Government of Thailand

Government of Thailand, officially the Royal Thai Government (RTG; Thai: รัฐบาลไทย, RTGS: Ratthaban Thai, pronounced [rát.tʰā.bāːn tʰāj]), is the central executive authority of the Kingdom of Thailand. The government is led by the prime minister (Anutin Charnvirakul since 7 September 2025) who selects all the other ministers. The country has had a minority coalition government since 2025 led by Bhumjaithai. 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 constitutional monarchy.

From then on the country was ruled by a succession of military leaders installed after coups d'état, the most recent in May 2014, and a few democratic intervals. The 2007 Constitution (drafted by a military-appointed council, but approved by a referendum) was annulled by the 2014 coup-makers who ran the country as a military dictatorship.

Thailand has so far had twenty Constitutions. Throughout, the basic structure of government has remained the same. The government of Thailand is composed of three branches: the executive, the legislative, and the judiciary. The system of government is modelled after the Westminster system. All branches of government are concentrated in Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand.

From May 2014 until July 2019, Thailand was ruled by a military junta, the National Council for Peace and Order, which partially repealed the 2007 constitution, declared martial law and nationwide curfew, banned political gatherings, arrested and detained politicians and anti-coup activists, imposed internet censorship and took control of the media. On 24 March 2019, Thailand voted in the 2019 Thai general election, supporting a spread of opinion across many political parties vying to be in government.

The monarchy

King Vajiralongkorn (Rama X) of Thailand has reigned since the death of his father Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) on 13 October 2016; exercising limited rule since 1 December 2016 . He is the head of state, aided in his duties by the Privy Council of Thailand. The constitution stipulates that although the sovereignty of the state is vested in the people, the king will exercise such powers through the three branches of the Thai government. Under the constitution the king is given very little power, but remains a figurehead and symbol of the Thai nation. As the head of state, however, he is given some powers and has a role to play in the workings of government. According to the constitution, the king is head of the armed forces. He is required to be Buddhist as well as the defender of all faiths in the country. The king also retained some traditional powers such as the power to appoint his heirs, the power to grant pardons, and the royal assent.

The king is also head of the House of Chakri, the ruling house of Thailand founded by King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (or Rama I) in 1782. The monarchy and the royal family's influence peaked during the reign of Bhumibol Adunyadei, but it continues to command significant respect in Thailand. Bhumibol commanded popular respect and moral authority, which was used at times to resolve political crises. The monarch's official home is the Grand Palace, but the current king lives primarily in the Chitralada Palace in Bangkok. The monarch's household was managed by the Bureau of the Royal Household and his finances by the Crown Property Bureau, but these offices are being transferred to direct control by the monarchy.

The heir presumptive to the throne is Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, although it is up to the king's discretion whether Prince Dipangkorn will be named Crown Prince in the future. Succession to the throne is governed by the 1924 Palace Law of Succession, promulgated by King Vajiravudh. Palace law follows the male agnatic primogeniture, where males only are allowed to succeed and inheritance is passed only from father to son and through the male line only. However, the 1974 amendment to the Thai constitution allows for a princess to ascend the throne and this particular provision is retained under Section 21 of the 2017 Constitution which reads:

In the case where the Throne becomes vacant and the King has not appointed an Heir under paragraph one, the Privy Council shall submit the name of the Successor to the Throne under section 20 to the Council of Ministers for further submission to the National Assembly for approval. In this regard, the name of a Princess may be submitted. Upon the approval of the National Assembly, the President of the National Assembly shall invite such Successor to ascend the Throne and proclaim such Successor as King.

Legislative

National assembly

The legislative branch (also called the Parliament of Thailand) of the Thai government was first established in the "temporary" constitution of 1932. The assembly first met on 28 June 1932 in the Ananda Samakhom Throne Hall. The National Assembly of Thailand is a bicameral legislature featuring a Senate and a House of Representatives. The legislative branch took its current form in 2007. The national assembly has 750 members. Both houses of the national assembly meet at the Sappaya-Sapasathan.

The House of Representatives

The lower house of the legislative branch has existed in some form since 1932. The House of Representatives is the primary legislative house of the government of Thailand. The House includes 500 members. 400 of the MPs are elected directly from single-seat constituencies around the country. The other 100 members are selected using proportional representation through party-lists. This latter set of members is selected from eight electoral areas and 375 constituencies. In this mixed member majoritarian system, each voter has two votes, one for the constituency MP, and the other for a party in the voter's electoral area.

The house is a partisan chamber with seven political parties. As the primary legislative chamber, the House has more power than the Senate. The House has the power to remove both the prime minister and cabinet ministers through a vote of no confidence. The house sits for a term of four years; however, a dissolution of the house can happen anytime before the expiration of the term. The house is led by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who is also the President of the National Assembly. He is assisted by two deputy speakers.

The leader of the largest party or largest coalition party will most likely become prime minister, while the leader of the largest party with no members holding any ministerial positions will become the leader of the opposition. The leader of the opposition is a powerful position with considerable influence. The leader is assisted by a shadow cabinet. The last general election for the house was in 2007.

After the 2007 election the People's Power party (PPP) won the most seats with the Democrats and Chart Thai party trailing behind. The composition of the House changed after the 2008 political crisis and the ruling of the constitutional court on 2 December 2008, in which the PPP, the Chart Thai, and the Neutral Democratic Parties (coalition partners), as well as the prime minister and several party executives were banned from politics for five years. While the successor to the PPP retained most of its seats, its coalition partners defected and joined a Democrat-led government which was inaugurated on 17 December 2008, leaving the For Thais Party (successor of the PPP) and the Pracharaj Party in opposition.

The House of Representatives and the Senate were abolished after 22 May 2014 coup by the NCPO. Currently, according to the interim Constitution of Thailand imposed by NCPO, there is no House of Representatives. Legislative power is vested in the National Legislative Council, appointed by the NCPO.

The Senate

The upper house of the legislative branch was first established in 1946. However, for most of its history the Senate has been the stronghold of the military and the elite. The current Senate has 150 members. Seventy-six members are elected, one per province from 75 provinces of Thailand (Bueng Kan does not have an elected senator yet) and one from the Bangkok Metropolitan Area. The other 74 are selected by the Senate Selection Commission, made up of both elected and appointed officials.

The chamber is strictly non-partisan, and members may not be a member of a partisan organisation, the House of Representatives, the judiciary, or the cabinet for five years. The Senate has little legislative power, but retains considerable powers of scrutiny and appointment as the Senate is vested with the power to advise on the appointment of members of the judiciary and independent government agencies. The Senate sits for a set six year non-renewable term and cannot be dissolved. The Senate is presided over by a president of the Senate, who is also the Vice-President of the National Assembly. He is assisted by two vice-presidents of the Senate. The last election to the Senate was in 2024,