Supreme Court set to rule on ex-Move Forward MPs’ lèse majesté charges

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) agreed at its board meeting today to ask the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division on Political Office Holders take the cases of 44 former MPs of the now defunct Move Forward party, 10 of whom are now serving People’s party MPs.

The MPs in question are all accused of committing gross ethical violations through their support for a bid to amend the country’s lèse majesté law.

A well-informed source in the NACC said that, if the Supreme Court accepts the case, the 10 People’s party’s MPs will have to stop functioning as members of parliament immediately.

In August 2024, the Constitutional Court dissolved the Move Forward party and banned its executive committee members from politics for 10 years, including party leader Pita Limjaroenrat. Other members ended up joining the People’s party.

Of the 44 people investigated by the NACC, 10 are now People’s party’s MPs, eight of whom are party-list MPs and two are constituency MPs.

The party-list MPs are party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, Sirikanya Tansakul, Rangsiman Rome, Wayo Asavaroongruang, Pakornwut Udompipatsakul, Natthawut Buaprathum, Surachet Pravinvongvuth and Nattacha Boonchaiinsawat.

The two constituency MPs are Thiratchai Panthumat and Taopiphop Limjittrakorn.

If all ten of them are forced to stop functioning as MPs, the eight party-list seats would be automatically filled by other party-list members. The two constituency MPs would have to be replaced through by-elections.