Government unity remains intact despite the Bhumjaithai Party voting to apply the contentious double-majority rule in a charter amendment referendum in defiance of other coalition parties, according to Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
Ms Paetongtarn said there was no need to patch things up with Bhumjaithai for breaking ranks.
"Let the parliamentary process take its course. Even MPs in the same party don't have to think alike. It doesn't matter. We still work together, regardless," the premier said after most coalition parties and the main opposition People's Party voted to reject the referendum bill containing the double majority rule on Wednesday.
It was the House of Representatives' turn to vote on the bill after the Senate held a vote in which a majority of senators seconded the double-majority requirement on Tuesday.
With the double majority, more than 50% of voters must participate in the referendum, and the majority of those who cast their votes must approve it.
The Senate insisted the double majority rule was the best criterion for passing a referendum that would decide issues of national significance, such as rewriting the constitution.
However, the House of Representatives argued the rule would make it hard for referendums to be approved and offered a single majority instead, where a winning vote of any size is deemed valid.
Earlier, the joint House-Senate committee tried to iron out dissenting views between the two Houses. The Senate members on the panel eventually had their way, and the committee voted to support the double majority rule.
On Wednesday, the House rejected the referendum bill containing the double majority rule by a vote of 326 to 61, with one abstention and one no-vote.
Those opposing the bill were the coalition Pheu Thai, United Thai Nation, Democrat, Prachachart, Kla Dharm and Chartpattana parties. Opposition parties -- PP, Thai Sang Thai and Palang Pracharath -- also opposed it.
Those who voted for the bill were 59 MPs from Bhumjaithai and two MPs from Thai Sang Thai.
The two chambers have now separately met to vote on the bill. They stood firmly by their stances.
The unresolved disagreement has necessitated the bill being put on the back burner for 180 days during a "cooling-off" period. After that, if the House insists on the single majority criterion, the bill will be presented to the King for endorsement and enacted into law.
The next hurdle is how many referendums will be organised for a charter amendment.
The Constitutional Court has stipulated three referendums: a first one asking if voters agree with a charter rewrite; a second on whether Section 256 of the constitution, which makes way for setting up a charter-drafting body, needs amending; and a third on whether voters' support for a new charter should be adopted.
However, the PP is consulting Parliament President Wan Muhammad Noor Matha to try to reduce the referendums to two rounds in the hope of saving time so the charter rewrite may be completed within the life of the current government.
