The court's ruling followed an appeal by the Permanent Secretary's Office within the PM's Office that the Central Administrative Court erred in its verdict on November 23, which cancelled the NBC selection.

The senior court ruled that the Permanent Secretary's Office and the NBC selection committee had acted illegally in selecting the NBC board, whose seven members were chosen by the Senate in late September last year.

The court said the Permanent Secretary's Office approved 17 members for the NBC selection panel, to launch the selection process - despite the fact one of them, Somporn Thepsitha, did not hold the required qualifications.

It also said that a member of the selection panel - former Channel 5 director Sunthorn Soponsiri - had a conflict of interest with two nominees: General Thongchai Kuasakul and Supatra Supap.

The government had held back nominations for the broadcasting board and not forwarded them for royal endorsement. Doubts about irregularities during the selection process were believed to be behind this.

The two Administrative Courts' verdicts followed a suit filed in 2004 by former NBC candidate Pramut Sutabut.

Pramut asked the court to nullify endorsement of the NBC selection committee by the Permanent Secretary's Office and revoke the NBC candidacy of 14 people, seven of whom were due to become broadcasting regulators.

Pramut accused some selection-panel members of having conflicts of interest with some NBC candidates.

Kesinee Taengkhieo

The Nation