Doubts have been raised over the 2017 charter's "weapons" to combat corruption as politicians and experts demand more effective measures and clearer roles of the public.
Their concerns dominated a seminar Wednesday on the new constitution -- which has been dubbed the "anti-graft edition" -- that was held in Bangkok.
Participants included Klanarong Chanthik, the former secretary-general of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC); and Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva.
Mr Abhisit said the charter is good at "marketing" as it caters to the needs of people who increasingly cannot stand corruption.
Mr Klanarong expressed admiration for Section 59 of the law, which guarantees the disclosure of public information, and Section 63, which urges the government to protect people who provide clues about such irregularities.
During Wednesday's event, participants questioned whether this approach would bear any fruit.
"It seems as though his charter doesn't trust people even though there are many volunteers" to help in the anti-corruption drive, said Banjerd Singkaneti, Thammasat University's dean of Faculty of Law.
He said it lacks clear measures to support public participation and pave the way for officials to translate these plans into action.
Mana Nimitmongkol, secretary-general of the Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand, also said he did not understand why a proposal to draft a law supporting gatherings for anti-graft work and ensuring the safety of any whistle-blowers, had been discarded.
Only some ideas from the two measures have been maintained in the acts on the NACC and the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, he said.
"This is not enough to assure people of their safety if they discover and reveal dishonest behaviour," he said.
With the current version of the 2017 charter, acting deputy Pheu Thai secretary-general Pongthep Thepkanjana said he saw nothing new in a move to urge people to look out for irregularities and give clues to the government.
"Can people observe the NACC meeting to see whether its commissioners discriminate in favour of somebody?" he asked.
Mr Abhisit also raised concern over people's role in keeping authorities in check through their asset declarations after a new law has allowed officials to give only a "summary" of the assets they own.
The participants also pointed to other issues that may hinder anti-graft efforts.
Mr Pongthep, a former justice minister, blamed the charter for undermining the nation's check-and-balance system because politicians have been stripped of their power to conduct inspections.
He was also concerned about how authorities in independent agencies tasked with scrutiny roles were selected, as they will now require the approval of the National Legislative Assembly.
Within the next five years, the selection process will need a "yes" vote from the Senate.
This raises the question of whether these independent organisations could thoroughly inspect a new government if the NCPO retains power after next year's election, Mr Pongthep said.
NACC chairman Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit said the graft watchdog will work better under the new charter and its organic NACC law, which will allow it to share its workload among various agencies. It is now handling 17,000 complaints.