Pheu Thai Pushes Bill to Improve Quality of Life for People With Disabilities

Pheu Thai is advancing a draft law to promote and improve the quality of life for people with disabilities, emphasizing equality and pledging to leave no one behind. The party proposes establishing a committee to address unfair discrimination, improving the effectiveness of disability funds, and placing citizens at the center of policy.

On September 22, 2025, at 3:30 p.m., Prapaporn Thongpaknam, Sukhothai MP and deputy spokesperson for Pheu Thai, announced that the draft law aims to make the rights of people with disabilities clearer and easier to access and enforce. While existing laws protect disability rights, in practice many people with disabilities still face discrimination, cannot access buildings, encounter inadequate transportation and public services, and have limited access to the justice system. The draft law addresses three key issues:

1. Protection from unfair discrimination, with a broader definition that covers not just intentional actions but also indirect impacts, denial of reasonable assistance, abuse, and neglect of dependent people with disabilities. The bill proposes creating a dedicated committee to mediate disputes, make determinations, impose temporary protective measures, and order compensation when rights are violated. People with disabilities need clear complaint channels, responsible agencies, and rapid assistance, rather than fighting alone.

Prapaporn explained that 2. Public places and services must be truly accessible through universal design principles applicable to everyone. Buildings, transportation systems, and public services must consider disability access from the design and planning stages, not be retrofitted after construction. The law also emphasizes the role of people with disabilities in the justice system. If a person with disabilities is involved as a victim, witness, suspect, or defendant, they can request support from social workers, psychologists, or trusted individuals during investigation and testimony to ensure full communication, understanding, and exercise of their rights.

Prapaporn continued that 3. The law proposes improving disability fund management by upgrading the existing subcommittee to a full fund management committee, involving experts in finance, accounting, economics, and law. The fund can allocate up to 30 percent for long-term investments to generate income and ensure future stability, share support with local disability funds, and expand assistance measures for borrowers facing serious hardship such as death, illness, increased disability, or inability to work, allowing them to request debt reduction or postponement under applicable criteria.

"Pheu Thai believes that people with disabilities should not be viewed merely as recipients of assistance, but should have rights, opportunities, and equal treatment like all citizens," Prapaporn said. "The heart of this draft law is not simply writing more rights on paper, but making those rights a reality in daily life."