The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission heard their views at a seminar on the NBTC bill, which is being considered by the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) for its second reading.

Suwanna Sombatra-ksasuk, chief of legal and policy affairs at the Issara Institute, said the NBTC should be one of the independent organisations.

However, under the proposed new law, it would have to report to the upcoming National Digital Economy Commission as well as the Information and Communi-cations Technology Ministry.

This makes it look like the watchdog will be just another government agency, she said.

Supot Tiarawut, adviser to the rector of Chulalongkorn University, said the bill reduced some levels of scrutiny of the NBTC working process that are mandated by the existing law.

He disagrees with the clause in the bill that would allow the NBTC to seek ways to compensate state agencies for returning their unused spectra for reallocation. These agencies should not be paid off, as they obtained their spectra from the now-defunct Post and Telegraph Department free of charge and without having to bid for them.

Supot also disagrees with the clause that opens the way for awarding frequencies via other methods than an auction.

“The auction model is the best way for Thailand, but the bill offers more options to acquire a spectrum, including the ‘beauty contest’ method,” he said.

Takorn Tatasith, secretary-general of the NBTC, has said he expected the NLA to finish the process of vetting the bill this year.