Deputy House speaker Pichet removed from post by Charter Court

Pheu Thai MP for Chiang Rai, Pichet Chuamuangphan, was removed from his post as the deputy House speaker, stripped of his parliamentary status and banned from contesting elections for ten years by the Constitutional Court today, after he was found guilty of constitutional violations over the misuse of budget.

The case against Pichet was initiated by People’s party MP Pannasilp Nuamjerm, seconded by 120 MPs, accusing him of abusing his authority when he diverted 147 million baht, intended for three projects for the Office of the Secretariat of the House of Representatives, to his electoral constituency in Chiang Rai province.

According to the People’s party MP, the projects were the development of the capabilities of the people under democratic system, promotion of public participation under democratic system and promotion of women’s roles in democracy.

Pichet was found, by the court, to have ordered the Office of the Secretariat of the House of Representatives to propose the three projects, which he approved, with the 147 million baht funding to come from the 2025 fiscal budget.

The Constitutional Court ruled that there are sufficient grounds to believe that Pichet had violated Section 144 of the Constitution by misusing of the budget. The court found him guilty by a vote of 6:3.

Pichet was not present in court today and assigned his lawyer to act on his behalf.