Government of Thailand

Thailand

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Thailand

Monarchy Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) List of Kings Chakri Dynasty Privy Council

Government Prime Minister (List of PMs) Yingluck Shinawatra Cabinet of Thailand List of Ministries

National Assembly Senate House of Representatives President Leader of the Opposition Shadow Cabinet

Courts of Justice Administrative Courts Constitutional Court Law

Elections Commission Senate: 2008 House: 2011 Political Parties

Constitution Current Constitution Referendum Independent agencies Human rights

Subdivisions Provincial Administration Thesaban Bangkok Administration

Related issues Foreign relations Foreign aid Coups Southern insurgency 2008-2009 Political crisis

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The Royal Thai Government (RTG)^[1] or the Government of Thailand (Thai: รัฐบาลไทย) is the unitary government of the Kingdom of Thailand. Thailand since 1932 has been a constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democratic system. The country has existed in some form since the 13th century, but 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. However from then on the democratic system has been weak and the country was ruled by a succession of military leaders installed after coup d’etats, the most recent in 2006. Under the 2007 Constitution (drafted by a military appointed council, but approved by a referendum) the present structure of the Government of Thailand was established. 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.

The Monarchy

King Bhumibol Adulyadej has been on the throne since 1946.

Main article: Monarchy of Thailand

The King of Thailand, currently King Bhumibol Adulyadej (or Rama IX) is the world’s longest reigning monarch, and 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 machinations of government. According to the Constitution, the King is the Head of the Armed forces, 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, 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 (or Rama I) 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 of the Throne is governed by the 1924 Palace Law of Succession, promulgated by King Vajiravudh. The 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.^{[citation needed]}

Executive

Government House of Thailand, where the office of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet of Thailand are situated

Prime minister

Main article: Prime Minister of Thailand

[This article to be updated, with the 2011 election of Pheu Thai government majority and Yingluck Shinawatra as 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 represent the country abroad and is as well the main spokesperson for the government at home. The Prime Minister’s official residence is Baan Phitsanulok a mansion located in the Dusit district of Bangkok.

The current Prime Minister is: Yingluck Shinawatra of the Pheu Thai Party, the first female prime minister of Thailand.

Cabinet

Main article: Cabinet of Thailand

The Cabinet of Thailand or the Council of Ministers of Thailand is a council composed of 35: Ministers of State and Deputy Ministers. Who runs the cabinet ministries of the Kingdom. There are currently 20 cabinet ministries, which comprises the main portion of state employees. The Cabinet is also responsible for the formulation and execution of policies of the government. Members of the Cabinet do not necessarily need to be a member of the lower house, as in other countries but most often are. The Office of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet offices are located in a building complex called the Government House of Thailand.

The present Cabinet has been active since the 9 August 2011, when its members were officially sworn in by the King. The Cabinet is made up of five parties that form the current governing coalition: PTP, CTP, PCP, CPP and the independent. The Cabinet comprises: 21 Ministers of State, 5 Deputy Prime Ministers and 12 Deputy Ministers.

Party key		Pheu Thai Party
		Chartthaipattana Party
		Chart Pattana Puea Pandin Party
		Phalang Chon Party
		Independent

Cabinet of Thailand^[2]

Portfolio	Minister		Deputy Minister
Prime Minister		Yingluck Shinawatra
Deputy Prime Minister		Yongyuth Wichaidit
Deputy Prime Minister		Pol. Capt Chalerm Ubumrung
Deputy Prime Minister		Pol. Gen Kowit Wattana
Deputy Prime Minister		Kittiratt Na-Ranong
Deputy Prime Minister		Chumpol Silpa-archa
The Office of the Prime Minister		Surawit Khonsomboon
		Kritsana Sihalak
Ministry of Interior		Yongyuth Wichaidit		Chuchat Hansawat
				Thanit Thienthong
Ministry of Justice		Pol. Gen Pracha Promnok
Ministry of Defence		Gen Yuthasak Sasiprapha
Ministry of Finance		Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala		Boonsong Teriyapirom
				Wirun Techapaiboon
Ministry of Foreign Affairs		Surapong Towijakchaikul
Ministry of Social Development and Human Security		Santi Prompat
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives		Theera Wongsamut		Pornsak Charoenprasert
Ministry of Transport		ACM Sukampol Suwannathat		Pol. Lt Gen Chat Kuldilok
				Kittisak Hatthasongkhro
Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment		Preecha Rengsomboonsuk
Ministry of Information and Communication Technology		Grp Cpt Anudith Nakornthap
Ministry of Energy		Pichai Naripthaphan
Ministry of Commerce		Kittiratt Na-Ranong		Phum Saraphol
				Siriwat Kachornprasart
Ministry of Labour		Padermchai Sasomsap
Ministry of Culture		Sukumol Kunplome
Ministry of Science and Technology		Dr. Plodprasop Suraswadi
Ministry of Education		Worawat Ua-apinyakul		Boonruen Srithares
				Suraphong Ueng-amphonwilai
Ministry of Public Health		Witthaya Buranasiri		Torpong Chaiyasarn
Ministry of Industry		Wannarat Channukul
Ministry of Tourism and Sports		Chumpol Silpa-archa

Legislative

Parliament House of Thailand the meeting place for both the House and the Senate since 1974.

National Assembly

Main article: National Assembly of Thailand

The legislative branch (also called the Parliament of Thailand) of the Thai government was first established in the ‘Temporary’ Constitution of 1932. The assembly first met on the 28 June 1932 in the Ananda Samakhom Throne Hall. The National Assembly of Thailand is a bi-cameral legislature and comprises 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

Main article: Senate of Thailand

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. 76 members are elected each from one per province from the 75 provinces of Thailand and 1 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 chamber, and members may not be a member of a partisan organization, House of Representatives, judiciary and the Cabinet for five years. The Senate has little power legislative -wise, but retain considerable powers of scrutiny and appointment. As the Senate is vested with the power to ‘advise’ on the appointment of several members of the Judiciary and independent government agencies. The Senate sits for a set six years non renewable term, the Senate cannot be dissolved. The Senate is presided 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 House of Representatives

Main article: House of Representatives of Thailand

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 comprises 500 members. 375 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 8 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 7 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, he 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 the 2 December 2008, in which the PPP plus the Chart Thai and Neutral Democratic Parties (coalition partners), 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 the most seats, however the remainder of the coalition partners defected and joined a Democrat led government which was inaugurated on the 17 December. Leaving the For Thais Party (successor of the PPP) and the Pracharaj Party in the opposition.

e • d Composition of the House of Representatives of Thailand, Since December 2008, and then after the January 2009 by-Election

Parties		Leader	Previous seats	Changes	Current seats
	Pheu Thai Party formerly PPP	Yongyuth Wichaidit	232	(-43)	189
	Democrat Party‡	Abhisit Vejjajiva	165	(+7)	172
	Bhumjaithai Party‡ formerly NDP	Chaovarat Chanweerakul	11	(+21)	32
	For the Motherland‡	Chanchai Chairungrueng	24	(+8)	32
	Thai Nation Development Party‡ formerly CTP	Chumpol Silpa-archa	34	(-9)	25
	Thais United National Development Party‡	Dr. Varnarat Chanukul	9	(0)	9
	Royalist People's Party	Sanoh Thienthong	5	(+4)	8
	Social Action Party	Thongphun Diphrai	-	(+5)	5
	Matubhum Party	Sonthi Boonyaratglin	-	(+3)	3
	Total				475
Source: The Nation.com, The Nation.com ‡ Coalition partners

Judiciary

The Judiciary of Thailand is composed of three distinct systems: the Court of Justice system, the Administrative Court system and the Constitutional Court of Thailand. There are no stenographic records kept by the trial court and the record is composed of what the judges decide.

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 criticized 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 (Thai: ประมาณ ชันซื่อ). The accused were present in court 461 times before 91 different judges since proceedings began in 1993 and ended in 2008. In actuality, Mr. Praman peacefully died of intrapulmonary infection in 2007.^[3]

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 is made up of three tiers: the Court of First Instance, the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Justice of Thailand.

The 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 (government ministries, departments and independent agencies) and private citizens.

The Constitutional Court

Main article: Constitutional Court of Thailand

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; gaining many controversies on the way. This has become especially clear during the 2006 and 2008 political crises, settling political deadlocks and social unrests.

The Legal system

Main article: Law of Thailand

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 offenses.

Thailand’s legal system has been often criticized 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 (30) 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 seventy-six provinces (changwat, singular and plural). The Ministry of the Interior appoints governors for all but two provinces - the metropolis of greater Bangkok and the city of Pattaya, where the governor is popularly elected. Thailand's provinces are listed below. Note that each provincial capital takes the same name as the province.

Amnat Charoen, Ang Thong, Buriram, Bueng Kan, Chachoengsao, Chai Nat, Chaiyaphum, Chanthaburi, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chon Buri, Chumphon, Kalasin, Kamphaeng Phet, Kanchanaburi, Khon Kaen, Krabi, Krung Thep (Bangkok), Lampang, Lamphun, Loei, Lop Buri, Mae Hong Son, Maha Sarakham, Mukdahan, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Ratchasima (Khorat), Nakhon Sawan, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nan, Narathiwat, Nongbua Lamphu, Nong Khai, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Pattani, Phang Nga, Phatthalung, Phayao, Phetchabun, Phetchaburi, Phichit, Phitsanulok, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Phrae, Phuket, Prachin Buri, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ranong, Ratchaburi, Rayong, Roi Et, Sa Kaeo, Sakon Nakhon, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Sara Buri, Satun, Sing Buri, Sisaket, Songkhla, Sukhothai, Suphan Buri, Surat Thani, Surin, Tak, Trang, Trat, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Uthai Thani, Uttaradit, Yala, Yasothon.

References

1. ^ ingentaconnect.com - A project for upgrading the cadastral system in Thailand
2. ^ http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/251118/yingluck-cabinet
3. ^ M&C, Human rights group slams Thailand's judicial system, 26 March 2007

External links

• (English) Royal Thai Government homepage