Academics and media advocates have demanded ethical accountability from news anchor Sorayuth Suthassanachinda for his "one-sided" televised explanation of the embezzlement ruling against him.
Sarinee Achavanuntakul, a member of a consumer protection sub-committee of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, said Sorayuth used his programme on TV Channel 3 to defend himself in the absence of someone to counter him.
Sorayuth on Friday devoted part of his morning news programme to airing his side of the story in the wake of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) ruling he had embezzled money from state-run media outlet Mcot Plc.
She said the anchor was not speaking the whole truth during the programme.
"I have issues about ethics seeing how he spoke of his own problems in a public broadcast space on national television," Ms Sarinee said.
"This could amount to a conflict of interest by a media practitioner."
Sorayuth, she said, should defend himself on air only when there is another party on the show to balance the story.
She said Sorayuth should consider leaving the show until the embezzlement case is concluded.
Channel 3 should not let him on air in the meantime, she said.
Uajit Virojtrairatt, director of the Media Monitor Project, said the media's credibility was at stake.
"I think the issue draws public attention. In response to the NACC's findings, Sorayuth, the media organisation for which he works and media professional organisations should be questioned on their ethics right away," she said.
However, Suwanna Sombatraksasuk, president of the News Broadcasting Council of Thailand, said the matter did not concern media ethics as the NACC's findings dealt with alleged malpractice of Sorayuth as a businessman.
Wisut Khomwacharapong, president of the Thai Broadcast Journalists Association, said the law should be permitted to take its course. The court will decide whether to consider the case presented through the prosecutor by the NACC.