Charter amendments have little chance of materialising unless the public pressures the government for change, according to Thammasat University vice rector Prinya Thaewanarumitkul.
Mr Prinya said the government is not treating charter change as a serious issue, as it is preoccupied with other problems.
"The coalition government, with its slim majority, is busy trying to keep itself from losing against the opposition in parliament, while at the same time it is trying to sort out problems which undermine its stability," he said yesterday.
Mr Prinya said some people, mainly from the opposition parties, are pressing for charter change in two key areas -- namely the role of senators in selecting the prime minister and the election system.
The academic went on to say that senators are not likely to support an amendment that seeks to curb their power to pick a premier.
To pass an amendment, the proposal must be backed by the senators, who were handpicked by the now-defunct National Council for Peace and Order.
"Changing the electoral system despite low public confidence in the system used for the March polls will also be a challenger," said Mr Prinya.
The last election was fraught with problems -- most notably with regards to the vote calculation used, which was criticised as unorthodox and confusing.
Mr Prinya said for the charter to be amended, the public would really have to push for a change.
"There needs to be a mass movement -- similar to the one that led to the creation of the 1997 charter," he said, before calling the 1997 charter "the best constitution the country ever had".
He added that while most people are aware of the current constitution, many lack an understanding of its contents.
"This has to do with the charter being too long and too open to interpretation," he said.