August 12, 2024
BANGKOK – Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has refused to endorse 16 financially related bills of members of the public and MPs, the House Secretariat announced.
The secretariat said there have been 65 bills sponsored by voters and MPs that are considered to require a budget for implementation if enacted, and the secretariat has forwarded 56 of them to the prime minister to endorse.
The secretariat said Srettha endorsed 40 of the bills but rejected 16.
The law requires bills to be endorsed by the prime minister first if their implementation would require a budget before the House of Representatives could start deliberating on them.
Of the 16 rejected bills, eight were sponsored by voters:
– National arts and culture bill
– Bill on medical treatment for employees and those who receive a monthly pension
– War veteran organisation bill
– National good governance bill
– Thai elephant conservation bill
– Native chicken conservation bill
– Bill for support and development of NGOs
– Bill to protect and support local wisdom of traditional medicine
The eight other bills rejected by Srettha were four drafts sponsored by coalition MPs and four others by opposition MPs. They included:
– Bill for establishment of Pua provincial court in Nan, sponsored by Nan MP Sonyong Ramasutra and his group
– Bill on enforcement of Islamic law on families and legacy, proposed by Prachachart Party MP Kamolsak Leewamoh
– Bill for management of Thai fruits, proposed by Bhumjaithai MP Saritpong Kiawkong
– Bill to prevent animal cruelty and to provide animal welfare, proposed by Democrat MP Romtham Khamnurak
The House secretariat added that a total of 131 non-government bills have been submitted to the House so far, 107 by MPs and 24 by voters. A total of 126 of them have passed through the public hearing process and 35 have been tabled for House reading, and so far only one of them has been enacted.
The only non-government bill that has been passed by the current House was the bill to amend the Civil Code to ensure marriage equality for LGBTQ people, the secretariat added.