The Senate has approved a bill that would make it easier for citizens to propose legislation to parliament.
The bill passed by a vote of 99-2.
It is intended to replace a law that governs the public's ability to initiate new laws, which is seen as too burdensome.
People who want to propose a bill to parliament must go through an arduous process of collecting supporters' names, processing paperwork and drafting the law itself.
Under the proposed legislation, citizens who want to introduce a bill to parliament will be able to provide copies of supporters' ID cards, instead of the copies of household registration documents that are currently required.
The bill also calls for a government agency to help draft people's bills. Other changes include a requirement for verification of relevant documents within 45 days, and an allowance for initiators of legislation to repeat the process of collecting the names of bill supporters within 90 days, in case problems arise with verification.
The bill includes punishment of five years' imprisonment and a fine of up to 100,000 baht against anyone who pays, lures or threatens people to support a bill. A jail term of up to 10 years and/or a fine of up to 200,000 baht is suggested for anyone caught forging a signature or the documents required for initiating a bill.
The Senate will send its approved bill back to the House for further deliberation.