The National Legislative Assembly on Friday failed to impeach former education minister Somsak Prisnananthakul over allegations of unusual wealth, falling short of the 132 votes required.
Impeachment, which would again have barred Mr Somsak from politics for five years, required a three-fifths majority of the 220-member NLA. Only 109 members voted for impeachment, while 82 voted against, three abstained and one ballot was invalidated. In May, the National Anti-Corruption Commission filed an impeachment motion against the 64-year-old adviser to the Chartthaipattana Party on the grounds that he failed to include a house worth 16 million baht on his assets-and-liabilities declaration while in office from July 9, 1999, to Nov 9, 2000.