NLA considers draft bill on national anthem

NLA thus assigned a 15-member special committee to first study about the draft bill within 10 days.

Considering the draft bill - proposed by chairman of NLA committee on education, religion and culture General Preecha Rojsen - many NLA members expressed concerns that some articles were not practical especially the article 45/5.

That article stipulated that public members shall stand or be still in respect and, in case they are driving or riding, shall stop the vehicles, and turn towards the direction from which they hear the national anthem or see people raising the national flag. They shall proceed on their activity after the anthem or the flag-rising activity is ended. Exceptions are only for the vehicles on expressway, railway, airway, waterway or other ways that could not stop the vehicles.

The draft bill was an amendment to the 1986 National Flag Act, which required the national flag-rising ceremony to be held at 8am and at 6pm everyday and public members to pay respect to the ceremony and the national anthem.

The Nation