We realize there’s been a lot of confusion lately about the powers of the Constitutional Court and the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission. And we’d like to put an end to all the head scratching with this short FAQ.

Can the Constitutional Court dismiss parliament because I ended up missing the first six matches of Euro 2012?
Yes. The definition of the Constitutional Court’s powers are murky at best, but what really matters is the spirit of the constitution which enshrines such principles as, “The human dignity, right, liberty and equality of the people shall be protected.” Which translates to football for all, in the court’s esteemed view. (You do have to pay for your own beer, though.)

The Constitutional Court ruled that Samak couldn’t be prime minister because his cooking show wasn’t very good. So who has the highest authority, the Constitutional Court or the NBTC?
The Constitutional Court rules mostly on daytime TV, like cooking shows and parliamentary sessions (well, at least the bits where they’re not showing porn). The NBTC, on the other hand, decides on all the good stuff, like whether you’ll be able to see the Euro 2012 final from the comfort of your living room or a dingy bar in Nana. As such, under commonsense law, the NBTC has the higher authority.

Euro 2012 has only been going a week and I’ve already missed four days of work. Can I be fired?
Not in our book. The Thai human rights commission, under Jon Ungpakorn, has been petitioned by the NBTC to ensure the redraft of the constitution bans punishment for footie-related hangovers, as per the Geneva convention on human rights.

Can’t we all just get along? Why does this stuff have to be so complicated?
If it were simpler, there wouldn’t be a need for an NBTC, or a Constitutional Court, and many old men would be without jobs, crowding Lumpini Park’s already popular tai qi classes. Morning traffic on Ratchadamri and Wireless would be even worse and it would be impossible to get a table at Jojo’s for lunch. Added bonus: while the old geezers are busy with constitutions and football, at least they’re not banning bouncy buttocks