PUBLISHED: 28 Mar 2025 at 05: 25
Senator Somchai Lenglak, a member for the BJT in the 2023 general election, was disqualified by the Constitutional Court after the Supreme Court for 10 years for participating in elections due to vote fraud.
According to a statement released by the Office of the Constitutional Court on Thursday, the judge ruled unanimously to end his participation in the Senate and declare his position unfilled on Wednesday.
The same court accepted the petition by the Election Commission (EC ) asking for his disqualification after Mr. Somchai had been suspended from his duties as a senator since December 11th.
Following a Supreme Court ruling on September 23 that found Mr. Somchai innocent of election fraud, the EC made the decision. Mr. Somchai participated in vote-buying and ran for the Songkhla District 9 seats in the 2023 poll.
Thanatphong Wongmulali, the second supply senator from Group 19, was chosen as Mr. Somchai’s replacement after the Constitutional Court’s decision.
Mr. Thanatphong, a merchant from Maha Sarakham state, holds two master’s degrees in public management from Bangkok Thonburi University and a bachelor’s degree in education from Mahasarakham University.
He has over 30 years of direct selling knowledge. According to his biography, he also served as secretary to the consumer safety commission in the House of Representatives during the Senate poll.
He successfully completed a training program organized by King Prajadhipok’s Institute on August 24, 2021, to prepare him for a position as an associate to a member of parliament or an independent MP.