Thailand Government

What is the capital of Thailand?

Country Name Thailand
Full Country Name Kingdom of 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" or "people"
Government Type Constitutional monarchy; note - interim military-affiliated government since May 2014
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)
Independence 1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized)
National Holiday Birthday of King PHUMIPHON (BHUMIBOL), 5 December (1927)
Constitution Many previous; interim constitution - replacing the 2007 permanent constitution - was signed by the king on 22 July 2014; the first draft of a new constitution was completed on 17 April 2015, rejected by the drafting committee on 6 September 2015; the final draft was completed by a new drafting committee on 29 March 2016, passed by referendum on 7 August 2016

Thailand Capital City Map

Source: Google Maps

Thailand Government and Politics

Who is the president of Thailand?

Executive Branch: Chief of state: King WACHIRALONGKON, also spelled Vajiralongkorn, (since 1 December 2016); note - King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet, also spelled BHUMIBOL Adulyadej (since 9 June 1946) died 13 October 2016

Head of government: Prime Minister PRAYUT Chan-ocha (since 25 August 2014); Deputy Prime Ministers PRAWIT Wongsuwan (since 31 August 2014), WISSANU Kruea-ngam (since 31 August 2014), SOMKHIT Chatusiphithak (since 20 August 2015), CHURIN Laksanawisit (since November 2019), ANUTHIN Chanwirakun (since November 2019)

Cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister, appointed by the king; a Privy Council advises the king

Elections/Appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; the House of Representatives and Senate approve a person for Prime Minister who must then be appointed by the King (as stated in the transitory provision of the 2017 constitution); the office of the prime minister can be held for up to a total of 8 years

Note: PRAYUT Chan-ocha was appointed interim prime minister in August 2014, three months after he staged the coup that removed the previously elected government of Prime Minister YINGLAK Chinnawat; on 5 June 2019 PRAYUT (independent) was approved as prime minister by the parliament - 498 votes to 244 for THANATHON Chuengrungrueangkit (FFP)
Citizenship Criteria: Citizenship by birth: no

Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Thailand

Dual citizenship recognized: no

Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Legal System: Civil law system with common law influences
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Legislative Branch: Description: bicameral National Assembly or Rathhasapha consists of:

Senate or Wuthissapha (250 seats; members appointed by the Royal Thai Army to serve 5-year terms)

House of Representatives or Saphaphuthan Ratsadon (500 seats; 375 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 150 members elected in a single nationwide constituency by party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)

Elections: Senate - last held on 14 May 2019 (next to be held in 2024)

House of Representatives - last held on 24 March 2019 (next to be held in 2023)

Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 224, women 26, percent of women 10.4%

House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PPRP 23.7%, PTP 22.2%, FFP 17.8%, DP 11.1%, PJT 10.5%, TLP 2.3%, CTP 2.2%, NEP 1.4%, PCC 1.4%, ACT 1.2%, PCP 1.2%, other 5.1%; seats by party - PTP 136, PPRP 116, FFP 81, DP 53, PJT 51, CTP 10, TLP 10, PCC 7, PCP 5, NEP 6, ACT 5, other 20; composition - men 421, women 79, percent of women 15.8%; note - total National Assembly percent of women 14%
Judicial Branch: Highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice (consists of court president, 6 vice-presidents, and 60-70 judges, and organized into 10 divisions); Constitutional Court (consists of 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 to serve single 9-year terms; Supreme Administrative Court judges selected by the Judicial Commission of the Administrative Courts and appointed by the monarch; judges appointed 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, Buriram, 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, Sara Buri, Satun, Sing Buri, Sisaket, Songkhla, Sukhothai, Suphan Buri, Surat Thani, Surin, Tak, Trang, Trat, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Uthai Thani, Uttaradit, Yala, Yasothon
Political Parties and Leaders: Chat Patthana Party or CPN (National Development Party) [WANNARAT Channukun]

Chat Thai Phatthana Party or CTP (Thai Nation Development Party) [THEERA Wongsamut]

Mahachon Party or Mass Party [APHIRAT Sirinawin]

Matuphum Party (Motherland Party) [Gen. SONTHI Bunyaratkalin]

Phalang Chon Party (People Chonburi Power Party) [SONTHAYA Khunpluem]

Phumchai (Bhumjai) Thai Party or PJT (Thai Pride) [ANUTHIN Chanwirakun]

Prachathipat Party or DP (Democrat Party) [ABHISIT Wechachiwa, also spelled ABHISIT Vejjajiva]

Prachathipatai Mai Party (New Democracy Party) [SURATIN Phichan]

Puea Thai Party (For Thais Party) or PTP [acting leader VIROT Paoin]

Rak Prathet Thai Party (Love Thailand Party) [CHUWIT Kamonwisit]

Rak Santi Party (Peace Conservation Party) [Pol. Lt. Gen. THAWIN Surachetphong]
International Law Organization Participation: Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
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
Diplomatic Representation in the US: Chief of Mission: Ambassador PHISAN Manawaphat (since 23 February 2015)

Chancery: 1024 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 401, Washington, DC 20007

Telephone: [1] (202) 944-3600

FAX: [1] (202) 944-3611

Consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic Representation from US: Chief of Mission: Ambassador Glyn T. DAVIES (since 27 November 2015)

Embassy: 120-122 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330

Mailing Address: APO AP 96546

Telephone: [66] (2) 205-4000

FAX: [66] (2) 254-2990, 205-4131

Consulate(s) general: Chiang Mai
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