He said he did not have the authority to extend the deadline for the tax collection period due to taxpayer rights. “If the deadline will be extended then there is no longer a statute of limitations,” he said, adding that would breach legal principles. He referred to the ruling of the Finance Ministry’s Tax Commission.

However, he said that efforts to collect taxes from the Shinawatra family would not stop, adding that the Revenue Department had to enforce tax laws to recover due payments.

He acknowledged that tax officials in the past had tried to proceed with charges regarding assets of the Shinawatra family but the Central Tax Court had ruled against authorities.

Apisak has been caught in a crossfire after the Auditor-General asked him to exercise his authority to restart tax procedures while the Tax Commission stated he could not extend the expired tax collection deadline.