Should the PM decide or forced to go to the polls under the existing constitution, what happens when the inevitable cheating occurs and the guilty political party is banned

Back to square 1?

Hog Head my thoughts exactly

They already had an election after the coup and that is what happened

Could be...it's one of the best reasons to have a national referendum on the changes to the Constitution *before* having general elections.

If they run the referendum in conjunction with the general elections, and your scenario takes place, which Constitution will apply? It might end up with the courts having to rule for another referendum.

Plus, I don't really know what changes are going to be effected into the existing Constitution. Will there have to be a majority vote in Parliament - or a simple quorum - or something else - for each article to be changed?

And would a referendum simply ask to ratify *all* the changes at once, or will the electorate be allowed to vote on each change separately?

Any Constitutional specialists out there?

More info on the current Thai constitution can be found here:

http://www.asianlii.org/th/legis/const/2007/1.html

English translation of constitution

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Constitution_of_Thailand

background information