After the "democratic revolution" in 1932, led by Westernized bureaucrats and a tradition-oriented military, the country officially became a constitutional monarchy with a prime minister as the government head.
Negotiations between politicians, bureaucrats, influence peddlers, Corporate Leaders and Army Officers have become a driving force in the restoration of temporary political stability. a major increase of 1.69 points (of 10.00) from the last year; it had been in the "hybrid regime" category. == Politics of constitutions == Before the 1932 revolution, the kingdom had no written constitution.
In 1932 the first written constitution was issued, expected to be the most important guideline of the kingdom.
King Bhumibol—on the throne from 1946-2016—commanded enormous popular respect and moral authority, which he used on occasion to resolve political crises that threatened national stability. ==Democracy post-1932== Thailand was a kingdom under an absolute monarch for over seven centuries before 1932. As a result of imperialism, the kings began minor reforms.
On 24 June 1932, troops in Bangkok seized government buildings and some key ministers.
The 1932 revolution took place.
It was claimed that Siam had insufficient time to educate its population in preparation for Western political, industrial, and economic changes. Since becoming a Western-style constitutional democratic monarchy in 1932, most of the time the country has been ruled by military governments.
The disputes and struggles among the elites old and new, civilians, politicians, and military have occurred regularly since 1932.
The first military coup staged by the 1932 revolutionary, military wing itself, occurred in 1933.
As a result, there have been 18 coups and 18 constitutions in the history of Thai politics. From 1932, bureaucrats, generals, and businessmen have run most of the political parties.
The National Assembly convened on 5 June to elect the new prime minister, in which the incumbent prime minister and coup leader Prayut Chan-o-cha won. ==Political history of the democratic era== ===Transition to democracy after 1932=== Following the Siamese revolution of 1932, which imposed constitutional limits on the monarchy, Thai politics were dominated for around fifty years by a military and bureaucratic elite, with the support of businessmen and entrepreneurs.
However, when political disputes took place among the elites, the first military coup occurred in 1933 and the first official constitution was removed, to be replaced by a new one. All of Thailand's charters and constitutions have recognized a unified kingdom with a constitutional monarchy, but with widely differing balances of power between the branches of government.
The first military coup staged by the 1932 revolutionary, military wing itself, occurred in 1933.
King Bhumibol—on the throne from 1946-2016—commanded enormous popular respect and moral authority, which he used on occasion to resolve political crises that threatened national stability. ==Democracy post-1932== Thailand was a kingdom under an absolute monarch for over seven centuries before 1932. As a result of imperialism, the kings began minor reforms.
Several, however, also called for dictatorships, e.g., the 1959 constitution.
The military government, with the support of the US, tightened its control over the country's politics, while intellectuals and leftist students strongly opposed the junta. The Communist Party of Thailand staged armed struggle in the countryside in the 1960s.
In response, the military junta tightened its grip. Student-led uprisings in October 1973 led to a new vision of liberating the country from military government for a short period.
People claimed that Thaksin still influenced Thai politics even though he was in exile. In 1973, he ran a prominent month-long propaganda campaign, accusing democratic student movements of being communist rebels, traitors and spies.
The event ended in a massacre of hundreds of students at Thammasat University on 14 October 1973, and a further military coup was conducted, giving him the interior minister position in the junta. Prime Minister Samak held daily national state television broadcasts with his own political messages.
The new civilian government officially shut US bases amid the fear of communist victory in the Indochinese countries in 1975.
In 1976, Admiral Sa-ngad Chaloryu, the armed forces commander, staged a massacre and coup that brought hard-line anti-communists to power and reversed these reforms. At the end of the Indochina War, investment by foreign businesses helped alleviate poor infrastructure and social problems.
Changes of government were affected primarily by a long series of mostly bloodless coups. Beginning with a brief experiment in democracy during the mid-1970s, civilian democratic political institutions slowly gained greater authority, culminating in 1988 when Chatichai Choonhavan—leader of the Chart Thai Party (Thai Nation Party)—assumed office as the country's first democratically elected prime minister in more than a decade.
The direct powers of the monarch have also varied considerably. Thailand's "popular constitution", called the "people's constitution" was successfully promulgated in 1997 after the 1992 Bloody May incident.
Money seems to be the major factor in gaining power in the country. The Black May uprising, in 1992, lead to more reform when promulgating the 1997 constitution aiming to create checks and balance of powers between strengthened government, separately elected senators, and anti-corruption agencies.
Thais reacted to the appointment by demanding an end to military influence in government, but demonstrations were violently suppressed by the military in May 1992.
According to eyewitness reports of the confrontation near the Democracy Monument in Bangkok, soldiers may have killed seven hundred and fifty protesters after only two days of protests. Domestic and international reactions to the violence forced Suchinda to resign, and the nation once again turned to Anand, who was appointed interim prime minister until new elections were held in September 1992.
In the September 1992 elections, political parties that had opposed the military in May 1992 won by a narrow majority and Chuan Leekpai, a leader of the Democrat Party, became prime minister at the head of a five-party coalition. Following the defection of a coalition partner, Chuan dissolved parliament in May 1995, and the Chart Thai Party won the largest number of parliamentary seats in the subsequent election.
In the September 1992 elections, political parties that had opposed the military in May 1992 won by a narrow majority and Chuan Leekpai, a leader of the Democrat Party, became prime minister at the head of a five-party coalition. Following the defection of a coalition partner, Chuan dissolved parliament in May 1995, and the Chart Thai Party won the largest number of parliamentary seats in the subsequent election.
Following elections held in November 1996, Chavalit Youngchaiyudh formed a coalition government and became prime minister.
The direct powers of the monarch have also varied considerably. Thailand's "popular constitution", called the "people's constitution" was successfully promulgated in 1997 after the 1992 Bloody May incident.
The 1997 constitution was considered a landmark for the degree of public participation involved in its drafting, as well as the democratic nature of its articles.
These organs later became a threat to politicians, particularly when the financial dealings of Thaksin Shinawatra, one of the most popular politicians in Thai history, became an issue. Following an army-led coup on 19 September 2006, the 1997 constitution was abrogated.
Money seems to be the major factor in gaining power in the country. The Black May uprising, in 1992, lead to more reform when promulgating the 1997 constitution aiming to create checks and balance of powers between strengthened government, separately elected senators, and anti-corruption agencies.
However, the onset of the Asian financial crisis caused a loss of confidence in the Chavalit government and forced him to hand over power to Chuan Leekpai in November 1997. Chuan formed a coalition government based on the themes of economic crisis management and the institution of political reforms mandated by Thailand's 1997 constitution.
The 1997 Constitution was abrogated, although most of the institutions of government remained intact.
The junta promised a democratic general election, which was finally held on 23 December 2007, 16 months after the coup. The Constitutional Court unanimously dissolved the populist Thai Rak Thai Party following punishment according to the 1997 constitution, banning 111 TRT members from politics for five years. The military drafted a controversial new constitution following allegations of Thaksin's corruption and abuse of power.
Thaksin continued to work as caretaker prime minister. Civil movements in Thailand were active in the 2000s, with some groups perceiving the Thaksin government as authoritarian, citing extrajudicial killings in his war on drugs, special security laws passed by the administration, and the government's increasingly hardline responses to the insurgency in the southern provinces.
At least six people including nurses and medics were shot by snipers inside a Buddhist temple set up as a safe area. Between 2001 and 2011, Isan's GDP per capita more than doubled to US$1,475.
In a cabinet reshuffle of October 2002, the Thaksin administration further put its stamp on the government.
In 2003, Thailand served as an APEC host and formulated the meeting's theme: "A World of Differences: Partnership for the Future".
Thailand also attends the annual meetings held by the foreign and economic ministers of the ASEAN nations, including the inaugural East Asia Summit that was held in Kuala Lumpur in December 2005. Regional cooperation is progressing for Thailand in economic, trade, banking, political, and cultural matters.
A package of bureaucratic reform legislation created six new ministries in an effort to streamline the bureaucratic process and increase efficiency and accountability. The general election held on 6 February 2005 resulted in another landslide victory for Thaksin and TRT, which controlled 374 seats in parliament's lower house.
These organs later became a threat to politicians, particularly when the financial dealings of Thaksin Shinawatra, one of the most popular politicians in Thai history, became an issue. Following an army-led coup on 19 September 2006, the 1997 constitution was abrogated.
The junta ruled the country by martial law and executive decree for weeks, until it published an interim constitution on 1 October 2006.
Thaksin consequently dissolved parliament on 24 February 2006 and called a snap election for 2 April 2006.
After floating several suggestions on 4 April 2006, Thaksin announced that he would step down as prime minister as soon as parliament had selected a successor.
The courts voided the election results, jailed the committee for abuse of power, and ordered a new round of elections for 15 October 2006.
Just in time to prevent the clash, the military seized power on 19 September 2006. The Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM) led by General Sonthi Boonyaratglin was formed.
Political activities were banned by the junta after the coup on 19 September 2006.
Freedom of speech was restored. During 2006 and 2007, organized underground terrorist activities took place, including the burning numerous schools in rural areas of the north and the northeast of Thailand and the planting of bombs in ten locations in Bangkok, the latter of which killed and injured several people on New Year's Eve in 2006. A national referendum for the 2007 constitution was called by the military and the 2007 constitution was accepted by the majority of the voters.
They were the force behind the street protests that led to the 2006 coup.
The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislative branches. Following the coup d'état of 22 May 2014 revoking the 2007 constitution, a military organization called National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) had taken over administration.
In 2007 the new constitution was eventually issued, said to be a "junta supported constitution" by many critics.
The 2007 constitution was again abolished in another military takeover on 22 May 2014.
Administrative courts, constitutional courts, and election-control committees were established to strengthen the checks and balance of politics. The 2007 constitution, following Thaksin's ousting, was particularly designed to be tighter in its control of corruptions and conflicts of interests while reducing the authority of the government.
Freedom of speech was restored. During 2006 and 2007, organized underground terrorist activities took place, including the burning numerous schools in rural areas of the north and the northeast of Thailand and the planting of bombs in ten locations in Bangkok, the latter of which killed and injured several people on New Year's Eve in 2006. A national referendum for the 2007 constitution was called by the military and the 2007 constitution was accepted by the majority of the voters.
The junta promised a democratic general election, which was finally held on 23 December 2007, 16 months after the coup. The Constitutional Court unanimously dissolved the populist Thai Rak Thai Party following punishment according to the 1997 constitution, banning 111 TRT members from politics for five years. The military drafted a controversial new constitution following allegations of Thaksin's corruption and abuse of power.
A national referendum accepted the 2007 constitution, although there was significant disapproval in Thaksin's stronghold, the north and northeast. On 23 December 2007, a national parliamentary election was held, based on the new constitution, and the People's Power Party (Thai Rak Thai's and Thaksin's proxy party), led by former Bangkok governor Samak Sundaravej, seized the reins of government.
The PPP supported the amendment of the 2007 constitution, while anti-government protesters considered it to be a political amnesty for Thaksin and his followers. The anti-government protesters were, said, mostly better educated, more affluent, urban Thais criticizing a Western-style electoral system corrupted by rich politicians.
The anti-government forces were well-organized, and criticized the behind-the-scenes support of the military, the country's most influential institution, seeing Thaksin supported by anti-royalists, former revolutionaries, and ex-communists aiming at regime change. Samak Sundaravej was elected prime minister of the first government under the 2007 constitution. Samak Sundaravej, an articulate politician, acknowledged being the "nominee" of fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra.
Thailand's new parliament convened on 21 January 2008. The People's Power Party (PPP), or Thaksin's proxy party, gained the majority, with just under half of the total seats in parliament, and won the general election by a solid margin after five minor parties joined it to form a coalition government. A complaint was filed against PPP in the Thai Supreme Court, charging PPP of being the TRT nominee party.
Moreover, in 2008, one of its leading members was charged with electoral fraud.
The yellow shirts are a loose grouping of royalists, ultra-nationalists, and the urban middle class opposed to Thaksin and overarching democratic rule by a rural majority. ===2008 political crisis=== In 2008, Thailand saw increasing political turmoil, with the PPP government facing pressure to step down amid mounting civil disobedience and unrest led by PAD.
Ex-PM Thaksin and Pojaman also faced verdicts from the Supreme Court. People Power Party's deputy spokesman Kuthep Suthin Klangsang, on 12 September 2008 announced: "Samak has accepted his nomination for prime minister.
The ruling People Power Party, on 15 September 2008, named Somchai Wongsawat, candidate for prime minister to succeed Samak Sundaravej.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday in a corruption case against Thaksin and his wife, to be promulgated after the parliament vote for the new prime minister. On 4 October 2008, Chamlong Srimuang and rally organiser Chaiwat Sinsuwongse of the People's Alliance for Democracy were detained by the Thai police led by Col.
Other PAD members still wanted by police included Sondhi, activist MP Somkiat Pongpaibul, and PAD leaders Somsak Kosaisuk and Pibhop Dhongchai. On 7 October 2008, Deputy Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh resigned and admitted partial responsibility for violence due to police tear gas clearance of the blockade of the parliament, causing injuries to 116 protesters, 21 seriously.
The siege on the area beside the near prime minister's office forced the government to transfer its activities to Don Mueang Airport. On 26 November 2008, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) issued a statement saying that the current crisis was a watershed moment for democracy and rule of law in Thailand.
In April 2009, anti-government protesters, known as "red shirts", began a demonstration aimed at the resignation of the prime minister and fresh elections.
At least six people including nurses and medics were shot by snipers inside a Buddhist temple set up as a safe area. Between 2001 and 2011, Isan's GDP per capita more than doubled to US$1,475.
In the 2011 elections, a 75 per cent voter turnout rate was registered. On 29 January, the Thai Army announced its support of the CMPO operation to protect the election.
During the 2013–2014 Thai political crisis older residents of the Baan Dong Yaang village in Udon Thani Province stated: "Before Thaksin, no politicians came here.
Over the same period, GDP in the Bangkok area soared from US$7,900 to nearly US$13,000. ===2013 political crisis=== Following the announcement of a proposed amnesty bill by the Yingluck government, protests resurfaced in October 2013.
Protesters marched to the Thai-Japanese sports stadium, the venue of the registration process, on 22 December 2013 to block the work of the Election Commission (EC). Protesters at the Thai-Japanese sports stadium clashed with police on 26 December 2013, resulting in two fatalities (one police officer was killed by a live bullet fired by a protester).
The government explained that it was unable to change the date of the election, but remained open to discussions with protesters. In his response to the media on 27 December 2013, Thailand's army chief General Prayut Chan-o-cha did not rule out the possibility of a military coup, stating, "Whether it is going to happen, time will tell.
Until 22 May 2014, the politics of Thailand were conducted within the framework of a constitutional monarchy, whereby the prime minister is the [of government] and a hereditary monarch is [of state].
The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislative branches. Following the coup d'état of 22 May 2014 revoking the 2007 constitution, a military organization called National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) had taken over administration.
The 2007 constitution was again abolished in another military takeover on 22 May 2014.
It was repealed in the 22 May 2014 coup d'état. == Government == Thailand categorizes itself as a constitutional monarchy, the king has little direct power under the constitution and exercises power through the National Assembly, the Council of Ministers, and the Courts in accordance with the 2017 constitution.
As of 2018, Corruption Perception Index by Transparency International has ranked Thailand as the 99th least corrupt. A year after the 2014 Thai coup d'état, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) declared a war on corruption, a common mission by all military dictatorships following the numerous coup in Thailand's history.
We try to use peaceful means, talks and meetings to solve the problem." During the same period, an arrest warrant was issued for Suthep by authorities who cited insurrection as the reason, but police did not act on the order for fear of further provocation. Following the announcement of a 60-day emergency decree on 21 January 2014, Yingluck met with the EC on 27 January to discuss the possibility of postponing the election due to the latter's fear of violence on the day of the election.
According to the 2017 constitution, Thailand's entire political system is under the control of the army, through the appointed Senate but also via an array of military-dominated oversight bodies The King of Thailand has little direct power under the constitution, but is a symbol of national identity and unity.
It was repealed in the 22 May 2014 coup d'état. == Government == Thailand categorizes itself as a constitutional monarchy, the king has little direct power under the constitution and exercises power through the National Assembly, the Council of Ministers, and the Courts in accordance with the 2017 constitution.
Under section 107 of the 2017 constitution, senators are selected from professional and social groups, having the knowledge, expertise, and experience in various areas of society. == Corruption == Corruption has plagued Thailand for much of its modern history, with both the private and government sectors partaking in various forms of corruption.
Research shows that the cost of bureaucratic corruption alone in 2018 amounted up to a 100 billion Thai baht, with state officials at various levels embezzling funds from large and small governmental projects.
As of 2018, Corruption Perception Index by Transparency International has ranked Thailand as the 99th least corrupt. A year after the 2014 Thai coup d'état, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) declared a war on corruption, a common mission by all military dictatorships following the numerous coup in Thailand's history.
The NCPO was formally dissolved following the swearing-in of the new cabinet on 16 July 2019. Thai kingdoms and the late Kingdom of Siam were under absolute rule of kings.
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