Seminar on Thai Constitution as Political Battlefield

Matichon•Politics•32m ago

Reader Briefing

Academics and political leaders discussed the role of the Thai constitution as a tool of power and the need for a new version reflecting public will.

•A seminar titled 'Thai Constitutional Law in the 21st Century: Critiques and Praises' was held on November 14, 2026.
•The event took place at the Faculty of Law, Thammasat University (Tha Phrachan), organized by the Public Law Center.
•Speakers including Thongchai Winichakul, Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, and others debated whether the constitution serves as a tool to limit power or a tool for authoritarianism.

•Thongchai Winichakul stated that in Thai society, laws have historically been tools to justify the exercise of power rather than tools to limit it.
•Thongchai Winichakul described the Thai constitution as a battlefield between the force of rule by man and the force attempting to establish a democratic regime.
•Piyabutr Saengkanokkul divided the history of Thai constitutional law into four eras, asserting that in the 21st century, the constitution has become a tool for authoritarianism.
•Piyabutr Saengkanokkul argued that the 2017 Constitution is currently in a temporary status awaiting complete cancellation due to the will of the people.
•Piyabutr Saengkanokkul cited a referendum on February 8 where over 21 million votes expressed a desire for a new constitution.
•Piyabutr Saengkanokkul claimed the 2017 Constitution's amendment section acts more as a mechanism to prevent amendments than to facilitate them.
•Rawin Leelaphatana suggested that the Thai constitution is influenced by a tension between international standards and 'Thai-style' principles.
•Tossaporn Saensawat noted that while Thailand has tested over 20 constitutions since 1932, the principle of human dignity remains a core shared value.

Full article content is available on the original source.

Thongchai Winichakul(ธงชัย วินิจจะกูล)ℹ️

A lecturer in the Department of History at Wisconsin-Madison University, USA.

Piyabutr Saengkanokkul(ปิยบุตร แสงกนกกุล)ℹ️

A leader of the Progressive Movement.

Tossaporn Saensawat(ทศพร แสนสวัสดิ์)

A lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Chulalongkorn University.

Rawin Leelaphatana(รวินทร์ ลีละพัฒนะ)

A lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Thammasat University.

Aphinop Atipiboonsin(อภินพ อติพิบูลย์สิน)

A lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Thammasat University.

Thammasat University(มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์)ℹ️

The institution where the seminar took place, specifically at the Tha Phrachan campus.

Faculty of Law, Thammasat University(คณะนิติศาสตร์ มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์)ℹ️

The specific faculty that hosted the academic seminar.

Public Law Center(ศูนย์กฎหมายมหาชน)

The organizer of the academic seminar on Thai constitutional law.

Progressive Movement(คณะก้าวหน้า)ℹ️

The organization led by Piyabutr Saengkanokkul.

Chulalongkorn University(จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)ℹ️

The institution where Tossaporn Saensawat is a lecturer.

Wisconsin-Madison University(มหาวิทยาลัย Wisconsin-Madison)

The US university where Thongchai Winichakul teaches history.

2017 Constitution(รัฐธรรมนูญ 2560)

The current Thai constitution which Piyabutr Saengkanokkul argues must be amended or replaced.