Brief background of the political setting of Thailand

1. Political Setting:
Thailand
Reported by:
Christia B. Marcelino
(BSEd 3-A, Group 7)

2. Political Setting:
Thailand
• Thailand was ruled by an
absolute monarchy from 1782
until 1932, when a small group
of rebels seized control of the
country and persuaded the king
to accept the introduction of a
constitutional monarchy. The

3. Political Setting:
Thailand
country’s first constitution called
for a government headed by a
legislature (the National
Assembly), with the king
maintaining an advisory role as
head of state. When the king
sought to dissolve the new

4. Political Setting:
Thailand
legislature the following year,
the army moved to prevent him,
thus becoming the dominant
political force in the country. For
most of the next half century,
Thailand was under the control
of various military governments.

5. Political Setting:
Thailand
In 1997 Thailand’s 16th
constitution took effect. It was
the country’s first constitution to
be drafted by a process involving
public debate, and the first to
include a bill of rights
guaranteeing equality and basic

6. Political Setting:
Thailand
human rights to all citizens. The
constitution was intended to
move the center of power away
from the military and
bureaucracy and toward the
elected members of the
legislature. It contained

7. Political Setting:
Thailand
guarantees for social welfare
and environmental protection
and required the government to
report its activities. Following a
military coup coup in September
2006, the 1997 constitution was
rescinded. The military

8. Political Setting:
Thailand
government drafted a new
constitution, which voters
approved by referendum in
August 2007.

9. Political Setting:
Thailand
Thailand is a unitary state, in
which the authority of the
central government is superior
to that of the country’s
provincial and municipal
governments. However, in recent
years pressure has increased for

10. Political Setting:
Thailand
more devolution of power to the
provinces and municipalities. All
citizens age 18 and older are
eligible to vote.

11. Political Setting:
Thailand
A. Executive
The king is Thailand’s head of
state and the commander-in-chief
of the armed forces. Although the
king has little direct power, he
may exercise considerable
influence on political leaders and

12. Political Setting:
Thailand
moral influence on society as a
whole. Since 1946 the king of
Thailand has been Bhumibol
Adulyadej, or Rama IX.

13. Political Setting:
Thailand
The country’s chief executive
official is the prime minister. The
prime minister is designated
from among the members of the
House of Representatives and is
usually the leader of the
dominant party following

14. Political Setting:
Thailand
elections. The king formally
appoints the prime minister. The
prime minister heads the
cabinet, which consists of no
more than 35 members. Under
the 2007 constitution the prime
minister is limited to two four-
year terms in office.

15. Political Setting:
Thailand
B. Legislature
Legislative power in Thailand is
vested in a bicameral (two-
chamber) National Assembly
(Ratha Sapha), consisting of a
House of Representatives (Sapha
Poothaen Rassadorn) and a

16. Political Setting:
Thailand
Senate (Woothi Sapha). The
House of Representatives has
480 members; 400 of them are
elected from single-member
constituencies (geographical
areas that each have one
representative) and the

17. Political Setting:
Thailand
remaining 80 are elected
through a party-list system.
House members are elected to
four-year terms, but these terms
can be cut short if the king
decides to dissolve the
legislature and call for new

18. Political Setting:
Thailand
elections. The Senate has 150
members, 76 of whom are
directly elected from districts
corresponding to Thailand’s
provinces and 74 of whom are
selected by a committee. Most
provinces have a single

19. Political Setting:
Thailand
representative in the Senate, but
the larger ones have additional
representatives. The elected
members of the Senate serve six-
year terms, and the appointed
senators serve three-year terms.

20. Political Setting:
Thailand
C. Judiciary
Thai citizens are guaranteed due
process and equal justice under
the law. At the top of the court
system is the San Dika (Supreme
Court), located in Bangkok. It
serves as a court of final appeal

21. Political Setting:
Thailand
in all civil, criminal, and
bankruptcy cases. Below the San
Dika is the San Uthon (Court of
Appeal), which has appellate
jurisdiction in all cases. Courts of
first instance include
magistrates’ courts, , provincial

22. Political Setting:
Thailand
courts, and courts with exclusive
jurisdiction in Bangkok and its
immediate environs. The 1997
constitution recognized, and
increased the independence of,
the judiciary. As part of the
country’s reforms to enhance the

23. Political Setting:
Thailand
rights and freedoms of the Thai
people, a royal decree created
the 15-member Constitutional
Court in 1998. This court makes
final and binding decisions in
cases involving constitutional
issues, and it may recommend
amendments to the constitution.

24. Political Setting:
Thailand
D. Local Government
Thailand is divided into 76
provinces (changwat), each
headed by a governor. Except for
the governor of Bangkok, who is
elected by popular vote, the
provincial governors are

25. Political Setting:
Thailand
appointed by the minister of the
interior. The provinces are divided
into 744 districts (amphoe),
headed by appointed district
officers. Municipalities are
governed by elected and
appointedofficials, while elected

26. Political Setting:
Thailand
and appointed officials, while
elected heads hold power at the
village level.

27. Political Setting:
Thailand
Source:
Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. ©
1993-2008 Microsoft
Corporation. All rights reserved.

28. Political Setting:
Thailand
Khop Khun!!!

29. Political Setting
as we
Understanding

30. Political-Security
Community
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33. Republic of the Philippines
CAPIZ STATE UNIVERSITY
Dumarao Satellite College, Dumarao, Capiz
Theme: “Understanding Better the Political, Economic &
Socio-Cultural
Settings of Southeast Asian Nations for
Peace, Prosperity & People”
May 25, 2015 (8:00-11:30 am)
Campus Library