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Ethnic Protection Bill
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The Bill on the Protection and Promotion of Ethnic Ways of Life (Thai: ร่างพระราชบัญญัติคุ้มครองและส่งเสริมวิถีชีวิตกลุ่มชาติพันธุ์), commonly known as the Ethnic Protection Bill, is a proposed Thai law to recognize and enshrine the rights of ethnic communities in Thailand.[1][2][3][4]
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Background
As of May 2025, Thailand has an indigenous population of 6 million.[5] These include over 60 ethnic groups, including Moken, Mlabri, Karen, and Mani.[3] Indigenous peoples in Thailand face discrimination and eviction from ancestral lands as a result of modern conservation laws, and include a large number of stateless individuals.[5][1]
Legislative history
On 5 February 2025, the House of Representatives passed the third reading of the bill 312 to 84, with 2 abstentions and 4 absences.[2]
The bill does not include the term "indigenous peoples", which serves as a point of contention for lawmakers.[6][7][8][9]
On 17 February 2025, the Senate voted 160–1 to pass the bill in principle, with three abstentions, establishing a 27-member special committee.[10]
On 8 April 2025, at the 28th Senate meeting (second regular session), the meeting passed the amendment of the Ethnic Protection Bill by a vote of 124–1, with 8 abstentions and 2 abstentions, before sending it to the House of Representatives for further consideration.
On 6 August 2025, in the 9th meeting of the House of Representatives (the first regular session of the year), the meeting passed the bill amended by the Senate by a vote of 421–0 with 3 abstentions before forwarding it to the Cabinet to be submitted for royal endorsement to be enacted into law.[11][12][13]
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References
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