured 125 votes in favour, with two votes against and 50 abstentions during the Senate’s April 20 sitting.

He will fill the seat left vacant after chief ombudsman Somsak Suwansujarit retired last October and was replaced by Songsak Saicheua. The second ombudsman is currently Sarayut Sanguanphokhai, appointed by the Senate last September with royal endorsement.

Sujin will assume his post as third ombudsman once his appointment receives the royal nod.

The April 20 vote went ahead despite protests by many senators, who warned of repercussions if the Upper House continues appointing new members to independent bodies while 138 senators remain under suspicion of electoral fraud.

Senator Nantana Nantavaropas noted that in the 21 months since the disputed election, the Senate has made 18 such appointments, including election commissioners, National Anti-Corruption Commission members, and Constitutional Court judges.

4 decades in bureaucracy

Born on November 8, 1961, Sujin earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in political science from Chulalongkorn University in the 1980s. Three years ago, he added a bachelor's degree in law from Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University.

In 1984, he joined the Interior Ministry as a deputy district officer in the northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom.

He rose to district chief in December 2002, serving one year in Sisaket, two years in Rayong’s Pluak Daeng district, and two years in Nakhon Pathom’s Phutthamonthon.

Next came a promotion to division director at the Department of Provincial Administration, rising to an inspector general there in 2008.

After three years as a provincial secretary in Amnat Charoen and Sing Buri, he was promoted to deputy governor of Lopburi province in 2012.

He became provincial governor for the first time in 2015, serving in Nakhon Nayok and later Ayutthaya. In 2019, Sujin was appointed governor of Nonthaburi – a post he held until his retirement in 2022.

As Nonthaburi governor, Sujin made headlines for his strict measures to combat infection surges in the Bangkok satellite province during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020, he imposed a curfew, shuttered restaurants, and mandated state quarantine for those infected.

Two years after retiring, he was elected by senior police officers nationwide to serve on the Police Commission as an outside expert.

What ombudsmen do

The Constitution mandates that three ombudsmen be appointed by the King, on the advice of the Senate, from a shortlist prepared by a selection committee.

Ombudsmen serve a single seven-year term with a mandatory retirement age of 70 – standard for all independent organisations.

Ombudsmen are empowered to investigate alleged abuses of power by state agencies or officials, propose remedial action, and notify the Cabinet if such measures are not taken.

They can also recommend revisions to any law that “causes grievance or unfairness or imposes an unnecessary or undue burden on the people”.

Additionally, ombudsmen can ask the Constitutional Court to rule on the constitutionality of any provision of law or seek Administrative Court verdicts on the legality of rules, orders or other acts by state agencies or officials.

The Ombudsman’s Office is often the first stop for serial complainants seeking referral of their petitions to the Constitutional Court or the Administrative Court. In many cases, they are targeting Cabinet members or the government.

Marking its 26th anniversary on April 12, chief ombudsman Songsak stated the agency had settled 64,471 cases, or 95% of all 68,062 complaints received, since it was established in 2000.

The largest number of complaints involved the conduct of police officers, followed by the performance of local administrative organisations and other government agencies.