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Parliament to deliberate charter changes while Constitutional Court ruling is pending

30 Sept 23:31 Key points summarised by AI

Thai Parliament proceeds with second-reading deliberations of charter amendment bills on February 24-25, despite a pending Constitutional Court ruling on the constitutionality of a full charter rewrite.
Parliament previously voted to seek the court's opinion on whether rewriting the entire charter requires prior public consent, as the current charter was endorsed by a referendum.
A parliamentary panel has completed draft amendments, proposing an elected 200-member Constitution Drafting Council to write a new charter, explicitly excluding chapters on general provisions and the monarchy.
Government chief whip Wirat Rattanaseth affirmed that parliament would continue with the amendment process regardless of the court's decision, noting that if a full rewrite is ruled unconstitutional, the government would pursue section-by-section amendments to avoid referendum costs.

Yesterday 17:04 Key points summarised by AI

Civic groups, including those representing labourers and older people, submitted a protest letter demanding the Bhumjaithai Party withdraw bills to shift funding for four organizations (Thai PBS, Older Persons Fund, Thai Health Promotion Foundation, Sports Authority of Thailand) from earmarked taxes to the central government budget.
Leaders argue these organizations were established for public interest, supporting public service media, elder care, public health, and sports development, and any amendments should consider all stakeholders' views.
Over 70% of parliamentary poll respondents opposed the proposed changes, prompting civic leaders to call on the ruling party to respect the people's will and withdraw the bills.
A network of slum dwellers also opposes the funding changes, threatening a rally if the government fails to address their demands.