When Thai voters go to the polls on 8 February, they will receive three ballots: two for the general election, and one for a referendum which will ask them whether they want a new constitution. It will be a watershed moment for Thai politics: a vote in favour means opening the door to a new constitution, while a vote against would make it likely that future amendments become impossible. Here is all you need to know about the 8 February 2026 referendum.

The People’s Constitutional Drafting Group, a network of civil society organizations campaigning for a new constitution, organized a running event at Benchakitti Park on Wednesday (7 January) to call for people to vote in favour of a new Constitution in the upcoming referendum, which will take place on 8 February, the same day as the general election.

With less than 8 hours to go before registration closes for out-of-constituency and overseas voting in the constitutional amendment referendum, iLaw calls on the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) to extend the registration process for another 3 days.

Following Thursday's parliamentary session, the People's Party issued a statement calling on Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to dissolve the House of Representatives to show responsibility.

The Thai parliament has voted to submit the questions for the first constitutional amendment referendum to the Cabinet, requesting that the referendum be initiated.

The Constitutional Court will rule on 10 September about referendum requirements for amending the constitution.

A bill amending the Referendum Act, which was put on hold for 180 days in December 2024, has been approved for further parliamentary consideration by the House of Representatives.

The bill amending the Referendum Act has been put on hold for 180 days after the House of Representatives voted to reject the version amended by the joint committee of the Senate and the House, which required a double majority for a referendum to pass, while the Senate approved it.

The Senate voted on Monday (30 September) to amend the Referendum bill previously approved by the House of Representatives to require a double majority.

To fix political problems arising from the conservative constitution imposed by military leaders after their 2014 coup, Thailand needs a new people’s charter. However, concerned parties are worried that procedural stumbling blocks will make it difficult to get one before the next election in 2027.

On Tuesday (18 June), parliament voted to pass at the first reading 4 bills proposing amendments to the Public Referendum Act so that referendums will no longer require a double majority.