ed from among members of
House of Representatives; following national elections for House of
Representatives, leader of party that could organize a majority
coalition usually was appointed prime minister by king

Legislative branch:
bicameral National Assembly or Rathasapha consisted of the Senate
or Wuthisapha (200 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
six-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Sapha Phuthaen
Ratsadon (500 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms); after coup in September 2006, coup leaders
appointed an interim National Assembly with 250 members to act as
Senate and House of Representatives
elections: Senate - last held 19 April 2006; House of
Representatives - last valid election held 6 February 2005;
elections held on 2 April 2006 invalidated by court ruling; coup
leaders scheduled next general election by about October 2007
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - NA; House of Representatives - (2005 election) percent of
vote by party - NA; seats by party - TRT 376, DP 97, TNP 25, PP 2

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Sandika (judges appointed by the monarch)

Political parties and leaders:
Democrat Party or DP (Prachathipat Party) [ABHISIT Wetchachiwa];
People's Party or PP (Mahachon Party) [ANEK Laothamatas]; Thai
Nation Party or TNP (Chat Thai Party) [BARNHARN SILPA-ARCHA]; Thai
Rak Thai Party or TRT [CHATURON Chaisang]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, BIS, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC,
MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC (observer), ONUB, OPCW, OSCE
(partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU,
WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador VIRASAK Futrakul
chancery: 1024 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 401, Washington, DC
20007-3681
telephone: [1] (202) 944-3600
FAX: [1] (202) 944-3611
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ralph L. BOYCE
embassy: 120-122 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330
mailing address: APO AP 96546
telephone: [66] (2) 205-4000
FAX: [66] (2) 254-2990,