The Election Commission (EC) will hand out copies of the draft charter, along with a summary containing the pros and cons of the draft, so people can make an informed decision in the July 31 referendum.
Commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn said yesterday the EC asked the government for 200 million baht to print and distribute copies of the draft constitution along with related documents and fact sheets.
A total of 1.2 million copies of the full version of the draft will be made available in public libraries, local administration offices and educational institutions, he said. Six million copies of a detailed summary of the charter will be sent to public agencies and schools, he added.
In the final weeks leading up to the referendum, the EC will distribute 17 million copies of fact sheets, outlining important points of the draft charter, to households nationwide.
Total costs for printing and distribution should not exceed 170 million baht, Mr Somchai said. The remaining 30 million baht will be used in case more copies are needed.
Organising the referendum will cost about three billion baht.
The commissioner added that copies of the summary will also include lists of the pros and cons of the proposed charter submitted by political groups who registered with the EC to campaign for or against the draft.
"The referendum process needs to be fair," he said. "All sides must have equal opportunities and space to express their views regarding the draft."
However, he stressed that people should carefully read the EC's charter documents and make their decision based on the draft's content rather than emotion.
The EC will do its part to educate the public on the contents of the draft charter, he added.
As the documents are distributed, commissioners will work with the EC's provincial offices, related networks, local authorities, schools and communities to ensure that everyone obtains draft charter information.
On the day of the referendum, EC officials will help guide voters to the closest polling stations and ensure that disabled and elderly voters can access stations, Mr Somchai said.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said he could not predict whether the draft charter would pass the referendum.
Returning from the US-Asean meeting in Sunnylands, California, yesterday, Gen Prayut reiterated he did not seek to prolong his hold on power.