Chakrapong and the political storm engulfing Thailand’s charter court

Retired police major-general Chakrapong Wiwatwanich secured Senate approval last month to serve as a Constitutional Court judge, despite mounting questions over his qualifications.

Critics – led by the Senate’s reformist “New Breed” faction – argue that the former Police Cadet Academy professor is not qualified for the post, which is reserved for experts in political science or public administration. They warn that approving Chakrapong to fill the seat risks undermining the Constitutional Court’s balance and credibility.

Vested with immense political power, the court has controversially dissolved two previous incarnations of Thailand’s reformist People’s Party: Future Forward in 2020 and Move Forward in 2024.

Critics are now concerned that a Senate majority linked with the ruling Bhumjaithai Party is actively seeking to stack the court in its favour.

The Senate approved Chakrapong’s nomination in a secret ballot on June 23, voting 140 to 17, with 22 abstentions.

The vote was taken despite objections from “New Breed” senators, who raised concerns over his qualifications and called for the ballot to be postponed until the issue was resolved.

Previous candidates rejected

Chakrapong, 63, will join the Constitutional Court upon royal endorsement.

He will replace Nakharin Mektrairat, the current court president, whose nine-year term as a court justice officially ended in November 2024 but was extended until a replacement could be appointed.

A former professor and dean of Thammasat University’s Faculty of Political Science, Nakharin joined the Constitutional Court in November 2015 and became its president in March 2024.

Before endorsing Chakrapong, the Upper House had rejected two nominees with undisputed qualifications. Last year, Prof Siripan Nogsuan Sawasdee from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Political Science, and Sutham Cheurprakobkit, a public administration professor at Mahidol University, failed to gain Senate backing in March and July, respectively.

The Constitution sets clear requirements for the Constitutional Court’s composition. Its nine members must comprise three senior Supreme Court judges, two senior judges from the Supreme Administrative Court, two former civil servants at a level no lower than director-general or deputy attorney-general, one law professor, and one professor of political science or public administration.

To qualify for the final seat, candidates must have served as a professor of political science or public administration at a university in Thailand for at least five years and produced recognised academic work.

Passing selection

Chakrapong secured the support of six of the selection committee’s eight members, meeting the required two-thirds voting threshold. At the time, the panel was missing its ninth member due to the lack of an opposition leader.

House Speaker Sophon Saram, a senior figure from the ruling Bhumjaithai, was among those who voted for Chakrapong. However, the panel’s chair, Supreme Court President Adisak Tantiwong, voted for the other shortlisted candidate.

The selection committee reviewed concerns about Chakrapong’s qualifications after receiving an anonymous complaint. Chakrapong reportedly told the panel that he was a professor of public administration at the Police Cadet Academy, held a master’s degree in the field, and had authored books on public administration.

Media reported that before applying to become a Constitutional Court judge in March, Chakrapong had submitted nine applications to join the National Anti-Corruption Commission between December 2022 and July 2025. He also applied to become an election commissioner last September.

Academic background

Chakrapong earned a bachelor’s degree in law from Ramkhamhaeng University, a master’s in the same subject from Chulalongkorn University, and a master’s in public administration from the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA).

He began teaching law at the Police Cadet Academy in 1996, becoming an assistant professor in 2000, an associate professor in 2005, and a professor in 2007.

Chakrapong taught at the police academy until 2020, when he was appointed deputy commissioner of the Police Civil Service Commission. He was named a Royal Thai Police special expert in April 2023, holding the post until his mandatory retirement in October that year.

During his academic career, Chakrapong also served as an adviser to multiple agencies and organisations, including the Constitutional Court, Anti-Money Laundering Committee, National Human Rights Commission, and the National Reform Committee.

By Thai PBS World’s Political Desk