iday: Birthday of His Majesty the King, 5 December (1927)

Constitution: new constitution signed by King PHUMIPHON on 11 October
1997

Legal system: based on civil law system, with influences of common
law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:
chief of state: King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet (since 9 June 1946)
head of government: Prime Minister CHUAN Likphai (since 15 November
1997)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
note: there is also a Privy Council
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister designated
from among the members of the House of Representatives; following a
national election for the House of Representatives, the leader of the
party that can organize a majority coalition usually becomes prime
minister

Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly or Rathasapha consists
of the Senate or Wuthisapha (a 253-member appointed body which will be
phased into a 200-member elected body starting in March 2000; members
serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Sapha
Phuthaen Ratsadon (currently has 392 members, but will become a
500-member body after the next election; members elected by popular
vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 17 November 1996 (next
scheduled to be held by 17 November 2000, but may be held earlier)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party
- NA; seats by party - NAP 125, DP 123, NDP 52, TNP 39, SAP 20, TCP
18, SP 8, LDP 4, MP 2, PDP 1

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

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party or DP (Prachathipat
Party) ; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP (Seri Tham)
; Mass Party or MP [CHALERM Yoobamrung, SOPHON
Petchsavang]; National Development Party or NDP (Chat Phattana) [KON
Thappharangsi]; New Aspiration Party or NAP (Khwamwang Mai) [Gen.
CHAWALIT Yongchaiyut]; Phalang Dharma Party or PDP (Phalang Tham)
; Social Action Party or SAP (Kitsangkhom Party)
; Solidarity Party or SP (Ekkaphap Party) [CHAIYOT
Sasomsap]; Thai Citizen's Party or TCP (Prachakon Thai) [SAMAK
Sunthonwet]; Thai Nation Party or TNP (Chat Thai Party) [BANHAN
Sinlapa-acha]; Thai Rak Thai Party or TRT

International organization participation: APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, CP,
ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsa