Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has invoked Section 44 of the interim charter to temporarily suspend Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra and Khon Kaen’s Ban Phai mayor Premsak Piayura.
The grounds are that the two men are being investigated following allegations of corruption or misbehaviour in office. Both cases have drawn immense public interest.
The two men continue to hold their positions, but have been suspended without pay until further notice.
The order was signed by Gen Prayut as chief of the National Council of Peace and Order (NCPO) and published on the Royal Gazette on Thursday.
The announcement said the NCPO chief had previously issued similar orders, to ensure those accused receive fair and transparent treatment and the opportunity to prove their innocence.
Investigating officials were instructed to continue their respective inquiries and, when complete, to report their conclusions to the prime minister, who would then make a further announcement.
The Office of the Attorney-General launched an inquiry into the 39.5 million baht light show erected at Lan Khon Muang in front of City Hall from Dec 31 last year to Jan 31 as a holiday-period tourist attraction.
Investigators found evidence of misspending, and auditor-general Pisit Leelavachiropas suggested MR Sukhumbhand be suspended from office for his alleged involvement.
Khon Kaen's Ban Phai mayor Premsak Piayura is suspended from duty pending investigation. (Bangkok Post file photo)
MR Sukhumbhand has since sued Mr Pisit for defamation, alleging he had misled people into wrongly believing the governor misspent the city's budget funds.
Ban Phai district residents have demanded the suspension of Mr Premsak from office, his exclusion from any education role and an investigation into allegations of abuse of power arising from his alleged engagement to an underage girl.
He is also being investigated for humiliating a reporter by locking him up in a room, stripping off his trousers and taking pictures because the reporter wrote a story about his alleged engagement to the girl.