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Phawut Urges Gov to Accelerate Public Information Access

Phawut Urges Gov to Accelerate Public Information Access

Thairath•Politics•1h ago

Reader Briefing

People's Party MP Phawut Phongwithayaphanu calls on the government to expedite the update of the Official Information Act and implement open data policies.

  • •Phawut Phongwithayaphanu of the People's Party held a press conference at the Parliament on September 16, 2026.
  • •The Official Information Act 1997 has not been updated for 29 years.
  • •Phawut Phongwithayaphanu proposes two levels of measures: urgent policy directives and long-term legal structural changes.
  • •The People's Party has prepared policies and draft laws to push for these amendments in collaboration with the public and other political parties.

Overview

  • •On September 16, 2026, Phawut Phongwithayaphanu held a press conference at the Parliament regarding delays in updating the Official Information Act.
  • •Phawut Phongwithayaphanu stated that the Official Information Act 1997 has not been updated for 29 years, causing government agencies to be reluctant to disclose information in the digital age.
  • •The Council of State had considered updates to the law since 2020, but the draft has remained with the Cabinet for several years without a clear timeline for submission to the House of Representatives.
  • •Phawut Phongwithayaphanu urged the Prime Minister to issue an immediate national policy directive establishing an 'Open by Default' principle to protect officials who disclose information.
  • •Phawut Phongwithayaphanu requested the Cabinet to accelerate the submission of the updated Official Information Act to the House of Representatives to permanently guarantee public access rights.
  • •Phawut Phongwithayaphanu asserted that the Prime Minister can implement these policies immediately if there is political will.
  • •Phawut Phongwithayaphanu cited the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration under Governor Chadchart Sittipunt as proof that proactive open data can be achieved without waiting for legal amendments.

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Key Quotes

Phawut Phongwithayaphanu
"If the BMA can do it, the government has no excuse not to do it."
หาก กทม. ทำได้ รัฐบาลก็ไม่มีข้ออ้างที่จะไม่ทำ

Key Entities

Person

Phawut Phongwithayaphanu(ภาวุธ พงษ์วิทยภานุ)
A party-list MP of the People's Party who is advocating for government transparency and the update of information laws.
Prime Minister(นายกรัฐมนตรี)ℹ️
The head of the executive branch who has the authority to issue immediate national policy directives on information disclosure.
Chadchart Sittipunt(ชัชชาติ สิทธิพันธุ์)ℹ️
The Governor of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration who implemented proactive open data.

Organization

People's Party(พรรคประชาชน)
A political party whose MP is pushing for updates to the Official Information Act.
Cabinet(คณะรัฐมนตรี)
The executive body urged to accelerate the processing of the updated Official Information Act.
Office of the Council of State(สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา)ℹ️
The office that had been considering updates to the Official Information Act since 2020.
House of Representatives(สภาผู้แทนราษฎร)ℹ️
The legislative body where the updated Official Information Act needs to be submitted for consideration.
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration(กรุงเทพมหานคร)ℹ️
A local government entity cited as a successful example of implementing open data.

Law

Official Information Act 1997(พระราชบัญญัติข้อมูลข่าวสารของราชการ พ.ศ. 2540)ℹ️
A 29-year-old law governing government information disclosure that Phawut Phongwithayaphanu claims is outdated.

Place

Parliament(รัฐสภา)ℹ️
The location where Phawut Phongwithayaphanu held the press conference.