Snoozing lawmakers 'unwell', says Peerasak

Gen Chalee Chanrueng was one of the two lawmakers caught sleeping on Thursday.

Two lawmakers spotted sleeping on the job on Thursday, prompting Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to issue a stern warning against legislators dozing off, were unwell, National Legislative Assembly (NLA) vice president Peerasak Porjit said on Friday.

His explanation came after pictures of the two NLA members -- Gen Chalee Chanrueng and Dr Thamrong Thassanayachalee -- asleep in the chamber on Thursday were widely ridiculed on social media.

Gen Prayut said yesterday he had a chat with NLA president Pornpetch Witchitcholchai and told him to warn all legislators not to sleep during meetings or face being blacklisted from working with him in the future.

"Any members who sleep while at work will not be selected for work in the future," he told reporters at Government House, clearly upset that the topic was raised.

Mr Peerasak yesterday said Gen Chalee and Dr Thamrong attended the NLA meeting even though they were feeling unwell.

Gen Chalee was recovering from heart bypass surgery while Dr Thamrong was also taken ill.

Mr Peerasak added the two lawmakers were not sleeping while Gen Prayut was speaking about the national budget and had not committed a breach of disciplinary conduct.

Also yesterday, Gen Prayut vented his frustration that the members of the media were not paying enough attention to the budget deliberations.

"Did you report the three-trillion-baht budget? You only reported the sleeping NLA members. The issue is nonsense," he said.

The NLA on Thursday approved the government's budget for the next fiscal year in the first reading.

After berating the media, the prime minister found time to give sleepy NLA members a bit of advice.

"If they want to sleep, they should sleep at home," Gen Prayut said.

"For now, let them continue to work until the tenure of the NLA ends."