The parties in the governing coalition have agreed to kill the widely condemned blanket amnesty bill if the Senate rejects it.
The decision was made at a meeting on Saturday attended by senior members of the Pheu Thai Party and others in the coalition.
They signed a declaration stating that if the Senate rejects the bill and returns it to the Lower House, the coalition partners will let it die by not picking it up for reconsideration after 180 days, as required by Section 148 of the charter.
The Senate is scheduled to meet on Monday to debate the bill, which has brought thousands of protesters onto the streets since the House passed it on Nov 1.
Saturday's meeting at Pheu Thai headquarters in Bangkok was called by party leader Charupong Ruangsuwan to assess the political situation.
Those attending the meeting included Chartthaipattana leader Theera Wongsamut; Chart Pattana leader Wannarat Charnukul; Palang Chon leader Sonthaya Khunploem; former premier Somchai Wongsawat; Deputy Prime Minister Pongthep Thepkanchana and PM's Office Minister Warathep Rattanakorn. Also attending were Samart Kaewmeechai, who chaired the committee scrutinising the amnesty bill, and Pheu Thai secretary-general Phumtham Vejjayachai.
Mr Samart told the meeting that rectors of various universities had called on the House of Representatives to apologise to the public for backing the amnesty bill. He said he would coordinate a response with House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont.
However, Mr Samart insisted that the MPs supported the amnesty legislation out of an intention to create national reconciliation.
The opposition Democrat Party and others have taken to the streets to demand that the bill be scrapped because it would whitewash fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra among others.
