Bangkok: The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal filed by Kongkiat, a Kla Tham Party candidate for Member of Parliament, against the Election Commission's decision to remove his name from the list of party-list candidates due to a prior theft conviction. The court's decision reinforces the earlier judgment passed by the Election Commission which found Mr. Kongkiat ineligible to run for office.

According to Thai News Agency, the Supreme Court's ruling came after Mr. Kongkiat Ketsombat, who was vying for a seat in Constituency 7, Nakhon Si Thammarat, on behalf of the Kla Tham Party, contested the Election Commission's decision. The Commission had determined that Mr. Kongkiat was ineligible to run under Section 98 (10) of the Constitution and Section 42 (12) of the Organic Act on the Election of Members of Parliament. These sections stipulate that individuals with certain criminal convictions, particularly theft, cannot stand for election. This decision was grounded in a final judgment by the Surat Thani Provincial Court, which found Mr. Kongkiat guilty of theft.

The Election Commission's ruling to remove Mr. Kongkiat from the party-list candidates for MP in Constituency 7, Nakhon Si Thammarat, was deemed lawful by the Supreme Court. This decision underscores the legal framework that disallows candidacy for individuals with specified criminal records, and it affirms the Commission's adherence to the constitutional and legislative provisions.

In response to the court's decision, Mr. Kongkiat expressed his disappointment through a message on his personal Facebook account, describing the judgment as a "political death sentence for a politician-life imprisonment." His statement highlights the personal and political ramifications of the ruling for his career.