BANGKOK, 18 September 2014 – The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) has given the green light to seven draft laws in the first reading while special committees will be established to look over the drafts before their resubmission to Parliament. After being proposed by the chief of the National Council for Peace and Order, a total of seven draft bills were accepted in principle by the NLA today. Over the next seven days, amendment committees will be formed with the responsibility of reviewing the drafts and making alterations as appropriate.
The amendment process is set to be finished within a 30-day timeframe prior to the second and third readings. Among the seven bills were the bill on international carriage by air and the bill on related violations, which Transport Minister ACM Prajin Juntong said had been updated from the existing laws for higher security. Similarly, Deputy Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith stressed that the passing of the bills on international carriage of passengers by road, land transportation and motor vehicles would lead to more effective law enforcement and raise the confidence of commuters and service providers.
A nod was also given to the bill on measurement standard which carries changes that better reflect the current economic condition and more effectively prevent business operators from taking advantage of consumers. Meanwhile, despite its approval, the bill on establishment of Administrative Court and Administrative Court procedure attracted heavy debates due to legal discrepancies and opposition by a number of Administrative Court judges. Justice Minister Gen Paiboon Khumchaya assured that amendments could still be made by the responsible committee and that all opinions would be taken into account.
