US EditionExplainer: Why Thailand Will Vote to Decide a New Constitution
A majority Yes vote would authorize parliament to draft a new constitution, initiating a multi-year process with two additional referendums, supporters say.
- On February 8, voters will decide in a national referendum whether Thailand should start drafting a new constitution, giving parliament a mandate to begin amendments if approved.
- Long rooted in a 2017 military-drafted charter, the current constitution was written by a military-appointed committee after the 2014 coup and would remain if a majority votes No.
- The first step would be to lay out a drafting framework, naming drafters, followed by a second referendum to approve the process and a third to ratify the final draft, experts say the sequence could take at least two years.
- Most mainstream parties are urging a Yes vote, with the Bhumjaithai Party, People's Party, and Pheu Thai backing amendments while Bhumjaithai says changes must protect the monarchy; opponents include ultra-conservative figures and the pro-military United Thai Nation Party that supported Prayuth Chan-ocha.
- Over the long term, constitutional change could reshape unelected institutions like the Senate and Constitutional Court, amid Thailand's constitutional history of 20 constitutions since 1932 and 13 coups in 94 years.
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Thailand’s Constitutional Referendum and What Is at Stake
Thailand’s February 8 general election is accompanied by a referendum that goes to the heart of the country’s long-standing political struggle: whether to replace the 2017 constitution, a charter drafted under military rule following the 2014 coup. The referendum represents the latest episode in a decades-long contest between Thailand’s royalist–military establishment and popular democratic forces […] The post Thailand’s Constitutional Referendu…
'Uniting the Stances of All Parties' 'Approval or Disapproval': Paving the Way for a New Constitution. Report by: Natthapol Mekhsophon and Anupap Sinsaet. XmasUser Fri, 2026-01-30 - 15:48. Many are aware that in the 2026 election, besides choosing the right person and the party they like to represent them in the House of Representatives, citizens must also vote in a referendum to determine whether or not to open the door to drafting a new consti…
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