The dissolution of the House of Representatives has sparked concerns about constitutional amendment.  As facilitating legislation is still under parliamentary consideration, the required referendums may not be held in time to coincide with the general elections.

After public debate on how many referendums are needed to draft a new Constitution, the Constitutional Court has ruled that three referendums are required, but parliament cannot allow the public to elect a Constituent Assembly.

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.

Thais may now have to wait up to six months before the Referendum Act can be amended, after the joint committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives voted to retain the double majority requirement for referendums, and this may also delay the process of amending the Constitution.

Thailand’s road to a new constitution just got longer; the House of Representatives and the Senate could not agree on whether to require a double majority when conducting referendums, further delaying passage of the Referendum Act. Meanwhile, both the Pheu Thai and People’s Parties have put their plans to amend sections in the Constitution concerning politicians’ ethics on hold.

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.

<p>A provincial court has handed a four-month suspended jail term to a man who attempted to dissuade people from voting in the referendum on the junta-sponsored constitution.</p> <p>On 7 November 2017, Ubon Ratchathani Provincial Court sentenced Wichan Phuwihan, 49, to six months in prison and a 30,000 baht fine, according to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/iLawClub/photos/pb.299528675550.-2207520000.1510039180./10159636041090551/?type=3&amp;theater">&nbsp;iLaw</a>.</p>

<p>A court in Bangkok has sentenced an anti-junta activist to four months in prison for tearing up his ballot paper during the referendum on the junta-sponsored 2017 Constitution, but later halved and suspended the jail term.</p> <p>On 26 September 2017, Phra Khanong Provincial Court sentenced Piyarat ‘Toto’ Chongthep, an anti-junta activist, to four months in prison and a 4,000 baht fine.</p>