Budget Bill debate may resume next Friday

Deputy House Speaker Charoen Chankomol ordered the meeting to stop at 8.43am yesterday, after non-stop 57 hours of reading. 

No time or date has been set yet as to when the House will reconvene. Only 17 sections of the Budget Bill have been covered so far after 57 hours and as the House adjoined they were considering the budget for the Interior Ministry.

Democrat MP Vatchara Petchthong suggested that the House reconvene some time next week as House members were exhausted after the long hours of debate.

Before the House adjourned, Democrat party-list MP Boonyord Sukthinthai showed a photograph of one MP viewing what appeared to be a nude picture on his iPad. 

The photo was first posted on the ASTV-Manager Daily website and Boonyord asked for an investigation into the alleged unseemly conduct.

Pheu Thai MP Pongpan Sunthorchai said he was the MP in the photo but he denied having intentionally looked at the image on his iPad. He said the image appeared after he mistakenly touched the tablet while the House was deliberating on Friday night. 

Pongpan said he was still new to using the iPad, which was recently given by the House to all MPs and senators, and mistakenly touched a bracket on fashion when the scantily clad image of a woman in a swimsuit appeared. He said the image was not pornographic. He said he nevertheless would like to apologise to everyone. He said he had talked to Boonyord to clear the matter and that Boonyord will no longer seek  an investigation as earlier stated.

Pongpan added, however, that in case someone pushed for an investigation over the photo and his conduct, he was willing and ready to defend himself.

Government chief whip Amnuay Klangpha said he expected the meeting to reconvene next Friday and it could continue until August 26.

Amnuay acknowledged that the overnight reading by the House was unprecedented. He blamed the opposition for causing unnecessary delays through repeated objections. 

Opposition chief whip Jurin Laksanawisit, however, denied the allegation. Jurin, a senior Democrat MP, said it will now be up to the House Speaker to set the date for the next meeting and added that there’s still time as the deadline for approving all budgets is August 26.