Nattawut urges the parliament to consider the people's version of the Domestic Violence Protection Act, advising against imitating the old government’s habit of postponing agendas by requesting further study first.
On 5 July 2026, Nattawut Buapathum, party-list MP of the People's Party and member of the parliamentary commission on children, youth, women, the elderly, disabled, ethnic groups, and LGBTQ+ communities, spoke about the final week’s parliamentary agenda before the session ends. The people's bill on domestic violence protection, backed by over 20,000 signatures, remains the top pending item. He urged the parliament to prioritize passing the principle and swiftly establish a special committee to examine it, warning against delays such as postponing the agenda or requesting more study, which could negatively impact victim protection and efforts to address widespread domestic violence that frequently makes the news.
The draft Domestic Violence Protection Act, proposed by Waraporn Chaemsanit and 23,989 citizens, was submitted to the House Speaker on 8 April 2025. It passed initial hearings in the previous parliament. The bill contains 26 sections aiming to repeal the nearly 20-year-old 2007 law, update definitions of family violence and family members to reflect current realities, and enhance the powers of officials and protection processes. It grants juvenile and family courts authority to issue protection orders for both victims and perpetrators. The draft also organizes multi-disciplinary assistance systems emphasizing victim autonomy and addresses links to criminal offenses in other laws. This draft was scheduled for parliamentary consideration on 20 May 2026 and remains the first pending matter for the 8 July 2026 session, the last day for legislative review before the session closes.
“The government, especially the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS), has declared prioritizing domestic violence issues and advancing the protection bill early on. Yet the Cabinet’s draft has been delayed despite having been prepared for over three years and sharing the principle of repealing the 2007 law, similar to the people’s version. Although there are differences in approaches to protection processes, politically, MPs Yossanan Wongsawat and the Pheu Thai party have also submitted similar bills, as has the People's Party. Ms. Passarin Ramwong submitted another draft to the House Speaker on 24 June.”
This bill aligns with the people's draft in emphasizing protection based on the victim’s decisions and best interests. However, it differs by proposing a fund for victim protection, making it a financial bill requiring the Prime Minister’s endorsement, which may take time. We understand this, but such issues should not be used to delay the people’s bill already on the agenda or cause further postponements, which would hinder addressing daily domestic violence problems,” Nattawut said.
Besides the Domestic Violence Protection Act draft on the agenda, examination of the 8 July 2026 parliamentary session reveals three urgent bills requiring consideration: the Immigration Act (amendment), the Hotel Act (amendment), and the Social Peace Promotion Act, also known as the Amnesty Act. The latter has been amended by the Senate and is expected to require significant time for debate and voting. Other pending people’s bills include the Human Resource Management Profession Act, the Gender Identity, Gender Expression, and Sex Characteristics Recognition Act, the Government Lottery Office Act (amendment), and the Pollution Emission and Transfer Reporting Act. If not addressed, these will carry over to the next session after 22 August 2026, with no set date for further consideration.
“The problem of pending bills was previously discussed by the House Speaker with all parties, who promised to extend parliamentary sessions if people’s bills remained pending. I have reported this to the media since the start of the session. However, it is clear today that many people’s bills remain unconsidered and likely won’t be addressed this session. We hope that on Wednesday, the parliament will fully dedicate its time to reviewing the legislation. The opposition parties are ready to fulfill their duties. At minimum, we ask to reach the Domestic Violence Protection Act, which is a crucial law affecting the country and citizens’ quality of life. We also hope a committee will be promptly established to review it. There should be no last-minute attempts to postpone or shield the bill for further study as happened in previous governments. The public will criticize their representatives, rendering the parliament ineffective,” Nattawut said.