HIS MAJESTY the King yesterday signed the country’s new constitution – the 20th – giving it royal endorsement and setting in motion a process for the next general election, which is expected late next year.

Through a court secretary, HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn proclaimed the new charter’s promulgation yesterday in a televised royal ceremony that included local and foreign dignitaries, including Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

The new constitution was published in the Royal Gazette about an hour after the ceremony was completed.

The solemn and ritual-laden ceremony, held at the historically significant Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, was broadcast nationwide. The ornate building served as the venue for the country’s parliament until the early 1970s. The King arrived at the throne hall at about 3pm, and the ceremony lasted slightly more than half an hour.

His Majesty signed three copies of the new constitution, which were then stamped by officials and placed on gilded pillars before the King. After signing the three copies with gilded covers, the King ceremoniously handed them to the prime minister.

In his remarks, which were read out by the court official, the King declared that the 2017 constitution would replace the post-coup interim charter of 2014.

The preamble mentioned constitutional crises in the past that had led to political impasses, and said that despite many constitutions, the country still experienced a lack of political stability, occasional disruptions and different conflicts. It partly blamed “dishonest and corrupt people who abused their power and failed to be aware of their responsibility towards the country and the people”. Such acts led to ineffective law enforcement, it said.

The new constitution reflects two changes advised by the Royal Household Bureau in January. One change involves Article 5, which allows the King to use his royal prerogative in line with the traditional rule in cases where no existing laws are applicable. This is the same as Article 7 in the 2007 constitution. In the constitutional draft approved in the referendum last August, Article 5 authorised the Constitutional Court to hold a special meeting with political leaders to deal with any severe crisis or impasse.

Another revision involves the appointment of a regent in Article 16, which allows the King to decide whether to appoint a regent or not when residing outside the Kingdom.

Yesterday’s ceremony was also attended by the foreign diplomatic corps including many ambassadors, privy councillors, Cabinet members, National Legislative Assembly and Constitution Drafting Commission members, the Supreme Court president, heads of independent organisations, and senior military commanders and civil servants.

Prayut said yesterday his government still could not provide a clear schedule for the next general election, as organic laws needed to be issued in preparation for the vote.

In his televised national address last night, he promised that his government would hand over power to a new administration after the next election.

The private sector had mixed reactions to the new constitution, expressing satisfaction about the upcoming general election but also worried about the prospects for political reconciliation.

Diplomatic corps in Bangkok told The Nation that they will continue to monitor the political situation in Thailand closely, as the country was considered for years a model of “democratic achievement” in the region.

“We note that the promulgation of the new Constitution is a step along the government’s road map towards a return to elected government,” said US Embassy spokesperson Melissa Sweeney.

The US, since the 2014 coup that toppled an elected civilian government, has not minced words in criticising the junta’s suppression of democracy and human rights. Washington, however, has lowered its critical tone since the new administration under President Donald Trump took office this year.

Like other European countries, Belgium’s Ambassador to Thailand Philippe Kridelka said the international community was closely following the situation in Thailand as the country was a model in the region for not only economic development but also democratic achievements, freedom of media and a creative and independent-minded civil society.

“As friends of Thailand, we hope the promulgation of the new Constitution will speed up the process towards democratic elections, including the adoption of the needed bylaws,” he said.

Portuguese Ambassador to Thailand Francisco Vaz Patto expressed hope that the promulgation of the new constitution will help Thailand return to full democracy. “With a new constitution, we now have more clarity regarding the road map that we hope will lead to elections as soon as possible,” he said.

International scholars and civic groups were, however, spoke plainly about new developments in Thai politics and the promulgation of the new charter will not change the political atmosphere in the country.

Foreigners, notably investors, would view the promulgation of the new charter as a belated, nonetheless important, step forward to political normalcy, said Yasuhito Asami, a lecturer of Thai studies at the Department of Global Politics, Hosei University in Tokyo. However, the promulgation of the Constitution alone will not do much to improve their confidence in Thailand’s investment climate, he said.

‘Political stability’

“The continuation of a ban on political activities even after the enforcement of the new Constitution will be viewed as evidence that Thailand remains many steps away from true political stability,” Asami said in an e-mail interview.

While the new Constitution set the stage for general elections and offered a wide range of rights and liberties, it did little to correct the dire human rights situation in the country, said Champa Patel, Amnesty International’s director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

“The new constitution keeps in place the full gamut of orders and decrees imposed by the military government since the 2014 coup, which have facilitated widespread human rights violations, from muzzling freedom of expression and peaceful assembly to torture and other ill-treatment,” Patel said in a statement.

Stanley Kang, chairman of the Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce, yesterday welcomed the new Constitution. “It’s alright. We’re comfortable with Thailand’s political road map after [promulgation of the] new Constitution,” he said.

Politics may not count much in investment decision-making, but other factors like public investment in infrastructure and the streamlining of regulations are important parts of the picture, he said.

There are still impediments to private investment such as restrictions on work permits, issuance of visas and the high cost of setting up a company here. Foreign investors have proposed many revisions to regulations to make it easier to do business here but nothing much has changed so far, he said.

Tanit Sorat, a businessman and vice chairman of the Employers’ Confederation of Thai Trade and Industry, expressed confidence in the junta’s road map. “It has become much clearer about the general election, which will be held in the middle of next year,” he said.

That does not mean investors will rush to build factories here, as they have to look at other variables, such as production costs, profitability and the availability of skilled labour. He also expressed concern about the prospects for political reconciliation. The election may not necessarily lead to reconciliation, as Thailand has been deeply divided. Many issues remain unresolved, he said.

Kobsithi Silapachai, head of capital-markets research at Kasikornbank, said it would have a limited positive impact on financial markets – stocks and foreign exchange – because the next general election remains many months away.

The timeline for drafting organic laws is still uncertain and political parties have not yet been allowed to hold political activities.