Introduction
The Royal Thai Government or the Government of Thailand (Thai) 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.
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Thailand
conventional short form: Thailand
local long form: Ratcha Anachak Thai
local short form: Prathet Thai
former: Siam
Government type
Constitutional monarchy
Capital
name: Bangkok
geographic coordinates: 13 45 N, 100 31 E
time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Independence
1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized
National holiday
Birthday of King PHUMIPHON (BHUMIBOL), 5 December (1927)
Constitution
24 August 2007
Legal system
based on civil law system with influences of common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet, also spelled BHUMIBOL Adulyadej (since 9 June 1946)
head of government: Prime Minister ABHISIT Wetchachiwa, also spelled ABHISIT Vejjajiva (since 17
December 2008); Deputy Prime Minister SANAN Kachornprasat, also spelled SANAN Kachornparsart (since 7 February
2008); Deputy Prime Minister SUTHEP Thueaksuban, also spelled SUTHEP Thaugsuban (since 22 December 2008); Deputy
Prime Minister TRAIRONG Suwannakhiri (since 18 January 2010)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; according to 2007 constitution, the prime minister elected
from among members of House of Representatives; following national elections for House of Representatives, the
leader of the party positioned to organize a majority coalition usually becomes prime minister by appointment by the
king; the prime minister limited to two four-year terms
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Assembly or Rathasapha consisted of the Senate or Wuthisapha (150 seats; 76 members elected by
popular vote representing 76 provinces, 74 appointed by judges and independent government bodies; members serve
six-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Sapha Phuthaen Ratsadon (480 seats; 400 members elected from 157
multi-seat constituencies and 80 elected on proportional party-list basis of 10 per eight zones or groupings of
provinces; members serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held on 2 March 2008 (next to be held in March 2014); House of
Representatives - last election held on 23 December 2007 (next to be held by December 2011)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; House of
Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPP 233, DP 164, TNP 34, Motherland 24, Middle Way
11, Unity 9, Royalist People's 5; following the PPP's dissolution in December 2008, most of the party's seats were
assumed by its successor, the Phuea Thai Party
note: 74 senators were appointed on 19 February 2008 by a seven-member committee headed by the chief of the
Constitutional Court; 76 senators were elected on 2 March 2008; elections to the Senate are non-partisan; registered
political party members are disqualified from being senators
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court, Supreme Court of Justice, and Supreme Administrative Court; all judges are appointed by the
king; the king's appointments to the Constitutional Courtare made upon the advice of the Senate; the nine
Constitutional Court judges are drawn from the Supreme Court of Justice and Supreme Administrative Court as well as
from among substantive experts in law and social sciences outside the judiciary.
Political parties and leaders:
Chat Thai Phattana Party or CP (Thai Nation Development Party) [CHUMPON Silpa-archa]; Democrat Party or DP
(Prachathipat Party) [ABHISIT Wetchachiwa, also spelled ABHISIT Vejjajiva]; Motherland Party (Phuea Phaendin Party)
[CHANCHAI Chairungrueng]; Phuea Thai Party (For Thais Party) or PTP [CHAWALIT Yongchaiyut]; Phumchai (Bhumjai) Thai
Party or PCT (Thai Pride) [CHAWARAT Chanvirakun]; Royalist People's Party (Pracharaj) [SANOH Thienthong]; Ruam Jai
Thai Party (Thai Unity Party) [WANNARAT Channukun]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
People's Alliance for Democracy or PAD; United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship or UDD
International organization participation:
ADB, APEC, APT, ARF, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, BIS, CICA, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS
(observer), OIC (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, PIF (partner), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador DON Pramudwinai
chancery: 1024 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 401, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 944-3600
FAX: [1] (202) 944-3611
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Eric G. JOHN
embassy: 120-122 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330
mailing address: APO AP 96546
telephone: [66] (2) 205-4000
FAX: [66] (2) 254-2990, 205-4131
consulate(s) general: Chiang Mai