Young politicians from the Pheu Thai, Chartthaipattana, Future Forward and Democrat parties have all said that amending the charter will be their top priority if their respective parties win the election slated for February.
Pheu Thai's Khattiya Sawatdiphol, Chartthaipattana's Varawut Silpa-archa, and Future Forward's Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit said constitutional change is needed to fairly reflect the demands of the public.
They shared their views at a seminar at Thammasat University convened to discuss what lies in store for the country after the poll.
Mr Varawut, a core member of the Chartthaipattana Party, said the current constitution is flawed and also limits what the next government will be able to do in terms of policy. He said this would take more than one election to fix.
Praising the 1997 constitution as a model truly reflective of modern society, Ms Khattiya agreed that the content of the charter should incorporate more public participation rather than skewing to the interests of one particular group.
She said focusing on the next 20 years alone is "shortsighted" and would hinder the nation's development in the long run.
"The person who drafted the constitution will not be around to use it for that long," she said.
"The consequences will be felt by the next generation. They will be the ones who have to live according to its rules."
Mr Thanathorn, founder of the up-and-coming Future Forward Party, criticised the 2017 constitution for being undemocratic, which he described as violating the belief that power belongs in the hands of the people.
Former Democrat MP Rachada Dhnadirek agreed the constitution is flawed but said it could always be amended later with a focus on prioritising the decentralisation of power and moving to improve the country's flagging education system.
The panelists also denounced the junta's tactic of "poaching" politicians. Ms Rachada said the tactic was undemocratic and politicians who allowed themselves to be lured to other parties would most probably end up representing themselves rather than the public interest.
She said the first condition to getting the country back on the road to democracy and nurturing a culture of democracy would be for the public to select representatives that genuinely serve the public interest.
"They need to know ... the politicians and policies of each party," she said.
When asked whether their parties would endorse Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha as prime minister if they were to win in the poll, none of the panelists answered in the affirmative.
The panelists said no outside power should interfere with Thai politics and the country should let the process of democratisation run its natural course.
