Thai Bar Association Sued Over Membership Revocation

Natthawut Wongniyam, Managing Director of AURELIN GROP and its affiliated companies, filed a criminal complaint on September 17 at the Bang Khen Police Station against Thanaphon Khongjiang, President of the Thai Bar Association, along with 25 members of the association's board, and former Election Commissioner Somchai Srisutthiya and Rewabin. Wongniyam alleges that the Bar Association's executive committee, through a resolution dated June 26, 2024, removed his name from the membership registry. He contends that this action, purportedly under Section 35 of the Lawyers Act, was unlawful as he has no disciplinary record and does not meet the criteria for membership termination. As the head of a conglomerate with 42 subsidiary companies valued at over 30 billion baht, Wongniyam stated that while his income does not depend on practicing law, the revocation has caused significant distress and reputational damage. He warned that allowing such abuses of power to continue could undermine the entire Thai Bar Association system and vowed to fight the case vigorously. Wongniyam emphasized his focus on business and disassociation from politics, noting his upcoming launch of an online lottery business, "Chang Plus," for the November 16 draw. Source: INN News