Supreme Court sentences Saranwut Saranket to 8 months prison

Thansettakij•Politics•1h ago

Reader Briefing

The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Positions sentenced former MP Saranwut Saranket to 8 months in prison for allowing another MP to use his electronic card for voting.

•Saranwut Saranket was sentenced to 8 months in prison without suspension for malfeasance and corruption in office.
•The crime occurred on September 20, 2013, during a special House of Representatives meeting.
•The court found that Saranwut Saranket allowed another MP to possess and use his electronic ID card to vote while he was in Sukhothai province.
•The court granted Saranwut Saranket temporary release to appeal the verdict to the General Assembly of the Supreme Court.

Overview

•The case involves the use of electronic identification cards for proxy voting during a special House of Representatives meeting on September 20, 2013, to consider a draft act allowing the Ministry of Finance to borrow money for transport infrastructure.
•The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Positions determined that Saranwut Saranket consented to another MP possessing his card because the voting patterns aligned with his previous stances and the Pheu Thai Party's resolution.
•The court rejected the defense's claim that a staff member named Sermsri managed the cards, as Sermsri had been transferred to a security role in May 2013, before the incident.
•The court found Saranwut Saranket violated Section 126, paragraph three of the 2007 Constitution and Section 72, paragraph three of the 2008 House of Representatives Meeting Regulations.
•The court stated that the proxy voting caused the consideration and resolution of the draft act in question to fail, affecting public confidence in the legislative body.
•The court sentenced Saranwut Saranket to 1 year in prison, reduced by one-third to 8 months, and denied a suspended sentence as medical treatment is available within the Department of Corrections.
•Saranwut Saranket has been granted temporary release to file an appeal with the General Assembly of the Supreme Court.

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Key Entities

Person

Saranwut Saranket(ศรัณย์วุฒิ ศรัณย์เกตุ)

Former MP for Uttaradit from the Pheu Thai Party who was sentenced to prison for proxy voting.

Sermsri(เสริมศรี)

A former meeting room staff member cited in Saranwut Saranket's defense.

Narison(นริศร)

An individual previously convicted of proxy voting who claimed in 2025 to have no involvement with Saranwut Saranket.

Organization

Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Positions(ศาลฎีกาแผนกคดีอาญาของผู้ดำรงตำแหน่งทางการเมือง)

The court that delivered the judgment against Saranwut Saranket.

Pheu Thai Party(พรรคเพื่อไทย)ℹ️

The political party to which Saranwut Saranket belonged.

House of Representatives(สภาผู้แทนราษฎร)ℹ️

The legislative body where the proxy voting incident occurred.

Attorney General(อัยการสูงสุด)ℹ️

The plaintiff who filed the lawsuit against Saranwut Saranket.

NACC(คณะกรรมการ ป.ป.ช.)

The commission whose inquiry files were used as evidence by the court.

Place

Sukhothai(สุโขทัย)

The province where Saranwut Saranket was located during the parliamentary meeting.

Uttaradit(อุตรดิตถ์)ℹ️

The province for which Saranwut Saranket served as an MP.

Law

Constitution 2007(รัฐธรรมนูญ พ.ศ. 2550)

The constitution whose Section 126 was violated by the proxy voting.

House of Representatives Meeting Regulations 2008(ข้อบังคับการประชุมสภาผู้แทนราษฎร พ.ศ. 2551)

The regulations whose Section 72 prohibits proxy voting.

Organic Act on Anti-Corruption 1999(พ.ร.ป.ว่าด้วยการป้องกันและปราบปรามการทุจริต พ.ศ. 2542)

The law under which Saranwut Saranket was found guilty of malfeasance and corruption.