Billboard with the Thai king
Since June
24, 1932, when a group of Western-educated military officers
and government officials staged a coup against the absolute
monarchy (for details, please see files in History), Thailand
is a constitutional monarchy with King Bhumiphol Adulyadej
the head of state.
The Monarchy
The change
from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy was probably the
most far-reaching transition in the Thai monarchy, but
it wasn't the first change in the structure of the monarchy, and
it certainly wasn't the most violent transition.
The Thai monarchy,
like any monarchy, developed from tribal leadership. As the powers
of tribal leaders have usually not been as unlimited as
those of kings in more developed societies, the Thai monarchy
started in Sukhothai with a number of kings reported to have been
very close to the people. The concept of an absolute
monarchy was adopted from the declining Khmer empire at the
beginning of the Ayutthaya era.
From the Sukhothai
era until now, eight dynasties reigned the country. The
transitions were usually bloody, with a high palace official
establishing himself as king in place of the legal inheritors
to the throne (for details, see files in History).
The current
Chakri dynasty. established 1782 after a palace revolt,
has been the most durable. King Bhumiphol Adulyadej who
ascended the throne in 1946 though only crowned in 1950, is the
longest reigning king in Thai history (and in 1992 the
longest presently reigning monarch of the world). He succeeded
his older brother, King Ananda Mahidol, who was found shot
dead in the Royal Palace of Bangkok on June 9, 1946. The
circumstances of King Ananda Mahidol's death remain a mystery
until today.
King Bhumiphol
Adulyadej was born December 5, 1927, married on April 28,
1950 Princess Sirikit, and was crowned May 5, 1950. Their
children are Princess Ubol Ratana (born 5 April 1951, married
in August 1972 Peter Ladd Jensen and now lives in the US), Crown
Prince Vajiralongkorn (born July 28, 1952 and married January
3, 1977 Soamsawali Kitiyakra), Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn
(born April 2, 1955, unmarried), Princess Chulabhorn (born
July 4, 1957 married January 7, 1982 Virayudth Didyasarin).
The king's
power is regulated by the constitution and subject to its
limitation. The king opens the parliament and appoints the prime
minister (though the selection is done by political parties or
the military) as well as the members of the privy council. All
governmental powers are exercised in his name. However,
the king has limited influence on the affairs of the state as
he only serves as the state's symbolic representative.
Palace matters
are regulated by the palace law known as Gotmontienboan.
It dates back to King Rama Tibodi I, the founder of the Ayutthaya
kingdom in 1358. The palace law which was modified as required
by the course of history until today defines Thai nobility, especially
the ranks and titles of the king's children and relatives, and
it does so according to the status of their mothers. While
many kings, especially in the 19th century had several wives,
only one was elevated to the rank of queen, and
only the king's children with her were in line to ascend the throne.
Thai ranks
of nobility are hereditary only to a certain extent. Typically,
each following generation descends by one rank. However,
the king traditionally had a free rank to bestow ranks of nobility
on those who served him well. (For traditional Thai ranks of nobility,
see the entry under the year 1448 in the chapter History.)
In the 17th
century, a Greek immigrant to Siam, Constantine Phaulkon
became the counsel of King Narai and rose through all ranks of
Thai nobility, starting as Luang Wijayen and becoming Phra
Wijayen, Phaya Wijayen and finally Chao Phaya Wijayen.
Under King Narai's successor, he was executed.
King's children
are called Chao Fah or Chao. If male, he is called Chao
Fah Chai, if female, Chao Fah Ying. Chao's children have the lower
rank of Phra Ong Chao or Phra, while the Phra's child has
the rank of Mom Chao. They are all addressed in Rachasap,
the royal language, which was borrowed from the Khmer in the early
Ayutthaya period and is still in use today. For example, "I" when
used by a commoner in talking about himself in Rachasap to members
of the royal family is Tai Far La Ong Tuli Prabat, which literally
translates into "I who am but dust under your feet".
From the Mom
Chao rank, all that follow are no longer addressed in royal language.
The child of a Mom Chao is a Mom Rachawangse. A Mom
Luang is the child of a Mom Rachawangse.
The monarchy
has three administrative divisions, namely:
Privy Council
- It stands as the advisor of the monarch and sometimes appoints
regents to exercise royal powers (as was the case for most of
the reign of King Ananda Mahidol).
Office
of the Royal Household - This agency organizes the ceremonial
functions of the monarch and administrates the finances and housekeeping
of the royal court.
His Majesty's
Royal Secretariat - It does the clerical and secretarial jobs
for the king.
The
Executive
The executive
power of the government is in the hands of the prime minister.
All constitutions the country had since 1932 provided that the
prime minister be elected by the parliament, either a unicameral
or bicameral body of legislators (see below). Direct elections
of the prime minister have never been considered, as in practically
all countries with a constitutional monarchy. A prime minister
or president elected directly by the people would certainly erode
the position of the nominal head of state, in Thailand the king.
In practice
many of the country's prime ministers were not elected
by the parliament but rather appointed by the military.
In several cases a coup leader appointed himself prime minister
(for details see the chapter History).
Local
Government
Thailand is
divided into more than 70 provinces (Changwats), each under
the administration of a Changwat governor. The Changwats are subdivided
into more than 650 districts (Amphoes) and about 90
sub-districts (King Amphoes), almost 7,000 communes
(Tambons) and some 60,000 villages (Moobans). The capital
of each province has the same name as the province, or rather:
each province is named after its capital.
In alphabetical
order, the provinces are (region in parentheses):
Ang Thong
(Central), Ayutthaya (Central), Buriram (Northeast), Chachoengsao
(Central), Chai Nat (Central), Chaiyaphum (Northeast), Chanthaburi
(East Coast), Chiang Mai (North), Chiang Rai (North), Chonburi
(East Coast), Chumphon (South), Kalasin (Northeast), Kamphaeng
Phet (North), Kanchanaburi (Central), Khon Kaen (Northeast), Krabi
(South), Krung Thep or Bangkok, Lampang (North), Lamphun (North),
Loei (Northeast), Lopburi (Central), Mae Hong Son (North), Maha
Sarakham (Northeast), Mukdahan (Northeast), Nakhon Nayok (Central),
Nakhon Pathom (Central), Nakhon Phanom (Northeast), Nakhon Ratchasima
(Northeast), Nakhon Sawan (North), Nakhon Si Thammarat (South),
Nan (North), Narathiwat (South), Nong Khai (Northeast), Nonthaburi
(Central), Pathum Thani (Central), Pattani (South), Phang Nga
(South), Phattalung (South), Phayao (North), Phetchabun (North),
Petchburi (Central), Phichit (North), Phitsanulok (North), Phrae
(North), Phuket (South), Prachinburi (Central), Prachuap Khiri
Khan (Central), Ranong (South), Ratchaburi (Central), Rayong (East
Coast), Roi Et (Northeast), Sakhon Nakhon (Northeast), Samut Prakan
(Central), Samut Sakhon (Central), Samut Songkhram (Central),
Saraburi (Central), Satun (South), Singburi (Central), Si Saket
(Northeast), Songkhla (South), Sukhothai (North), Suphanburi (Central),
Surat Thani (South), Surin (Northeast), Tak (North), Trang (South),
Trat (East Coast), Ubon Ratchathani (Northeast), Udon Thani (Northeast),
Uthai Thani (North), Uttaradit (North), Yala (South), Yasothon
(Northeast)
The
Legislature
The country's
constitution provides for a bicameral National Assembly
with an elected House of Representatives and an appointed
Senate. For an appointed body, the Senate is considered fairly
powerful. It can play a substantial part in bringing down a government.
The mechanism by which the Senate is appointed guarantees the
country's military to be well heard in government affairs.
The constitution
also provides for fairly large electoral constituencies,
with several representatives elected in each. Elected are individuals,
not parties. Party affiliations of candidates are important,
as candidates can gain from the popularity of their party leaders.
However, in many cases, political parties contest to bring local
political kingpins into their ranks. It has not been uncommon
that popular or powerful local politicians switch parties if they
are promised a better deal (e.g. a nomination as minister) by
their new political hosts.
The Judiciary
The judicial
power is exercised in the name of the king. The system
is organized in three levels. The lowest level are courts of
first instance, the middle level are the courts of appeals
(Uthorn) and the highest level is the Supreme Court (Dika).
Judges are appointed, transferred and dismissed by the king on
recommendation of the Ministry of Justice. Judges are independent
in conducting trials and giving judgement in accordance with the
law.
Courts of
first instance are subdivided into 20 magistrate courts
(Kwaeng) with limited civil and minor criminal jurisdiction and
85 provincial courts (Changwat courts) with unlimited civil
and criminal jurisdiction and the criminal and civil courts with
exclusive jurisdiction in the capital. There is a central
juvenile court in Bangkok for defendants under 18 years of
age.
The courts
of appeals review decisions in civil and criminal cases from
all courts of first instance. It has 17 divisions and requires
2 judges to sit at each hearings. Judgements from the courts of
appeals can be brought for review to the Supreme Court on any
point of law and, in certain cases, on questions of fact.
The Dika
(Supreme) Court is the supreme tribunal of the land. It is
composed of its president and 21 judges. Appealed cases are heard
by 3 judges. Besides its normal appellate jurisdiction in civil
and criminal matters, it has semi-original jurisdiction over general
election petitions. Supreme Court decisions are final.
