Thailand's government structure has undergone gradual evolution in response to the changing environment. Despite the preservation of the kingdom’s monarchical system, established over 700 years ago, Thailand have become one of Asia’s strongest democracies in a relatively short period of time. It has a check-and-balance system similar to that of any Western democracy, with a Prime Minister as the head of government.

From Absolute Monarchy to Parliamentary Democracy

The first Thai state, the Kingdom of Sukhothai (1257-1378), adopted a paternalistic form of government. The King, while enjoying absolute power, personally paid close attention to his subjects’ well-being. However, Sukhothai was a fragmented city-state and the lack of a centralised government led to its fall in the late 1300’s. Its decline coincided with the rise of the increasingly powerful Ayutthaya Kingdom to the South. During the Ayutthaya period, the power of the monarch rose, as Ayutthaya inherited a Khmer system of government based upon the Hindu concept of divine kingship. Under the reign of King Borommatrailokkanat (1448-1488), Ayutthaya’s political administration underwent a major reform. The sakdina, a feudal system which allowed almost everyone in the kingdom to hold land based on their rank, satisfying both nobles and commoners, and lasted until the 19th century. Moreover, the civil and military administrations were separated and the government was centralised, making Ayutthaya one of Southeast Asia’s strongest and richest empires for three centuries.

The capital was moved to Bangkok in 1782, marking the beginning of the Rattanakosin period, which saw the continuation of the Ayutthaya system of government. Thus, for over three centuries, Thailand’s political administration was by and large carried out without drastic reform.

Nevertheless, by mid 1800’s, the threat of imperialism became a major issue. King Chulalongkorn (1868-1910), seeing the need for political reform, decentralised the government. He carried out a major reorganisation of the central and local administrations, which formed the basis of the present system. The central government was further divided into a number of departments and the local administration was led by an appointed governor of each province. His administrative reform and rapid modernisation proved successful both in maintaining the country's independence through the turbulent years of colonial threat and in providing a foundation for a modern system of government.

King Chulalongkorn’s successors, King Vajiravudh and King Prajadhipok, had a great interest in parliamentary democracy. However, some intellectuals, educated abroad, called for an immediate democratic transition. On 24 June 1932, they staged a bloodless coup, demanding an establishment of a constitutional monarchy. To avoid bloodshed, King Prajadhipok agreed to the abolition of absolute monarchy for the sake of his people, transferring power to a constitution-based system of government. On 10 December 1932, Thailand's first constitution was signed.

The Thai Check-and-Balance System

The monarch is the head of the armed forces and the upholder of every religion. Every constitution provides that the monarch is sacred and inviolable. His sovereign power emanates from the people, and as head of state, he exercises his legislative power through parliament, executive power through the cabinet, and judicial power through the courts. The monarch is empowered with the right to be consulted, the right to encourage and the right to warn the government when it appears not to administer the state affairs for the good of the people.

Thailand’s legislative branch is bicameral. The 500 members of the House of Representatives (MPs) are elected popularly. Four hundred are district MPs, directly elected in each constituency and each representing approximately 150,000 people. The remaining hundred are party-list MPs, who are elected indirectly by the percentage of vote the party receives.

Originally, members of the Senate (the Upper House) were appointed by the King on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers. But, under the 1997 promulgated Constitution, Thailand’s senators were directly elected for the first time on 2 March 2000, although the Constitution requires all senatorial candidates to be an independent with no party affiliations. Any Thai citizens over 18 years of age are eligible to vote in the election of both houses.

The executive branch is headed the Prime Minister, who, since the amendment of the 1992 constitution, must be an MP. The cabinet is responsible for the administration of fourteen ministries, and the Office of the Prime Minister. Each ministry is headed by a politically appointed minister, and in most cases, at least one deputy minister. The Prime Minister is assisted by Deputy Prime Ministers as well as a number of ministers holding the portfolio of "Minister to the Prime Minister's Office." The constitution of 1997 limits the number of cabinet members to 36.

The Government

Smaller cabinet committees have been set up to help screen proposals from the various ministries before submission to the full cabinet. This process enables the government to ensure that no incompatible policies are made. The committees may also be assigned by the Prime Minister to thoroughly examine the merits of each project or policy for the cabinet so that the latter will not have to go into such details before deciding on proposals, thus streamlining its work.

The Office of the Prime Minister is a central body, which in itself ranks as a ministry, whose responsibility is largely concerned with formulating national policy. Some of its primary subdivisions are the Budget Bureau, the National Security Council, the Juridical Council, the National Economic and Social Development Board, the Board of Investment, the Civil Service Commission and several other organisations vital to the formulation of national policy.

The fourteen ministries are divided on a functional basis. After the financial crisis, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives have assumed an increasingly important role in the Thai Government. At the same time, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Justice are in charge of maintaining peace and security in the country. In addition, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of University Affairs, the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and the Ministry of Transport and Communications are concerned with improving infrastructure and human capital in Thailand. Finally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, equivalent to the US Department of State, is responsible for strengthening relations between Thailand and the outside world.

The head of career civil servants in each ministry is the Permanent Secretary, who has administrative control over all the departments of the ministry, each of which is headed by a director-general, also a career civil servant.

The Armed Forces

The King is the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Armed Forces and the cabinet is the instrument through which national security policies are formulated. The Defence Ministry co-ordinates the administration of the Armed Forces, which are divided into three branches: the Royal Thai Army (RTA), the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) and the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF). Thai soldiers are composed of professional career soldiers and conscripts. Every Thai male between the age twenty-one and twenty-five is subject to two years of military service.

Thailand's fighting forces are governed by the Supreme Command Headquarters, which is staffed by leaders of the Army, Navy and Air Force. Organised into divisions and combat regiments, the Royal Thai Army is divided into four army regions, covering Bangkok and the Central Plains, the Northeast, the North and the South. Thailand's naval fleet, based at Sattahip, southeast of Bangkok, is small but well-trained. It includes the Marine Corps, modelled on the American pattern, which is skilled in both amphibious and jungle operations. The Royal Thai Air Force, on the other hand, has its main base at Don Muang airport in Bangkok and large air fields and facilities in the North and Northeast.

Recent Political Developments

On 6 January 2001, the first general election under the 1997 Constitution--the so-called people’s constitution--was held. The Thais, proud of their democracy, participated actively in the election, as represented by the relatively high voter turnout of 69.95 percent. The Thai Rak Thai Party, established in 1999 by Dr. Thaksin Shinawatra, police officer turned business tycoon, received a landslide victory, winning a total of 248 seats. On 9 February 2001, Dr. Thaksin was appointed by His Majesty the King as Thailand’s 23rd Prime Minister. He leads a coalition government comprised of his Thai Rak Thai Party, the Chart Thai Party and the New Aspiration Party, making it one of Thailand’s strongest democratically-elected government ever.

The most important event in Thai politics to take place recently was the general elections of 2005. At stake in these elections were 500 seats in the House of Representatives, which is formally referred to as the Sapha Phuthaen Ratsadon. These elections took place on 5 February 2005, and there was a strong voter turnout with about 72.3% of registered voters participating. The biggest gainers of the election were those in the Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT), who took in 10,130,251 votes, or 60.66% of the popular vote. This resulted in TRT winning 377 of the 500 seats in Parliament. The Democratic Party (DP) won 3,062,184 votes, or 18.34% of the popular vote, thus winning 96 seats in Parliament. The Chart Thai Party (TNP) won 1,902,470 votes, or 11.39% of the popular vote, thus winning 25 seats in Parliament. Finally, the Mahachon Party (PP) won 1,382,858 votes, or 8.28% of the popular vote, thus winning 2 seats in Parliament.