Deputy Prime Minister's Office Minister Paradorn Prissananantakul on Monday insisted the government would press ahead with efforts to amend the constitution, but declined to give a clear timeline, saying the process depended largely on parliament rather than the executive branch.
His remarks came during a Senate session chaired by Senate Speaker Mongkol Surasajja at parliament on Monday.
During the session, Senator Noraset Pratchayakorn questioned the government over progress on constitutional reform, noting that more than 21 million voters had supported reform in the Feb 8 referendum, yet little detail had been provided on how the government intended to move forward.
The senator asked when amendment proposals would be submitted to parliament, when a second referendum would be held, and how the government planned to ensure meaningful public participation in the drafting process.
Responding on behalf of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Mr Paradorn said the proposed amendment to add Chapter 15/1 -- which would establish a Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA) -- was not solely the government's responsibility, but primarily a matter for the legislature.
He said parliament held the authority to initiate constitutional amendments, adding that the Bhumjaithai Party supported the wishes of the 21 million voters who backed reform.
Mr Paradorn said the party would meet on Tuesday to review proposed changes to Chapter 15/1. If approved by party MPs, Bhumjaithai would seek support from at least one-fifth of parliamentarians to formally submit the amendment bill.
"The government cannot set a timeline for parliament because we do not know whether the bill will pass its first reading or how long the committee process will take," he said.
"However, I can confirm that the government will proceed with every process within its authority, including expediting referendums as quickly as possible while supporting constitutional reform."
Mr Paradorn also said public participation should extend beyond voting in referendums, with citizens given broader opportunities to express their views throughout the drafting process.
However, he acknowledged that any amendment process must comply with rulings by the Constitutional Court, which he said had barred the direct election of members of a constitution drafting assembly.
He added that the government would use all available channels to maximise public participation and ensure any new constitution genuinely reflected the will of the people.
Separately, Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, leader of the opposition People's Party, said after a shadow cabinet meeting with civil society groups that his party wanted a constitution that was "most connected to the people, not merely the fastest possible".
He outlined three key principles for drafting a new charter: maximising public participation, preventing any single group from dominating the drafting process, and removing special privileges for senators in approving constitutional amendments.
The People's Party also pledged to support amendments to Section 256 and Chapter 15/1, back proposals from other parties that shared the same principles, and help civil society groups collect at least 50,000 signatures to submit a citizen-sponsored amendment bill.
Meanwhile, Yingcheep Atchanont, director and manager of Internet Law Reform Dialogue (iLaw), urged the government to announce a clear roadmap for drafting a new constitution, including plans for additional referendums, the selection process for drafters and mechanisms for public consultation.
He argued that senators -- who are not directly elected -- should not hold greater influence than elected MPs or the public in drafting a new constitution.
People's Party list MP Parit Wacharasindhu said the biggest obstacle to constitutional reform remained the 2017 constitution itself.
