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November 2003 : King Rejects Teachers Bill

His Majesty the King, for the first time in modern Thai political history, has declined to sign the Teachers and Education Personnel Regulation Bill . New 12 cabinet members get royal appointment. The selection panel of NCCC members selected 14 nominees out of 52 applicants while the NTC members applicants totaled 40. The cabinet approved the principle of the draft bill on BMA Administration to divide into two administrative levels.

King Rejects Teachers Bill


His Majesty the king, for the first time in the modern Thai political history, rejected the Teachers and Education Personnel Regulation Bill on November 26 and sent back to the Parliament for review. The bill has 13 flaws on false references, incorrect terms, semantic accuracies and omissions accounted for textual errors.

Prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra said the flaws are only technical mistakes and the government would immediately correct and resubmit again in February 2004. The teachers bill was controversial since the government MPs voted to overturn a version proposed by a joint House-Senate committee contained an attachment on salary scales which the government viewed as unconstitutional.

Another bill failed to get royal endorsement was the draft law on coins to commemorate Her Majesty’s 72 Birthday in August 2004. The bill was found to contain a wrong description of a royal decoration on the coin.

12 New Cabinet Members


His Majesty the King granted royal approval to reshuffle 12 cabinet members as follow:


  1. Adisai Bhodaramik: dismissed from minister of commerce and reappointed to minister of education.
  2. Wattana Muangsuk: dismissed from deputy minister of commerce and reappointed to minister of commerce.
  3. Somsak Thepsutin: dismissed from minister of industry and reappointed to minister of agriculture and cooperation.
  4. Uraiwan Thienthong: dismissed from minister of culture and reappointed to minister of labour force.
  5. Anurak Jureemas: dismissed from minister of social development and human securities and reappointed to minister of culture .
  6. Pinit Charusombat: dismissed from minister of science and technology and reappointed to minister of industry .
  7. Sora-at Klinpratum: dismissed from minister of agriculture and cooperation and reappointed to minister of social development and human securities.
  8. Bhokin Bhalakula: appointed to deputy prime minister.
  9. Therdpong Raktapongpaisarn: appointed to deputy minister of commerce.
  10. Gen. Chetha Thanajaro: appointed to minister of science and technology.
  11. Wichet Thongkasemsri: appointed to deputy minister of communication.
  12. Pol. Gen. Chamlong Iamchangpan: appointed to deputy minister of public health.


Another 4 former cabinet members dismissed without any reappointment are:

  1. Korn Thapparangsri: former deputy prime minister.
  2. Suwat Liptapanlop: former minister of labour force.
  3. Pol. Gen. Pracha Promnok: former deputy minister of public health.
  4. Pongpol Adireksarn: former minister of education.


This is the seventh cabinet members reshuffle since Thaksin administration took office 2 years 9 month ago.

Selecet NCCC Candidates


The selection panel of the National Counter Corruption Commission shortlisted 52 applicants to 14 nominees to be voted to 7 by the Senate. The 7 NCCC seats were vacant due to 7 members retirement in according to the law. 14 selected NCCC candidates are:

  1. General Wuthichai Srirattanawut, former deputy police chief.
  2. General Mongkol Kamolbutr, former head of the Royal Thai Police Office.
  3. General Chaisuek Kedthad, chief of the 53 generals appointed as advisors to PM Thaksin Shinawatra.
  4. General Chuchart Sooksa-nguan, judge advocate-general at the Defence Ministry.
  5. Chairat Mapraneat, former governor of Kalasin.
  6. Visuth Phothithan, law expert and former election commissioner.
  7. Vichien Viriyaprasit, former attorney general.
  8. Prasert Khiennilsiri, Supreme Court judge.
  9. Charoon Inthachan, Supreme Court judge.
  10. Pradit Songruek, Supreme Court judge.
  11. Chao Atthamana, deputy director of the Budget Bureau.
  12. Chitchai Phanitchapat, former NCCC deputy secretary-general.
  13. Yongyuth Kabilkan, former deputy permanent secretary of the PM’s office.
  14. Chartchatri Yosrida, former director-general of the Non-Formal Education Department.


NTC Applicants Concluded


The new selection panel of the National Telecom Commission concluded the 40 applicants of the NTC to be voted to 21 and 14 subsequently before submit to the Senate to finalize to 7.

NTC member functions in regards to article 40 of the Constitution the 7 are to allocate the broadcasting frequency and regulate telecommunication operation to non-monopoly business. Previously in January 2002 Thaksin Administration appointed the first NTC selection panel and the panel had nominated 14 applicants to be selected by the Senate but one disqualified applicant filed a lawsuit against the selection panel to the Administration Court on ground that the selection process is unfair. The court ruled in favor of the petitioner so the selection process was to be aborted and re-start by appointing a new selection panel early this year.

BMA Administration Bill


The cabinet on November 11 approved a draft bill on Bangkok Metropolitan Administration submitted by Ministry of Interior in which principle is to divide Bangkok into 2 administrative levels; one greater Bangkok and 13 cities. It is expected that the law will be enforced before the next BMA election in 2004.

The metropolitan administrative level will responsible on overall policy and cooperate with the cities in providing public services. The administrative chief is BMA governor.

The city level will become a jurisdiction responsible within their administrative area. They will be independent on general administration, budgetary and personnel affair similar to municipality, the city of Pattaya and Tambon Administration. The city mayors will be nominated by the governor and approve by the city council.

The draft will be scrutinized by the government legal advisory,
the Council of State, before return to the cabinet to submit to the Parliament.

From : http://www.fpps.or.th