New Senate to open July 23 as qualification row rumbles on

The newly elected Senate will convene its first meeting on July 23 to elect a speaker and two deputies, Senate secretary-general Napaporn Jaisajja said on Monday.

The first session will be chaired by the oldest member, Pol Lt Gen Yutthana Thaiphakdee, and will also see the 200 new senators recite a vow to work with integrity, Napaporn said.

The names of the new Senate speaker and two deputies will then be passed on for endorsement by HM the King.

The Senate is expected to hold its first working meeting seven days after royal endorsement is granted, Napaporn said.

A familiarisation session for the new senators would be held after the Senate got down to work. However, senators were free to hold familiarisation gatherings in the meantime, she added.

Napaporn said the Senate Secretariat was not responsible for checking the qualifications of senators, which was the duty of the Election Commission.

Beauty tycoon Keskamol Pleansamai, who topped the final round of voting, is among several new senators accused of faking qualifications in their applications.