The Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party reaffirmed its position opposing the scrapping of the 2017 Constitution, viewing that amendments can be made clause by clause. They argued that royal prerogatives are not limited to Chapters 1 and 2, and expressed confidence that the government has alternatives other than discarding the entire document.
At 11:00 a.m. on 22 Jan 2026 GMT+7, at the Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party headquarters, party leader and prime ministerial candidate Peerapant Salirutwipak announced the party's stance on constitutional amendments. He said the party had discussed the matter following repeated public inquiries about its view on adopting a new constitution. Today, he took the opportunity to explain and clarify to the public the party’s opinion regarding the government's inquiry into whether a new constitution should be drafted.
The Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party confirmed to the public that it does not support adopting a new constitution. Their reasoning is that such an open-ended question lacks a clear framework for what the new constitution would be. Saying it would be a new constitution implies scrapping the 2017 Constitution entirely. However, constitutional amendments can be made without discarding the existing document. The 2017 Constitution is not fundamentally flawed, though, like any constitution, it has imperfections that can be corrected. The party agrees that many clauses should be amended but opposes discarding and rewriting the entire constitution, as that approach has no framework and is essentially an open-ended question. If the public or even the Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party supports a new constitution, it means agreeing to scrap the existing constitution without clear guidelines, which would eliminate all provisions in Chapters 1 and 2.
Furthermore, the constitution includes provisions related to the royal prerogatives of the nation’s key institution across various articles, which would disappear entirely if the constitution were scrapped. Thus, there is no guarantee that drafting a new constitution would not affect these prerogatives. The government claims it is following the Constitutional Court’s instructions to ask questions step by step, but this is not accurate. The court itself stated that the first and second referendums can be combined and did not require them to be separate. Even if the court suggested separate inquiries, it did not prohibit the government from informing the public about the scope of the amendments. Therefore, the government’s claim of compliance with the court is misleading. It is important to clarify that amending the constitution and scrapping it are different matters. The consequences extend beyond these points to include issues such as individuals who lost rights or were disenfranchised under the 2017 Constitution. If the constitution is scrapped, these individuals would regain their rights and qualifications, contradicting the 2017 Constitution’s anti-corruption intent. Scrapping the constitution leaves no guarantees regarding these concerns.
After careful consideration, the Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party maintains its position of opposing a new constitution that involves discarding the existing one and posing open-ended questions. Such an approach would have impacts without guarantees that the new constitution would avoid the issues mentioned earlier.
Meanwhile, Atthawit Suwanpakdee, the party’s second prime ministerial candidate, reiterated that the current constitution can be amended but not scrapped. He noted that some parties claiming to protect Chapters 1 and 2 overlook that the royal prerogatives are not confined to Chapter 2 alone. Important royal powers connecting the legislative branch—such as the right to veto laws after parliamentary approval—and the prerogative to appoint security military officials and senior civil servants are royal powers not located in Chapter 2. He urged all political parties to fully read and understand what they are about to do. This difference distinguishes an amendable constitution from one that must not be scrapped. Therefore, the party insists it opposes scrapping the constitution but supports amendments. The current government already has options, whether proposing clause-by-clause amendments or drafting a new document through a method that is not an open-ended referendum. The current approach is inappropriate. If amendments or approval occur after 8 Feb, broad criticism of state and institutional structures will arise, which is a major concern for the party.
When asked about plans to educate the public, Peerapant said this was the party’s opinion. They have no right to influence public views and respect the people's opinions. He and the team held this press conference today to reaffirm the party's stance in response to the recurring questions about Ruam Thai Sang Chart’s position.