Two Constitutional Court Cases Put Anutin Government Under Pressure
Two Constitutional Court Cases Put Anutin Government Under Pressure
PHNOM PENH, 29 June 2026 — Thailand’s government is facing two major Constitutional Court cases that could have significant political and economic implications, with one challenging a 400-billion-baht emergency borrowing decree and the other questioning the use of barcode and QR code technology on ballot papers during the February general election.
The first case concerns an emergency decree authorising the Ministry of Finance to borrow up to 400 billion baht to address the energy crisis and support Thailand’s energy transition. The petition was submitted by 133 members of the House of Representatives, most of them from the opposition, who argue the government should have sought parliamentary approval rather than invoking emergency powers under Section 172 of the Constitution.
Following its meeting on 24 June, the Constitutional Court ruled that sufficient evidence had been presented and that the case involved questions of law, concluding its inquiry. The court is scheduled to deliver its oral statement, deliberate and vote on 9 July 2026.
The government maintains that geopolitical conflicts, emerging security threats and volatile global energy prices created an urgent need for immediate borrowing to strengthen energy security and invest in infrastructure, energy storage, smart grids and clean energy systems.
A ruling upholding the decree would allow the government to proceed with its energy and economic programmes, while a decision declaring it unconstitutional could delay projects, require parliamentary approval for the borrowing and increase political pressure on Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. A partial ruling could require amendments to parts of the borrowing plan while allowing other measures to continue.
The second case stems from 22 petitions filed through the Ombudsman challenging the Election Commission’s use of barcode and QR code technology on ballot papers during the 8 February 2026 general election. Petitioners argue the technology could compromise the constitutional principle of secret voting by making ballots traceable to individual voters.
On 24 June, the Constitutional Court ordered additional expert testimony and further study before reaching a decision. The Election Commission has defended the system, stating that the codes were introduced solely to prevent counterfeit ballots, ballot rotation and to improve the speed and accuracy of vote counting. It maintains that the codes are not linked to voters’ identities.
The Nation reported that the two Constitutional Court cases represent major legal tests for Anutin’s administration. While the court’s ruling on the emergency borrowing decree is expected on 9 July, the ballot-code case will continue to examine the integrity of the electoral process that brought the current government to power.
