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.

During a parliamentary session on Wednesday (16 July), 375 out of 456 MPs voted in favour of returning the bill to Parliament for consideration. It was put on hold for 180 days on 18 December 2024 due to disagreements between the upper and lower houses over a double majority requirement. As written, the 2021 Referendum Act stipulates that a referendum can only pass if it secures a double majority – a turnout of more than half of all eligible voters, at least half of whom vote for the measure.

The Senate and House have been at loggerheads over whether to retain the requirement. In August 2024, the House passed a bill amending the Act so that a double majority was no longer required.  The Senate later voted to re-instate the requirement. In spite of a push by Bhumjaithai MPs to support the Senate’s position, the House responded on 9 October by voting 345 to 0, with 65 abstentions, to reject Senate changes.

A joint committee was then formed to propose a new version of the bill and on 20 November, it voted 13 to 9 in favour of requiring a double majority.

The bill was subsequently returned to the House and the Senate for another reading. On 17 December, the Senate voted 153 to 24 to approve it and the following day, 18 December, a majority in the House (326) again voted to reject it.  Of the 61 who supported it, 59 were Bhumjaithai MPs.  Another two were from Thai Sang Thai. Bhumjaithai Secretary-General and MP Chaichanok Chidchob explained ahead of the vote that the party would stand by its opinion that a double majority was necessary to make a referendum legitimate.

As the bill was not approved by both houses, it was put on hold for 180 days.

People’s Party MP Parit Wacharasindhu explained that the bill is needed to amend the current constitution. Whether this is done article by article or by drafting a new one, it requires a referendum. For the sake of the country’s political progress, he called on the government to move swiftly.

MP Chaturon Chaisang from the Pheu Thai Party expressed concern that the double majority clause, which requires a turnout of more than half of all eligible voters, could be used as a tool by those opposed to a new constitution, as they could easily block the amendment process by encouraging people to stay home.

Meanwhile, Bhumjaithai MP Boonthida Somchai reaffirmed party support for the double majority, arguing that it will ensure that a true majority wants change - something that a single majority referendum cannot guarantee.