Government & politics — Thailand
Government structure, legal system, citizenship, and international relations.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Government & politics at a glance
Government structure, legal system, citizenship, and international relations. Key figure for Thailand: Kingdom of Thailand
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Identity & names
- Full Country Name
Kingdom of Thailand
- Country Name
Thailand
- Local - Long
Ratcha Anachak Thai
- Local - Short
Prathet Thai
- Former Name
Siam
- Etymology- history of name
Land of the Tai [People]"; the meaning of "tai" is uncertain, but may originally have meant "human beings," "people," or "free people''
- Independence
1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized)
- National Holiday
Birthday of King WACHIRALONGKON, 28 July (1952)
Political system
- Government Type
constitutional monarchy
- Constitution
- history: many previous; latest drafted and presented 29 March 2016, approved by referendum 7 August 2016,
- signed into law by the king on 6 April 2017 amendments: amendments require a majority vote in a joint session of the House and Senate and further require at least one fifth of opposition House members and one third of the Senate vote in favor; a national referendum is additionally required for certain amendments; all amendments require signature by the king; Thailand's 2017 constitution was amended in November 2021 to increase the number of constituency members of parliament (MPs) from 350 to 400, reduce the number of party-list MPs from 150 to 100, and change the election to a two-ballot system
- Legal System:
civil law system with common law influences
- Executive Branch:
- chief of state: King WACHIRALONGKON; also spel
- led Vajiralongkorn (since 1 December 2016) head of government: Interim Pr
- ime Minister PHUMTHAM Wechayachai (since 3 July 2025) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister, appointed by the king;
- a Privy Council advises the king election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister candidate approv
- ed by House of Representatives and appointed by the king note: PHAETHONGTHAN Chinnawat (also spelled PAETONGTARN Shinawatra), Prime Minister since 18 August 2024, was suspended by Thailand's Constitutional Court on 1 July pending an investigation
- Legislative Branch:
Description
bicameral National Assembly or Ratthasapha consists of: Senate or Wuthisapha (currently 250 seats; members appointed by the National Council for Peace and Order to serve 5-year terms; the Senate appointed in 2024 will consist of 200 members elected from various groups of professionals for a 5-year term) House of Representatives or Saphaphuthan Ratsadon (500 seats; 400 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 100 members elected in a single nationwide constituency by party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)
Elections
Senate - last selections held on 14 May 2019 (next to be held in 2024) House of Representatives - last held on 14 May 2023 (next to be held in May 2027)
Election Results
- - Senate - percent of vote by party - NA
- seats by party - NA
- composition as of February 2024 - men 223, women 26, percentage women 10.4% House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - MFP 36.2%, PTP 27.7%, UTN 11.9%, PJT 2.9%, DP 2.3%, PPRP 1.4%, PCC 1.5%, other 16%
- seats by party - MFP 152, PTP 141, PJT 71, PPRP 41, UTN 36, DP 24, PCC 9, CTP 10, Thai Sang Thai 6, other 11
- composition as of February 2024 - 403 men, 97 women, percentage women 19.4%
- total National Assembly percentage women 16.4%
- Judicial Branch:
- highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice (consists of the court president, 6 vice presidents, 60-70 judges, and organized into 10 divisions); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president and 8 judges); Supreme Administrative Court (number of judges determined by Judicial Commission of
- the Administrative Courts) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges selected by the Judicial Commission of the Courts of Justice and approved by the monarch; judge term determined by the monarch; Constitutional Court justices - 3 judges drawn from the Supreme Court, 2 judges drawn from the Administrative Court, and 4 judge candidates selected by the Selective Committee for Judges of the Constitutional Court, and confirmed by the Senate; judges appointed by the monarch serve single 9-year terms; Supreme Administrative Court judges selected by the Judicial Commission of the Administrative Courts and appointed by the monarch;
- judges serve for life subordinate courts: courts of first instance and appeals courts within both the judicial and administrative systems; military courts
- Regions or States:
76 provinces (changwat, singular and plural) and 1 municipality* (maha nakhon); Amnat Charoen, Ang Thong, Bueng Kan, Buri Ram, Chachoengsao, Chai Nat, Chaiyaphum, Chanthaburi, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chon Buri, Chumphon, Kalasin, Kamphaeng Phet, Kanchanaburi, Khon Kaen, Krabi, Krung Thep* (Bangkok), Lampang, Lamphun, Loei, Lop Buri, Mae Hong Son, Maha Sarakham, Mukdahan, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Sawan, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nan, Narathiwat, Nong Bua Lamphu, Nong Khai, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Pattani, Phangnga, Phatthalung, Phayao, Phetchabun, Phetchaburi, Phichit, Phitsanulok, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Phrae, Phuket, Prachin Buri, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ranong, Ratchaburi, Rayong, Roi Et, Sa Kaeo, Sakon Nakhon, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, Saraburi, Satun, Sing Buri, Si Sa Ket, Songkhla, Sukhothai, Suphan Buri, Surat Thani, Surin, Tak, Trang, Trat, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Uthai Thani, Uttaradit, Yala, Yasothon
- Political Parties and Leaders:
- Action Coalition Party or ACP [ANEK Laothammathast]
- Bhumjaithai Party (aka Phumchai Thai Party or PJT
- aka Thai Pride Party) or BJT [ANUTIN Chanwirakun]
- Chat Phatthana Kla arty (National Development Party) [KON Chatikawanit]
- Chat Thai Phatthana Party (Thai Nation Development Party) or CTP [VARAWUT Silpa-archa]
- Move Forward Party or MFP [CHAITHAWAT Tulathon]
- New Economics Party or NEP [MANUN Siwaphiromrat]
- Palang Pracharat Party (People's State Power Party) or PPRP [PRAWIT Wongsuwan]
- Pheu (Puea)
- Thai Party (For Thais Party) or PTP [PAETONGTARN Shinawatra (aka Ung In)]
- Prachachat Party or PCC [THAWEE Sodsong]
- Prachathipat Party (Democrat Party) or DP [CHALERMCHAI Sri-on]
- Puea Chat Party (For Nation Party) or PCP [SARUNWUT Sarunket]
- Puea Tham Party (For Dharma Party) [NALINI Thawisin]
- Seri Ruam Thai Party (Thai Liberal Party or TLP) [SERIPHISUT Temiyawet]
- Thai Civilized Party or TCL [MONGKOLKIT Suksintharanon]
- Thai Local Power Party or TLP [CHATCHAWAI Kong-udom]
- Thai People Power Party or TLPT [NIKHOM Bunwiset]
- Thai Sang Thai Party [SUDARAT Keyuraphan]
- United Thai Nation (Ruam Thai Sang Chat) or UTN [PHIRAPHAN Saliratthawiphak]
- Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
- Citizenship Criteria:
- no Citizenship by descent only: at least one par
- no Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Capital & time
- Capital Name
Bangkok
- Capital - geographic coordinate
13 45 N, 100 31 E
- Capital Time Difference
UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
International role
- International Organization Participation:
ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, BIS, CD, CICA, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, PIF (partner), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- International Law Organization Participation:
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
- Diplomatic Representation from US:
chief of mission
Ambassador Robert F. GODEC (since 7 October 2022) embassy: 95 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330 mailing address: 7200 Bangkok Place, Washington DC 20521-7200
telephone
[66] 2-205-4000
FAX
[66] 2-205-4103
Email address and website
- acsbkk@state.gov
- https://th.usembassy.gov/
consulate(s) general
Chiang Mai
- Diplomatic Representation in the US:
chief of mission
Ambassador Tanee SANGRAT (since 12 December 2022)
chancery
1024 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 401, Washington, DC 20007
telephone
[1] (202) 944-3600
FAX
[1] (202) 944-3611
Email address and website
- thai.wsn@thaiembdc.org
- https://thaiembdc.org
consulate(s) general
Chicago, Los Angeles, New York