Thailand Economy & Government Guide
Thailand is governed by a constitutional monarchy, with a prime minister, an elected 360-seat lower house and an upper house of 270 appointed senators, There are some similarities between the Thai system and the system used in the United Kingdom, although the Thai monarchy remains more influential, in both an advisory capacity and through practical development projects initiated by the King and other members of the Royal Family,
Ostensibly within the constitutional framework, the military has traditionally been a powerful force in politics, staging numerous coups, the most recent in 1991. There are indications, however, that moves towards true democracy are beginning to gain although a pro-democracy demonstration was bloodily suppressed by the military in May 1992, the event did succeed in raising public commitment to democracy, while the military was reflected in a poor light,
In administrative terms, Thailand is divided into 76 provinces, each with a governor and provincial capital city. The next subdivision is that of district, while the traditional social and administrative base is the rural village, where authority is popularly invested in a village headman,
Rapid material gains have been made in the last decade, and Bangkok's bristling high-rise skyline is the most obvious outward sign of the country's economic success.
Thailand suffered a hard blow with the tsunami disaster of December 2004 and five tourist areas on the west coast of southern Thailand were affected: Koh Lanta, Phuket, Krabi and, suffering the most, Koh Phi Phi and Khao Lak. All these areas, with the exception of Khao Lak, have now recovered and, although the number of visitors to this part of the country was seriously down for some 18 months, the beginning of the high season at the end of 2005 saw a return to normal.
In administrative terms, Thailand is divided into 76 provinces, each with a governor and provincial capital city. The next subdivision is that of district, while the traditional social and administrative base is the rural village, where authority is popularly invested in a village headman,
Rapid material gains have been made in the last decade, and Bangkok's bristling high-rise skyline is the most obvious outward sign of the country's economic success.
Thailand suffered a hard blow with the tsunami disaster of December 2004 and five tourist areas on the west coast of southern Thailand were affected: Koh Lanta, Phuket, Krabi and, suffering the most, Koh Phi Phi and Khao Lak. All these areas, with the exception of Khao Lak, have now recovered and, although the number of visitors to this part of the country was seriously down for some 18 months, the beginning of the high season at the end of 2005 saw a return to normal.