Pheu Thai to Submit Constitutional Amendment Draft with 152-Member Charter Council, New Constitution Within 300 Days, Seeks Support from Other Parties
Pheu Thai will submit a constitutional amendment draft proposing a 152-member charter council to complete a new constitution within 300 days, but needs support from other parties since it lacks sufficient parliamentary votes alone.
At 11:05 a.m. on May 26, 2025, at Pheu Thai party headquarters, party members Chusakdi Sirinit, Jaturon Chayaeng, Manphorn Charoensri, and other party representatives announced progress on the party's constitutional amendment draft to be presented to parliament.
Chusakdi stated that Pheu Thai has completed work on a task force for amending Article 256 of the constitution and will present the draft to the party meeting today for parliamentarian endorsement. The draft's core principles emphasize maximum public engagement and do not contradict the Constitutional Court's September 10, 2024 ruling.
The party proposes establishing a charter council (ส.ส.ร.) with 152 members, comprising 100 selected by parliament from 300 preliminary nominees chosen by citizens in each province, plus 52 appointed representatives from various professional, political, business, and civil society organizations. This diversity ensures the new charter reflects views from multiple sectors.
The draft maintains prohibitions on changing the form of government and the democratic system with the King as head of state, per Article 255 principles. Additionally, it includes provisions protecting rights, freedoms, equality, and human dignity, with effective mechanisms for checking state power and preventing corruption.
Chusakdi emphasized the need for decentralization of power and set a 300-day timeline for drafting. He noted that since the amendment requires at least one-fifth of parliamentary members (approximately 100 votes) but Pheu Thai has only 74 representatives, the party must seek support from other political parties. Manphorn has been tasked with coordinating with other parties, presenting this as a national matter rather than an opposition versus government issue. The draft is expected to be submitted to parliament's president by early June.