Government of Thailand Introduction The cour

The course of modernization, and democracy, in Thailand has not run smoothly. At this point, Thailand is operating under its 15th constitution, the latest of which was promulgated in 1991 by the National Peacekeeping Council of the coup regime. That constitution provided for a bicameral legislature and a constitutional monarchy, modeled on the system used in Great Britain. There are, however, many differences, both in structure and operation. The intention in this paper is to explore the development of the Thai governmental structure through looking at historical background and modern developments, followed by a brief discussion of contemporary politics.

There have been a number of empires, and civilizations in the Thai region beginning with the Funan Empire which flourished from approximately the first to sixth centuries A.D. This Empire was fundamentally Indian and extended far beyond the territory of modern Thailand. Following that, the Mon people established the independent kingdom of Dvaravati, separate from the Funan Empire. This, in its turn, became part of the Khmer Empire during the 11th century (Girling, 1981).

The Thai people themselves did not enter Thailand until after this time. Essentially, they were a minority population from southwest China which continued to move southward into the Khmer Empire. They overcame these Khmers (or Cambodians during the 14th century, establishing a Tha

Related Essays

REFORMATION OF THAILAND This research paper sum .... the Bangkok court system, the introduction of centralized .... was his deepset conviction that Thailand had to Westernize its system of government and its .... (2592 10 )

Reformation & Modernization of Thailand This research paper sum .... the Bangkok court system, the introduction of centralized .... was his deepset conviction that Thailand had to Westernize its system of government and its .... (2590 10 )

International Management and Thailand .... LaPoer, BL (1989). Introduction. In LePoer, BL Thailand: A country study. Washington: US Government Printing Office. Paxton, J. (Ed.). (1990). .... (1970 8 )

Thailand & a Kinko Franchise Program .... have benefitted from the government's infrastructure program .... roads, and the introduction of reliable .... Culturally, Thailand is undergoing a transformation as it .... (1641 7 )

The Thailand Garment Industry & Economy .... A brief introduction to Thailand's general information and statistics will open the .... end the research by recommending the actions Thailand's government needs to .... (4366 17 )

atic course of action. Yet the path of democracy in Thailand has certainly been erratic, with many fits and starts. Even when the country has seemed to be relatively stable, this has proved to be shortlived. For example, LePoer (1989) noted in her country study of Thailand that the stability of the system during the 1980s might be the political watershed in Thai history. It seemed as though the Constitution of 1978 was working well and that both the leaders and the Thai people were committed to making this democracy/monarchy succeed. The Constitution of 1978 provided for a Britishstyle cabinet form of government, with King Bhumibol Adulyadej the constitutional monarch. The prime minister was Prem Tinsulanonda, who had come into power not through election but through consensus on the part of political leaders. Coups were attempted against Prem in both 1981 1985, and while these failed they did alter the course of the government (LePoer, 1989). Current Structure Nonetheless, the course of Thai democracy remained wedded to the coup and constitutional change. The latest of the constitutions is the 1991 constitution which was enacted on December 9, 1991 by the national Peacekeeping Council of the latest coup group. It

Category: Foreign - G