Bangkok – Monday marked National Constitution Day in Thailand, observing the importance of the administrative document and celebrating its 20 incarnations throughout the democratic history of the Kingdom.
Constitution Day marks the date King Rama VII graciously signed the first charter into effect on December 10, 1932. The document transitioned the country’s administrative system to a democratic monarchy and paved the way for the establishment of Parliament and Cabinet. Under the first constitution, the nation’s monarch appointed the Cabinet, which was then tasked with administrating the nation and the Parliament, which in turn established legislation and kept the Cabinet in check.
Both the Cabinet and the monarch under the initial charter were empowered to dissolve Parliament to protect the nation’s best interests and call new general elections. The charter placed the Kingdom’s monarch in a position of great respect.
The 20th constitution, drafted when the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) assumed power in 2014, came into effect on April 6, 2017, and is considered a restart of democracy in Thailand. It paved the way for a general election to take place in 2019.
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