Legislators support pardoning legislation
**Thailand's Amnesty Bills: A Mixed Stance on Political Offenses**
In the current political landscape of Thailand, the House of Representatives has taken a cautious approach to amnesty bills related to political offenses. As of mid-July 2025, two amnesty bills proposed by the People’s Party and a civil society group have been rejected, while three amnesty bills from coalition parties (Kla Tham and United Thai Nation) and the opposition Bhumjaithai Party have been accepted in principle and are now undergoing vetting and merging [1][3][5].
The rejected bills were viewed as potentially offering amnesty to those charged under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, the lese majeste law. In a significant move, all accepted amnesty bills and proposals explicitly exclude amnesty for offenders of Article 112, upholding the lese majeste protections [1][2][4].
The United Thai Nation Party MP Wichai Sudsawat emphasized that their bill would "not vote for any bill that sought amnesty for offenders of Article 112 or lese majeste laws" [1]. This stance is shared by the BJT party, which will use the scrutiny process to advocate for an inclusive bill [6].
The House has passed three amnesty bills so far. The BJT-sponsored bill passed with 311 votes of support, three against, and 147 abstentions. The Klatham Party-sponsored bill was approved by 311 MPs with 158 abstentions, and the UTN-sponsored bill was accepted by 299 MPs with 172 abstentions [1][3][5]. All three approved bills do not offer amnesty for offenders of the lese majeste law.
The main opposition party, the People's Party, defends its bill, stating it does not contradict the core principles of the others and does not automatically grant amnesty to lese majeste offenders. Sasinan Thamnithinan, a PP MP for Bangkok, asserts that their bill "does not provide amnesty for lese majeste offenders" [7].
Despite the rejections, the BJT party believes an amnesty bill could pass its third and final reading, even with speculation of an early House dissolution. The opposition is prepared to propose key bills regardless [6]. The BJT MPs will work in the committee to prevent any discriminatory laws [8].
Pannika Wanich, a member of the Progressive Movement, expresses concerns that the PP's push for amnesty worsens injustice, discrimination, and the use of law as a political tool [4]. BJT MP Paradorn Prisnanantakul believes granting amnesty to lese majeste offenders could spark more confrontations [2].
This approach underscores Thailand’s cautious political reconciliation process, addressing many political offenses while upholding lese majeste protections [1][2][4]. As the committee works on the merged bill, the future of political amnesty in Thailand remains uncertain.
| Aspect | Status / Stance | |------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------| | Bills from People’s Party & civil society | Rejected by the House | | Bills from Kla Tham, UTNP & Bhumjaithai parties | Accepted in principle; undergoing vetting & merging | | Amnesty coverage | For political offenses excluding Article 112 (lese majeste) offenders | | Lese Majeste law offenders | Explicitly excluded from amnesty in all accepted bills | | BJT party stance | Advocating for an inclusive bill during scrutiny process | | Klatham Party-sponsored bill | Approved by 311 MPs with 158 abstentions | | UTN-sponsored bill | Accepted by 299 MPs with 172 abstentions | | BJT-sponsored bill | Passed with 311 votes of support, three against, and 147 abstentions | | PP's bill stance | Defends the bill, stating it does not contradict core principles | | Early House dissolution | BJT party believes amnesty bill could pass its third and final reading | | Concerns raised by opposition | Injustice, discrimination, and the use of law as a political tool | | Concerns raised by BJT MP | Granting amnesty to lese majeste offenders could spark more confrontations |
References: [1] The Nation. (2025, July 15). Three amnesty bills pass first reading, two rejected. Retrieved from https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30410382 [2] Bangkok Post. (2025, July 16). BJT MP warns of more confrontations if amnesty bill covers lese majeste offenders. Retrieved from https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/2084266/bjt-mp-warns-of-more-confrontations-if-amnesty-bill-covers-lese-majeste-offenders [3] Khaosod English. (2025, July 17). United Thai Nation's amnesty bill passes first reading, while People's Party's proposal is rejected. Retrieved from https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/news-politics-united-thai-nation-amnesty-bill-passes-first-reading-while-peoples-party-proposal-is-rejected/ [4] Reuters. (2025, July 18). Thailand's opposition warns amnesty bill worsens injustice, discrimination. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/thailands-opposition-warns-amnesty-bill-worsens-injustice-discrimination-2025-07-18/ [5] The Bangkok Post. (2025, July 20). House passes three amnesty bills, sets up committee to vet them. Retrieved from https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/2084661/house-passes-three-amnesty-bills-sets-up-committee-to-vet-them [6] The Nation. (2025, July 21). Bhumjaithai still pushing for amnesty bill, even amid speculation of early House dissolution. Retrieved from https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30410702 [7] The Nation. (2025, July 22). PP MP defends party's amnesty bill, says it does not contradict core principles. Retrieved from https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30410760 [8] The Bangkok Post. (2025, July 23). BJT MPs to work in committee to prevent any discriminatory laws. Retrieved from https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/2084753/bjt-mps-to-work-in-committee-to-prevent-any-discriminatory-laws
The ongoing debate surrounding the amnesty bills in Thailand's House of Representatives focuses on the exclusion of Article 112 (lese majeste) offenders from the amnesty coverage. The bills, accepted in principle and currently undergoing vetting and merging, ensure that no amnesty will be granted to lese majeste law offenders, upholding these legal protections in the political landscape (policy-and-legislation). In addition, the importance of politics and general news in Thailand extends to the ongoing scrutiny and potential passing of these amnesty bills, as demonstrated by the stances of various parties and MPs (politics).
