Senate showdown escalates as Natthaphong refuses to back down

The People’s Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut and the Senate are engaged in a showdown, with senators threatening legal action against him unless he apologises within three days.

The conflict stems from Natthaphong’s remark that the current Senate is a legacy of military coups and closely affiliated with the conservative and royalist establishment.

A total of 89 senators, led by Senate whip spokesman Phisit Apiwattanapong, gathered at parliament on Monday in a show of force to condemn Natthaphong for allegedly making false accusations against the Senate in a way that tarnished its reputation.

Phisit argued that the 2017 Constitution was approved by a majority of voters in a referendum and noted that three general elections have since been held — in 2019, 2023 and 2026 — with the People’s Party winning the most House seats in 2023.

Current senators were elected under the same Constitution, although through a system in which candidates were selected from professional groups rather than by the general public, Phisit said, defending the legitimacy of the Senate.

Asked whether senators would support the People’s Party’s bid to draft a new constitution, Phisit said there was little reason for the Senate to cooperate with the party, adding that senators would act only in what they considered to be the public interest.

Any constitutional amendment, or the drafting of a new charter, requires support from at least one-third of senators.

Natthaphong has also come under heavy criticism for questioning the government’s decision to invite members of the Privy Council to attend a meeting with officials from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation on drought management, which he described as “improper.”

He argued that the Privy Council, which serves as an advisory body to HM the King, should not become involved in government affairs because it could conflict with the principles of a constitutional monarchy.