House Approves Cabinet's Ministry of Defence Organization Act

Thairath•Politics•18d ago

Reader Briefing

The House of Representatives passed the second and third readings of the Ministry of Defence Organization Act based on the Cabinet's version.

•The House of Representatives approved the Ministry of Defence Organization Act on September 2, 2026.
•Chayaphon Sathondee and Kittipong Piyawanno of the People's Party expressed dissenting opinions on several sections.
•The final vote resulted in 434 approvals, 0 rejections, and 1 abstention from 435 voters.

Overview

•On September 2, 2026, the House of Representatives considered the second and third readings of the Ministry of Defence Organization Act.
•Chayaphon Sathondee proposed integrating a 'military equipment procurement plan' into the Ministry of Defence's reform or efficiency development plan, known as the 'White Paper'.
•Chayaphon Sathondee argued that without a procurement plan in the White Paper, inconsistent purchases may occur, such as different communication systems across military branches.
•Kittipong Piyawanno stated that military reform plans should not be tied to the 20-year National Strategy resulting from the 2017 Constitution and the NCPO coup.
•Kittipong Piyawanno suggested establishing a Joint Capability Command (JCC) to ensure actual joint operations among military branches.
•Chayaphon Sathondee proposed removing 'resolutions of the Defence Council' from the authority the Minister of Defence can delegate, arguing civilian political power must oversee the military.
•Chayaphon Sathondee supported a 90-day timeframe for creating the Ministry of Defence reform plan instead of the 6-month period proposed by the Cabinet.
•The Act passed with 434 votes in favor and 1 abstention.

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Source: Thairath (Original)

Key Quotes

Chayaphon Sathondee

"Why have a Minister of Defence if the Minister has no power to manage their own ministry? That power should lie with the political side of administration, not as a puppet for a council of generals."

จะมีรัฐมนตรีว่าการกระทรวงกลาโหมไปทำไม หากรัฐมนตรีไม่มีอำนาจบริหารกระทรวงของตนเอง อำนาจนั้นควรจะต้องอยู่ที่ฝั่งของการเมืองในการบริหารราชการ ไม่ใช่ไปนั่งเป็นหุ่นเชิดให้กับสภาของนายพล

Key Entities

Organization

House of Representatives(สภาผู้แทนราษฎร)ℹ️

The legislative body that considered and approved the Ministry of Defence Organization Act.

Cabinet(ครม.)

The executive body whose version of the Ministry of Defence Organization Act was approved.

People's Party(พรรคประชาชน)

The political party to which Chayaphon Sathondee and Kittipong Piyawanno belong.

Ministry of Defence(กระทรวงกลาโหม)ℹ️

The government ministry whose organization and reform were the subject of the Act.

Defence Council(สภากลาโหม)

A council consisting of many generals by position that provides military opinions and resolutions.

NCPO(คสช.)ℹ️

The organization associated with the coup that led to the 2017 Constitution and the 20-year National Strategy.

Joint Capability Command(หน่วยบัญชาการขีดความสามารถร่วม)

A proposed command unit suggested by Kittipong Piyawanno to facilitate joint military operations.

Law

Ministry of Defence Organization Act(พ.ร.บ.จัดระเบียบราชการกระทรวงกลาโหม)

The legislation regarding the organization of the Ministry of Defence passed by the House of Representatives.

Person

Chayaphon Sathondee(ชยพล สท้อนดี)

An MP for Bangkok District 8 from the People's Party and a member of the extraordinary committee who reserved opinions on the Act.

Kittipong Piyawanno(กิตติพงษ์ ปิยะวรรณโณ)

A party-list MP from the People's Party and a member of the extraordinary committee who reserved opinions on the Act.

Policy

20-year National Strategy(ยุทธศาสตร์ชาติ 20 ปี)

A national strategy resulting from the 2017 Constitution and the NCPO coup.