Thailand sets up committee to study holding referendum on constitutional amendments

At a press conference the same day, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said the committee will include representatives from the government and the opposition as well as academics, political activists and legal experts. The committee is expected to hold its first meeting next week.

The commission has a time frame of three to four months, or at least before the new year, to come to a conclusion on the referendum (on constitutional amendments). Mr Phumtham said the Cabinet would approve and submit the commission's recommendations to the Election Commission before the referendum.

Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham also made it clear that the new constitution will not change anything related to the monarchy. “We will not mention Chapter I and Chapter II which cover the royal prerogatives in other chapters,” he said.

Thailand's current constitution, drafted after a 2014 military coup, came into effect in 2017 and gives sweeping powers to unelected officials and the armed forces.

Previously, during the campaign before the 2023 general election, Mr. Srettha's Pheu Thai party also pledged to hold a referendum on changing the constitution, arguing that the current constitution was used to expand the power of the government at that time.