Thailand: Thailand Government Profile

Head of state: King Bhumibol Adulyadej

Thailand is a constitutional monarchy.

Its king, Bhumibol Adulyadej, assumed the throne in June 1946 and is the world's longest-reigning monarch.

The royal family is revered by many Thais.

Thailand has strict lese-majeste laws, and those deemed to have offended the monarchy - which is still a powerful force in the country - are often dealt with severely.

Prime minister: Prayuth Chan-ocha

General Prayuth Chan-ocha seized power in a coup in May 2014 and was appointed prime minister by the military-appointed parliament a few months later.

He promised far-reaching political reforms to prevent a return to the instability of recent years.

But critics suspected his real priority was to destroy the party of the former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, and to ensure the royal succession takes place smoothly.

For several years before the coup, he held the position of army chief, a post many regard as one of the country's most powerful.

Thailand's military has a history of intervening in politics and has seized power 12 times since the end of the absolute monarchy in 1932.

The coup was condemned by Western powers, but Thailand's relations with key Asian nations remained unchanged.

The US said it hoped the selection of an interim prime minister was a step towards establishing democratic institutions. It said restrictions on aid would stay in place until Thailand had a democratically elected government.

Thailand has been deeply divided since 2006, when former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was toppled after being accused of corruption, abuse of power and disrespect for the king.

Government Type: constitutional monarchy

Thailand is a constitutional monarchy. From 1992 and until the 2006 coup, the country was considered a functioning democracy with constitutional changes of government. Generally free and fair multi-party elections held in 2007 subsequently restored democratic governance 1 year after the coup, and the 2011 election preceded a stable transition of power between parties. The King has little direct power under Thailand's constitution but is a symbol of national identity and unity. King Bhumibol (Rama IX)--who has been on the throne since 1946--commands enormous popular respect and moral authority, which he has used on occasion to resolve political crises that have threatened national stability.

Under the 2007 constitution, the National Assembly consists of two chambers--the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate is a non-partisan body with 150 members, 76 of whom are directly elected (one per province). The remaining 74 are appointed by a panel comprised of judges and senior independent officials from a list of candidates compiled by the Election Commission. The House has 500 members, 375 of whom are directly elected from constituent districts and the remainder drawn proportionally from party lists.

Capital: Bangkok - 6.902 million (2009)

Administrative Divisions: Thailand's 77 provinces include the metropolis of greater Bangkok. Bangkok's governor is popularly elected, but those of the remaining provinces are career civil servants appointed by the Ministry of Interior.

77 provinces (changwat, singular and plural):1. Amnat Charoen,                  
2. Ang Thong,
3. Bueng Kan
4. Buriram,
5. Chachoengsao,
6. Chai Nat,
7. Chaiyaphum,
8. Chanthaburi,
9. Chiang Mai,
10. Chiang Rai,
11. Chon Buri,
12. Chumphon,
13. Kalasin,
14. Kamphaeng Phet,
15. Kanchanaburi,
16. Khon Kaen,
17. Krabi,
18. Krung Thep Mahanakhon (Bangkok)
19. Lampang,
20. Lamphun,
21. Loei,
22. Lop Buri,
23. Mae Hong Son,
24. Maha Sarakham,
25. Mukdahan,
26. Nakhon Nayok,
27. Nakhon Pathom,
28. Nakhon Phanom,
29. Nakhon Ratchasima,
30. Nakhon Sawan,
31. Nakhon Si Thammarat,
32. Nan,
33. Narathiwat,
34. Nong Bua Lamphu,
35. Nong Khai
36. Nonthaburi,
37. Pathum Thani,
38. Pattani,
39. Phangnga,
40. Phatthalung,
41. Phayao,
42. Phetchabun,
43. Phetchaburi,
44. Phichit,
45. Phitsanulok,
46. Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya,
47. Phrae,
48. Phuket,
49. Prachin Buri,
50. Prachuap Khiri Khan,
51. Ranong,
52. Ratchaburi,
53. Rayong,
54. Roi Et,
55. Sa Kaeo,
56. Sakon Nakhon,
57. Samut Prakan,
58. Samut Sakhon,
59. Samut Songkhram,
60. Sara Buri,
61. Satun,
62. Sing Buri,
63. Sisaket,
64. Songkhla,
65. Sukhothai,
66. Suphan Buri,
67. Surat Thani,
68. Surin,
69. Tak,
79. Trang,
71. Trat,
72. Ubon Ratchathani,
73. Udon Thani,
74. Uthai Thani,
75. Uttaradit,
76. Yala,
77. Yasothon

Independence Date: 1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized)

Legal System: based on civil law system with influences of common law; has not accepted compulsory International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction.

Thailand's legal system blends principles of traditional Thai and Western laws. Under the constitution, the Constitutional Court is the highest court of appeals, though its jurisdiction is limited to clearly defined constitutional issues. Its members are nominated by a committee of judges, leaders in parliament, and senior independent officials, whose nominees are confirmed by the Senate and appointed by the King. The Courts of Justice have jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases and are organized in three tiers: Courts of First Instance, the Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of Justice. Administrative courts have jurisdiction over suits between private parties and the government, and cases in which one government entity is suing another. 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.

Notes on transnational disputes:

separatist violence in Thailand's predominantly Muslim southern provinces prompt border closures and controls with Malaysia to stem terrorist activities;

Southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu;

talks continue on completion of demarcation with Laos but disputes remain over several islands in the Mekong River;

despite continuing border committee talks, Thailand must deal with Karen and other ethnic rebels, refugees, and illegal cross-border activities, and as of 2006, over 116,000 Karen, Hmong, and other refugees and asylum seekers from Burma;

Cambodia and Thailand dispute sections of boundary; in 2011 Thailand and Cambodia resorted to arms in the dispute over the location of the boundary on the precipice surmounted by Preah Vihear temple ruins, awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962 and part of a planned UN World Heritage site;

Thailand is studying the feasibility of jointly constructing the Hatgyi Dam on the Salween river near the border with Burma;

in 2004, international environmentalist pressure prompted China to halt construction of 13 dams on the Salween River that flows through China, Burma, and Thailand;

140,000 mostly Karen refugees fleeing civil strife, political upheaval and economic stagnation in Burma live in remote camps in Thailand near the border

International Environmental Agreements

Thailand is party to international agreements on: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, and Wetlands . It has signed, but not ratified: the Law of the Sea .