Parliament Approves Amnesty Bill With 306 Votes

On July 8, 2025, the House of Representatives considered the Promoting Peaceful Society Bill following the Senate's amended version. At 5:30 p.m., Nikorn Chamnong, a Bhumjaithai list MP, discussed the contentious amnesty provisions potentially linked to Senate selection irregularities, firmly stating these claims were unfounded. He explained that the original 25 criminal charges in the bill's appendix applied only to youth and did not explicitly grant amnesty from Article 112 charges.

Nikorn noted that the Senate's amendments clarified the law's scope by specifying that exemptions apply only to crimes unrelated to electoral fraud, unfair elections, and false qualifications. He emphasized that the Anying case was separate and governed by different legislation, thus not connected to Senate acquisition issues.

Regarding Section 11, Nikorn stated the Senate added language rather than removed it, clarifying that youth under 18 charged with crimes outside the specified list could seek case dismissal—except Article 112 violations, which conflict with Section 3's prohibitions. He warned that without this clarification, the law would appear contradictory and resemble the controversial 2006 amnesty, potentially creating social discord.

Nikorn argued that allowing Article 112 charges for youth would unfairly burden 6,000 people and create legal inconsistency. He urged approval to end a 20-year conflict and provide remedies for affected youth.

The House voted 306 in favor, 141 opposed, 2 abstained, with no votes against. The bill received parliamentary approval and will proceed under Constitution Article 81.