THE KINGDOM OF THAILAND

GEOGRAPHY

Thailand has an area of 198,114 square miles The country is commonly divided into four main regions and borders Burma, Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia. The northern region is hilly, with much of its population concentrated in upland valleys and the flood plains of rivers; the dominant geographic feature is the Khorat Plateau. The southern region is a narrow isthmus with hills running down the center.

HISTORY

ORIGIN OF THAIS It presumed that about 4,500 years, Thais originated in northwestern Szechuan in China and later migrated down to Thailand along the southern part of China. They split into two main groups, the Lanna and Sukothai.

KHMER INFLUENCEFrom the 9th to the 11th century, the central and western area of Thailand was occupied by Mon civilization called Dvaravati. The Mon share the same common lineage as the Khmers and settle in southern Burma latter.

LANNA PERIODNorthern Thailand was once occupied by the ancient Lanna Empire, which spread over Chiang Mai, Lampang, Lamphun and Phayao. Tucked comfortably in a valley, Chiang Mai - Lamphun and Chiang Rai - Phayao represented the two main plateaus of the empire.

SUKHOTHAI PERIODSukhothai, meaning the ''Dawn of Happiness'' was the first truly independent Thai Kingdom founded in 1238, by two Thai chieftains, Khun Bang Klang Tao and Khun Pa Muang , this ending Khmer rule from Angkor Wat. In the early 1300s, Sukhothai enjoyed rule over the Chao Phya River basin, westward to the bay of Bengal and the entire Peninsula.

AYUTTHAYA PERIODFor 417 years the kingdom of Ayutthaya was the dominant power in the fertile Menam or Chao Phraya Basin. Its capital was Ayutthaya, an island-city situated at the confluence of three rivers, the Chao Phraya, the Pasak, and the Lopburi, which grew into one of Asia's most renowned metropolises, inviting comparison with great European cities such as Paris.

THONBURI PERIODThonburi was founded by a Thai general named Phraya Taksin, who was later crowned King Taksin Maharaj. After the fall of Ayutthaya to the Burmese in 1767, Thonburi, situated on the west bank of the Chao Phraya opposite what is now the City of Bangkok, became the new Thai capital.

RATTANAKOSIN PERIODThe Chakris were inaugurated on April 6, 1782 together with the coronation of Rama I or King Buddha Yot Fa Chulalok. He moved the capital across the Chao Phaya River from Thonburi to a small village known as "Bangkok" and raised up new laws to rule the country. Under his reign, Thailand covered all areas of present day Laos and parts of Burma, Cambodia and Kedah province in Malaysia.

RELIGION

• Religion in Thailand is varied. There is no official state religion in the Thai constitution, which guarantees religious freedom for all Thai citizens, though the king is required by law to be Theravada Buddhist. The main religions practiced in Thailand is Buddhism. According to the latest official religious demographics figures, 94.6% of Thais are Buddhists of the Theravada tradition.

• The other religions in Thailand are Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Sikhism and Christianity

• Freedom of Religion in Thailand - The law provides for freedom of religion, and the government generally respects this right in practice; however, it does not register new religious groups that have not been accepted into one of the existing religious governing bodies on doctrinal or other grounds. In practice, unregistered religious organizations operate freely, and the government's practice of not recognizing any new religious groups does not restrict the activities of unregistered religious groups.

CULTURE

• Thai culture has been shaped by many influences, including Indian, Lao, Burmese, Cambodian, and Chinese.

• The traditional Thai greeting, the wai, is generally offered first by the younger of the two people meeting, with their hands pressed together, fingertips pointing upwards as the head is bowed to touch face to fingertips, usually coinciding with the spoken word "sawasdee khrap" for male speakers, and "sawasdee ka" for females. The elder may then respond in the same way.

• Respect towards ancestors is an essential part of Thai spiritual practice. Thais have a strong sense of hospitality and generosity, but also a strong sense of social hierarchy

• Family is central to Thai life.• Another concept that is very important in Thai

culture is sanuk. Sanuk is a wide-reaching idea that embodies the playfulness and sense of humor that is so central to life in Thailand.

EDUCATION

• Education in Thailand is provided mainly by the Thai government through the Ministry of Education from pre-school to senior high school. A free basic education of twelve years is guaranteed by the constitution, and a minimum of nine years' school attendance is mandatory.

• Formal education consists of at least twelve years of basic education, and higher education.

• Non-formal education is supported by the state. Independent schools contribute significantly to the general education infrastructure. Administration and control of public and private universities are carried out by the Office of Higher Education Commission, a department of the Ministry of Education.

GOVERNMENT

• The Thailand government is based on a constitutional monarchy quite similar to that of the United Kingdom, in which a Prime Minister serves as head of a parliamentary government and a hereditary Thai king functions as head of state.

MONARCHY

• The present king of Thailand since 1946 is King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

• According to Thailand’s constitution, although the state ‘s sovereignty is vested in the people, the King will exercise such powers through the branches of the Thai government.

• As the Head of State however he is given some powers and has a role to play in the machinations of government.

• According to the Constitution, the King is the Head of the Armed forces, 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, power to grant pardons and the royal assent. The King is aided in his duties by the Privy Council of Thailand.

EXECUTIVE

PRIME MINISTER• is the Head of Government of Thailand• The Prime Minister is, in accordance with the

constitution, selected; first by an election in the lower house then officially appointed by the King.

• As head of the executive branch, is also the leader of the Cabinet of Thailand. The Prime Minister therefore retains the prerogative to appoint or remove any Minister he or she so chooses.

CABINET• is a council composed of 35: Ministers of State

and Deputy Ministers, who run the cabinet ministries of the Kingdom. There are currently 20 cabinet ministries, which comprises the main portion of state employees.

• is also responsible for the formulation and execution of policies of the government. Members of the Cabinet do not necessarily need to be a member of the lower house, as in other countries but most often are.

LEGISLATIVE

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY• Is a bi-cameral legislature and comprises two

houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives.

• The legislative branch took its current form in 2007. The National Assembly has 630 members. Both houses of the National Assembly meet at the Parliament House of Thailand.

SENATE• The current Senate has 150 members. 76 members

are elected, one per province from the 75 provinces of Thailand (Bueng Kan does not have an elected senator yet) and 1 from the Bangkok Metropolitan Area.

• The chamber is strictly a non-partisan chamber, and members may not be a member of a partisan organization, House of Representatives, judiciary and the Cabinet for five years.

• The Senate has little power legislative -wise, but retain considerable powers of scrutiny and appointment. As the Senate is vested with the power to ‘advise’ on the appointment of several members of the Judiciary and independent government agencies. The Senate sits for a set six years non renewable term, the Senate cannot be dissolved. The Senate is presided 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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

• is the primary legislative house of the government of Thailand.

• The House comprises 500 members. 375 of the MPs are elected directly from single-seat constituencies around the country. The other 125 members are selected using ‘proportional representation’ through party-lists. There are 8 electoral areas from which the proportionally representative votes are taken and 375 constituencies.

JUDICIARY

COURTS OF JUSTICE• Is the largest of the court system and makes

up the majority of courts in the Kingdom. The Courts as mandated in the Constitution is made up of three tiers: the Court of First Instance, the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Justice of Thailand.

ADMINISTRATIVE COURTS• is made up of two tiers: The Administrative

Courts of First Instance and the Supreme Administrative Court. The court system was first created in 1997, the court’s main jurisdiction is to settle litigation between the State or an organ of state (government ministries, departments and independent agencies) and private citizens

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT• The Constitutional Court of Thailand was

created solely as a high court to settle matters pertaining to the constitution. The court has since accumulated huge amounts of power and influence; gaining many controversies on the way. This has become especially clear during the 2006 and 2008 political crises, settling political deadlocks and social unrest.

EVENTS THAT LEAD UP TO THAILAND’S

CURRENT POLITICAL UNREST

• September 19, 2006Thailand's prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is deposed by the army while absent at the UN General Assembly in New York.

• May 2007Mr. Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) Party is banned.

• August 2007A new military-approved constitution is supported by voters in a national referendum.

• December 2007General election is won by the People's Power Party, widely viewed as a proxy for Mr Thaksin's outlawed Thai Rak Thai party.

• February 2008Thaksin political ally, Samak Sundaravej sworn in as prime minister.

• May 2008Anti-government Yellow Shirt protesters occupy the prime ministerial compound accusing Samak Sundaravej of being Mr Thaksin's puppet.

• August 2008Mr Thaksin flees to the UK after failing to appear in court to face corruption charges.

• September 2008The Constitutional Court dismisses prime minister Sundaravej, declaring that his appearance on TV cooking shows constitutes a conflict of interest.

• October 2008Supreme Court convicts Mr Thaksin in absentia of corruption; he is sentenced to two years prison.

• November 2008Anti-government Yellow Shirt protesters occupy Bangkok's two major airports, paralyzing air travel for several days.

• December 2008Yellow Shirt protesters end the airport occupation after Mr Somchai resigns as prime minister, following a Constitutional Court ruling that his party was guilty of electoral fraud.

• April 2009Pro-Thaksin Red Shirt protesters rally in Bangkok and clash with the military.

• December 2009More than 20,000 Red Shirts rally in Bangkok in support of Mr Thaksin.

• February 2010The Supreme Court seizes $US1.4 billion of Mr Thaksin's assets after ruling he had abused power while prime minister.

• March 2010Tens of thousands of Red Shirts paralyse central Bangkok demanding Mr Abhisit's resignation as prime minister. Demonstrations continue for weeks.

• May 2010The military finally storm the protesters encampment, ending the street campaign. More than 90 people are killed and 1,800 injured.

• July 2011The pro-Thaksin Pheu Thai Party wins a landslide election. Mr Thaksin's sister, Yingluck Shinawatra is appointed Thailand's first female prime minister

• June 2012Ms Yingluck's government attempts to pass a bill of national reconciliation intended to end the political tensions.

• December 2012Former prime minister Abhisit is charged with responsibility for the death of a protester during the crackdown on the May 2010 anti-government protests.

• April 2013The Constitutional Court blocks bid by Ms Yingluck's government to amend the 2007 constitution.

• November 1, 2013Anti-government protesters rally in Bangkok against a proposed amnesty bill for political offences committed since 2006.

• November 24, 2013Anti-government protests in Bangkok draw large crowds. Democrat Party opposition leader Suthep Thaugsuban resigns to lead protests.

• November 24, 2013Government and ministerial offices surrounded by tens of thousands of protesters.

• November 30, 2013Pro-Yingluck Red Shirts rally in Bangkok, and clash with anti-government demonstrators, leaving four dead and dozens injured.

• December 1 - 2, 2013Street clashes continue. Anti-Yingluck protesters in Bangkok fail in their attempt to seize the prime minister’s office and police headquarters.

• December 3, 2013Police withdraw from their HQ, enabling anti-government protesters to make a politically symbolic occupation of the complex and the prime minister's offices

• December 8, 2013Thailand's prime minister Mr Yingluck refuses to step down, announcing early elections for February 2014.

• December 21, 2013Opposition Democrat Party announces it will boycott the elections if not proceeded by political reforms.

• December 24, 2013Violent street protests leave a police officer dead and dozens injured

• January 4, 2014Thailand's Electoral Commission announces February elections will proceed as planned

• January 14, 2014Anti-government protesters occupy key locations in Bangkok in a bid to shut down the capital and force Ms Yingluck's resignation.

• January 18, 2014• Tensions increase in Bangkok after a suspected

grenade attack on opposition protesters leaves one dead and more than 30 injured.

• January 29-31, 2014Anti-government protesters gather for three days of marches in Bangkok in a final bid to disrupt the general election.

• February 2, 2014The general election is held amid anti-government protests

• March 2, 2014Voting in re-run elections is peacefully held in five provinces where voting was disrupted by anti-government protests during February's general election

• March 21, 2014Thailand's Constitutional Court rules February's general election is invalid.

• March 31, 2014Caretaker prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra appears before an anti-corruption panel to defend herself against charges that could lead to her removal from office.

• April 30, 2014A new general election is scheduled to be held on July 20 after talks between caretaker prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra and the Election Commission.

• May 6, 2014Caretaker prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra appears before the Constitutional Court to answer charges over an alleged abuse of power.

May 7, 2014The Constitutional Court delivers a guilty verdict, dismissing prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra and nine of her ministers for abuse of power.

• May 8, 2014Former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra is found guilty of the negligence charge over a state rice-buying scheme.

• May 15, 2014The Election Commission calls for national polls planned for July 20 to be postponed because of the escalating political unrest.

• May 20, 2014Thailand's army declares martial law in an announcement on military TV.

• May 22, 2014Thailand's military chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha takes power in a coup d'état.

CURRENT POLITICAL SET-

UP

• A political crisis is currently going period in Thailand. Anti-government protests took place between November 2013 and May 2014, organised by the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), a political pressure group set up and led by former Democrat Party MP Suthep Thaugsuban. The protests eventually resulted in the removal of the incumbent prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, a coup d'état and the establishment of a military junta.

ECONOMY

THAILAND is the world’s• 17th largest manufacturer output• 28rd largest exporter• 24th largest economy by purchasing power• the 2nd largest economy in ASEAN

• Thailand is the world’s leading exporter of rice and a major exporter of shrimp. Other agricultural products include coconuts, corn, rubber, soybeans, sugarcane, and tapioca.

• Thailand is the world’s second largest exporter of gypsum after Canada, even though government policy limits gypsum exports to prevent price cutting

• Gross Domestic Product: In 2006 Thailand’s GDP was US$196.6 billion, reflecting a growth rate of 4.4 percent over 2005.

• Government Budget: In 2005 Thailand’s central government budget was estimated at US$35.2 billion.

• Inflation: Consumer prices increased by 4.5 percent in 2005, up from 1.8 percent the previous year, partly as a result of global demand for crude oil

• Thailand’s economic freedom score is 63.3, making its economy the 72nd freest in the 2014 Index. Its score is 0.8 point worse than last year due to continuing declines in labor freedom, the control of government spending, and freedom from corruption.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

• Thailand seeks to position itself as the gateway to mainland Southeast Asia and as such its foreign policy is focused on the immediate region

• Australia and Thailand signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in 2004 and New Zealand and Thailand signed a Closer Economic Partnership in April 2005. In April 2007, Thailand signed an FTA with Japan and continues to pursue a number of other bilateral FTAs.

• Thailand's major security preoccupation has traditionally been with its borders and the internal situations in neighboring countries, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Malaysia.

• Thailand has supported an open international trading environment through membership of the WTO, and joined, as founding member, of both the Cairns Group and APEC.