Bangkok: Dr. Natthawut Wongniem, a public law expert, has intensified the debate around the recent voting scandal involving Bangkok City Council members. According to Thai News Agency, Dr. Nattawut criticized the conduct of a People's Party council member caught casting a vote on behalf of another during a council meeting. He labeled the act as corruption, referencing Supreme Court rulings, and highlighted the contradiction with the campaign's slogan of "transparency and accountability." He emphasized that if the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) finds the member guilty, the case would be directed to the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct. Concurrently, the Bangkok City Council chairman is setting up a fact-finding committee following an ethics complaint from Mr. Srisuwan Janya.
The controversy originated from Bangkok Metropolitan Council meeting No. 2/2569, where it was revealed that two People's Party council members were absent, yet their names appeared on the attendance system. Dr. Nattawut cited past legal precedents where the Supreme Court sentenced MPs to imprisonment without suspension. He stressed that council members are deemed political civil servants and government officials under the Anti-Corruption Act, and excuses for absentee voting are typically disregarded by the NACC. Furthermore, the case falls under the jurisdiction of the Criminal Court for Corruption Cases, as stipulated by the Act on Procedures for Trying Corruption and Misconduct Cases B.E. 2559.
Ms. Pataraporn Kengrungruangchai, a Bangkok City Council member for Bang Sue district and Chair of the Bangkok City Council, announced on August 4, 2026, the receipt of an ethics complaint from Mr. Srisuwan Janya. The complaint is undergoing verification by the secretariat before being submitted to the Bangkok City Council meeting for the formation of a fact-finding committee with a 30-day deadline. Should the complaint hold merit, it will proceed to the Ethics Committee for further evaluation. A finding of serious misconduct could lead to a Bangkok City Council vote requiring a two-thirds majority for the member's removal from office.