Bangkok: The House of Representatives faced confusion when Deputy Speaker Chaiya Promma unexpectedly ordered the meeting to be closed, avoiding the scheduled discussion of urgent motions regarding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 43 and 44. The abrupt adjournment left many members puzzled, as both government and opposition whips had earlier agreed on a plan to address these motions.

According to Thai News Agency, the incident unfolded after the meeting had acknowledged the minutes of the 2024 annual report of the Safe and Creative Media Development Fund. It was agreed that a closed-door session would follow to consider the MOUs submitted by Mr. Srisutphong Kiewkhong, MP for Krabi and the Bhumjaithai Party. However, Mr. Chaiya ended the meeting at 2:59 PM, claiming that sufficient time had elapsed, leaving the MPs in confusion.

Wisut Chainarun, chairman of the government coalition whip and a Pheu Thai Party list MP, expressed his bewilderment at the sudden closure. He explained that he had just entered the meeting room when Mr. Chaiya adjourned the session, despite an agreement to discuss the urgent MOUs. Mr. Wisut clarified that there was no issue with the quorum and insisted that he had not signaled the meeting’s closure. He suggested the possibility of a miscommunication and emphasized the importance of reaching an understanding, as they had planned for a debate rather than appointing a special committee.

In his defense, Mr. Chaiya Promma stated that the adjournment was based on coordination from the government whip, who, in agreement with the opposition whip, advised closing the meeting if the agenda for acknowledging the minutes had concluded. He reiterated that discussions held on August 20th had been extensive, which influenced the decision to adjourn on August 21st. Despite claims from the whips of being unaware of the closure order, Mr. Chaiya affirmed that the decision was made following discussions with both sides.