The Government of Thailand, or formally the Royal Thai Government, is the
unitary government of the Kingdom of Thailand. The country emerged as a
modern nation state after the foundation of the Chakri Dynasty and the city of
Bangkok in 1782. The Revolution of 1932 brought an end to absolute monarchy and
replaced it with a system of constitutional monarchy.
From then on the country was ruled by a succession of military leaders installed
after coups d’etat, the most recent in May 2014, and a few democratic
parentheses. The 2007 Constitution was eventually annulled by the 2014
coup-makers who run the country as a military dictatorship.
Thailand has so far had seventeen Constitutions; however the basic
structure of government has remained the same. The Government of Thailand is made
up of three branches: the executive, the legislative, and the judiciary, the
system of government is modelled after the Westminster system. All branches of
the government are located within Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand.
Since May 2014 Thailand has been ruled by a military junta, the National
Council for Peace and Order, which has partially repealed the 2007
constitution, declared martial law and nationwide curfew, banned political
gatherings, arrested and detained politicians and anti-coup activists,
imposed internet censorship and taken control of the media.
The monarchy The King of Thailand, King Bhumibol
Adulyadej, is the world's longest reigning monarch. He has reigned since
1946. The constitution stipulates that although the sovereignty of the state is
vested in the people, the king will exercise such powers through the three
branches of the Thai government. Under the constitution the king is given very
little power, but remains a figurehead and symbol of the Thai nation. As the
head of state, however, he is given some powers and has a role to play in the
workings of government. According to the constitution, the king is head of the
armed forces. He is required to be Buddhist as well as the defender of all
faiths in the country. The king also retained some traditional powers such as
the power to appoint his heirs, the power to grant pardons, and the royal
assent. The king is aided in his duties by the Privy Council of Thailand.
The king is head of the House of Chakri, the ruling house of Thailand founded by
King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke in 1782. The monarchy and the royal family commands
huge respect in Thailand. The present monarch has a great deal of popular
respect and moral authority, which has been used at times to resolve political
crises. The monarch's official home is the Grand Palace, however the present
king lives primarily in the Chitralada Palace in Bangkok or the Klai Kangwon
Villa, in Hua Hin. The monarch's household is managed by the Bureau of
the Royal Household and his finances by the Crown Property Bureau.
The heir to the throne is the Crown Prince of Thailand, Prince Maha
Vajiralongkorn. The succession to the throne is governed by the 1924 Palace
Law of Succession, promulgated by King Vajiravudh. Palace law follows the male
agnatic primogeniture, where males are only allowed to succeed and inheritance
is passed only from father to son and through male line only.
Executive = Prime minister=
Since 1932 the head of government of Thailand has been the Prime Minister of
Thailand, usually the leader of the largest party or the largest coalition
party in the lower house of parliament. The prime minister is, in accordance
with the constitution, selected, first by an election in the lower house, then
officially appointed by the King. The prime minister, as head of the
executive branch, is also the leader of the Cabinet of Thailand. The prime
minister therefore retains the prerogative to appoint or remove any
minister he or she so chooses. As the most visible member of the government
the prime minister represents the country abroad and is the main
spokesperson for the government at home. The prime minister's official residence
is Baan Phitsanulok, a mansion in the Dusit district of Bangkok.
The most recent prime minister was Yingluck Shinawatra of the Pheu Thai
Party, the first female prime minister of Thailand. She was removed from office
by the Constitutional Court of Thailand on 7 May 2014, on charges of abuse of
power. She was replaced briefly by an interim prime minister, Niwatthamrong
Boonsongpaisan, and then succeeded by General Prayut Chan-o-cha, leader of the
military coup of 22 May 2014. = Cabinet=
The Cabinet of Thailand or the Council of Ministers of Thailand is a council
composed of 35 ministers of state and deputy ministers, who run the cabinet
ministries of the kingdom. There are currently 20 cabinet ministries,
accounting for the main portion of state employees. The cabinet is responsible
for the formulation and execution of policies of the government. Members of
the cabinet do not necessarily need to be members of the lower house as in
other countries, but most often are. The Office of the Prime Minister and the
cabinet offices are in a building complex called the Government House of
Thailand. Legislative
= National assembly= The legislative branch of the Thai
government was first established in the "temporary" constitution of 1932. The
assembly first met on 28 June 1932 in the Ananda Samakhom Throne Hall. The
National Assembly of Thailand is a bicameral legislature and is composed of
two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The legislative branch
took its current form in 2007. The national assembly has 630 members. Both
houses of the national assembly meet at the Parliament House of Thailand.
The Senate The upper house of the legislative
branch was first established in 1946. However, for most of its history the
Senate has been the stronghold of the military and the elite. The current
Senate has 150 members. Seventy-six members are elected, one per province
from the 75 provinces of Thailand and one from the Bangkok Metropolitan Area.
The other 74 are selected by the Senate Selection Commission, made up of both
elected and appointed officials. The chamber is strictly a non-partisan,
and members may not be a member of a partisan organisation, the House of
Representatives, the judiciary, or the cabinet for five years. The Senate has
little legislative power, but retains considerable powers of scrutiny and
appointment as the Senate is vested with the power to advise on the appointment
of members of the judiciary and independent government agencies. The
Senate sits for a set six year non-renewable term. The Senate cannot be
dissolved. The Senate is presided over by a president of the Senate, who is
also the Vice-President of the National Assembly. He is assisted by two
vice-presidents of the Senate. The last election to the Senate was in 2008.
The Senate and the House of Representatives were abolished after 22
May 2014 coup by the "National Council for Peace and Order". Currently,
according to the interim Constitution of Thailand imposed by NCPO, there is no
Senate. The House of Representatives
The lower house of the legislative branch has been in existence in some
form since 1932. The House of Representatives is the primary
legislative house of the government of Thailand. The House includes 500
members. Three hundred seventy-five of the MPs are elected directly from
single-seat constituencies around the country. The other 125 members are
selected using "proportional representation" through party-lists.
There are eight electoral areas from which the proportionally representative
votes are taken and 375 constituencies. This system is called the "mixed member
majoritarian" in which a voter has two votes, one for the constituency MP, and
the other for a party in the voter's electoral area.
The house is a partisan chamber with seven political parties. The house is
the primary legislative chamber and the more powerful of the two houses. The
house has the power to remove both the prime minister and cabinet ministers
through a vote of no confidence. The house sits for a term of four years,
however a dissolution of the house can happen anytime before the expiration of
the term. The house is led by the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
who is also the President of the National Assembly. He is assisted by two
deputy speakers. The leader of the largest party or
largest coalition party will most likely become prime minister, while the leader
of the largest party with no members holding any ministerial positions will
become the leader of the opposition. The leader of the opposition is a powerful
position with considerable influence. The leader is assisted by a shadow
cabinet. The last general election for the house was in 2007.
After the 2007 election the People's Power party won the most seats with the
Democrats and Chart Thai party trailing behind. However, after the 2008
political crisis and the ruling of the constitutional court on 2 December 2008,
in which the PPP plus the Chart Thai and Neutral Democratic Parties, the prime
minister and several party executives were banned from politics for five
years, the composition of the house changed. The successor of the PPP still
retained most seats, however the remainder of the coalition partners
defected and joined a Democrat-led government which was inaugurated on 17
December 2008, leaving the For Thais Party and the Pracharaj Party in
opposition. The House of Representatives and the
Senate were abolished after 22 May 2014 coup by the NCPO. Currently, according
to the interim Constitution of Thailand imposed by NCPO, there is no House of
Representatives. Legislative power is vested in the National Legislative
Council, appointed by the NCPO. Judiciary
The judiciary of Thailand is composed of three distinct systems: the Court of
Justice system, the Administrative Court system and the Constitutional Court.
= Courts of Justice= The Courts of Justice of Thailand is the
largest of the court system and makes up the majority of courts in the kingdom.
The courts as mandated in the constitution are composed of three
tiers: the Court of First Instance, the Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court
of Justice of Thailand. There are no verbatim transcripts kept
by the trial court. The court record is composed of the courts decision.
Research judges assist the sitting judges. Judges must take an examination
and two different examinations are given: one exam is for judges trained in
Thailand and a different examination is given for judges who graduate from
foreign law schools. All judges are formally appointed by the king.
The Asian Human Rights Commission called the Thai legal system a "mess" and
called for a drastic overhaul of Thailand's criminal procedures. It cited
the rampant use of forced confessions, and the fact that even a senior justice
ministry official admitted that 30% of cases went to court with no evidence. It
also criticised the judiciary for failing to ensure that trials are
conducted speedily, citing the case of four Thai men accused of plotting to
kill Supreme Court President Praman Chansue. The accused were present in
court 461 times before 91 different judges since proceedings began in 1993
and ended in 2008. While these proceedings continued, Mr Praman died in
2007. = Administrative courts=
The administrative court system is made up of two tiers: The Administrative
Courts of First Instance and the Supreme Administrative Court. The court system
was first created in 1997. The court's main jurisdiction is to settle
litigation between the state or an organ of state and private citizens.
= Constitutional court= First set up in 1997, the Constitutional
Court of Thailand was created solely as a high court to settle matters
pertaining to the constitution. The court has since accumulated huge amounts
of power and influence, generating many controversies on the way. This became
especially clear during the 2006 and 2008 political crises, settling
political deadlocks and social unrest. Legal system
Thailand's legal system blends principles of traditional Thai and
Western laws. The Western-sourced laws are often misused and corrupted. The
traditional "Thai" laws are the product of Hindu-Brahmin laws used by the Khmer
Empire. There is no discovery in the Thai legal system. Slander and libel are
not civil torts in Thailand but criminal offences.
Thailand's legal system has been often criticised by other countries for having
penalties of life in prison or even death for crimes such as drug possession
or smuggling, while having lenient penalties for crimes such as terrorism
and marital abuse resulting in spousal death.
The criminally accused are entitled to have a court-appointed certified
translator present in court if they cannot afford one. Appeals must be filed
with the trial court within thirty days of the judge reading, signing, and
issuing the verdict. There are no juries in trials. Only Thai citizens can be
admitted to the Bar and can practice before the courts. Attorneys must carry
their current, yellow, bar card when in court and may be required to produce it
on challenge. In Thailand's southern border provinces,
where Muslims constitute the majority of the population, provincial Islamic
committees have limited jurisdiction over probate, family, marriage, and
divorce cases. Local government
Thailand is divided into 76 provinces. The Ministry of the Interior appoints
governors for all provinces. The metropolis of greater Bangkok is a
special administrative area at the same level as a province, but the governor is
popularly elected. See also
Independent agencies of the Thai government
State agencies of Thailand References
= Notes= = Bibliography=
Damrong Rajanubhab.. Thai Government in Ancient Times... Bangkok: Fine Arts
Department. Kittisak Prokati. Thai Legal Reform
under European Influence. Bangkok: Winyuchon. ISBN 9789742884727.
Manit Jumpa. A Comment on Reform of Thai Constitution in 2007. Bangkok:
Chulalongkorn University Press. ISBN 9789740319078.
Noranit Setabutr. Constitutions and Thai Politics. Bangkok: Thammasat University
Press. ISBN 9789745719996. Noranit Setabutr. The 'Royal Tutors'
Group in Thai Politics. Bangkok: Thammasat University Press. ISBN
9745717266. René Guyon. The Work of Codification in
Siam. Bangkok: Winyuchon. ISBN 9789742885403.
Sirindhorn. Thai Government during Ayutthaya Period and Early Rattanakosin
Period. Bangkok: Chulalongkorn University. ISBN 9749940083.
Tej Bunnag. Intendancy System of Government in Siam: 1892–1915. Bangkok:
Thammasat University Press. ISBN 9745719374.
Yut Saeng-uthai. A Legal Treatise on the Provisions of the Constitution governing
the King. Bangkok: Winyuchon. ISBN 9789742886332.
External links Royal Thai Government homepage
(English) Royal Thai Government homepage Gov Channnel