Deputy Premier Wissanu Krea-ngam and chief government spokesman Maj Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the rationale behind the administrative order to seek compensation from the ex-premier was based on the rule of law.
They said the accused could fight the case in the Administrative Court, which was empowered to order the government to drop the case.
Wissanu said there were four groups of alleged wrongdoers and some of them had faced impeachment proceedings in the National Legislative Assembly and criminal lawsuits filed by the National Anti-Corruption Commission.
In addition to former politicians, 15 companies are also facing legal action for involvement in the rice scheme.
The deputy premier said the measure to seek compensation from Yingluck was legal and was not something new since the law had been in effect for 19 years. Prosecutors and state legal entities had been using it to seek compensation for losses suffered by the public.
In fact, there have been about 5,000 compensation cases, with the government winning and losing cases, or being ordered to drop some cases.