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The prime minister of Thailand ( th, นายกรัฐมนตรี, , ; literally 'chief minister of state') is the
head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, ...
of
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
. The
prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
is also the chair of the Cabinet of Thailand. The post has existed since the Revolution of 1932, when the country became a
constitutional monarchy A constitutional monarchy, parliamentary monarchy, or democratic monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in decision making. Constitutional monarchies di ...
. Prior to the
coup d'état A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, ...
, the prime minister was nominated by a vote in the Thai
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
by a simple majority, and is then appointed and sworn-in by the king of Thailand. The house's selection is usually based on the fact that either the prime minister is the leader of the largest political party in the lower house or the leader of the largest coalition of parties. In accordance with the 2017 Constitution, the Prime Minister can hold the office for no longer than eight years, consecutively or not. The post of Prime Minister is currently held by retired general Prayut Chan-o-cha, since the 2014 coup d'état.


History

The office of the "President of the People's Committee" (), later changed to "Prime Minister of Siam" (), was first created in the Temporary Constitution of 1932. The office was modeled after the
prime minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As moder ...
, as Siam became a
parliamentary democracy A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democratic governance of a state (or subordinate entity) where the executive derives its democratic legitimacy from its ability to command the support ("confidence") of the ...
in 1932 after a
bloodless revolution The Glorious Revolution; gd, Rèabhlaid Ghlòrmhor; cy, Chwyldro Gogoneddus , also known as the ''Glorieuze Overtocht'' or ''Glorious Crossing'' in the Netherlands, is the sequence of events leading to the deposition of King James II and ...
. However, the idea of a separate head of government in Thailand is not new. Prior to 1932, Thailand was ruled by absolute monarchs, who acted as both the
head of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state (polity), state#Foakes, Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international p ...
and the government. However, during the middle and latter reigns of the
Chakri Dynasty The Chakri dynasty ( th, ราชวงศ์ จักรี, , , ) is the current reigning dynasty of the Kingdom of Thailand, the head of the house is the king, who is head of state. The family has ruled Thailand since the founding of the ...
, several individuals were perceived to hold a post equivalent to a
head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, ...
. During the reign of King Mongkut, Somdet Chao Phraya Si Suriyawongse had a very significant role in an otherwise absolutist system. During the reign of King Chulalongkorn, Prince Damrong Rajanubhab took over this role. In fact, the office most considered the precursor of that of the prime minister was the ancient office of ''Samuha Nayok'' (สมุหนายก), which was run by an ''Akkhra Maha Senabodi'' (อัครมหาเสนาบดี) or "chief minister in charge of civilian affairs". The first prime minister of Siam was Phraya Manopakorn Nititada, a judge. The title of the office was changed from "Prime Minister ''of Siam''" to "Prime Minister ''of Thailand''" in 1945 and then permanently with the renaming of Siam to Thailand in 1949. For most of its existence the office has been occupied by
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
leaders; sixteen out of twenty-nine, including the incumbent general Prayut Chan-o-cha. Military dominance began with the country's second prime minister, Phot Phahonyothin, who ousted his civilian predecessor in a coup in 1933. The longest-serving prime minister was
Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered a ...
Plaek Pibulsonggram at 14 years, 11 months, and 18 days. The shortest was Tawee Boonyaket at just 18 days. Nine were removed by coups d'état, three were disqualified by court order, and eleven resigned from office. The youngest ever to occupy office was M.R. Seni Pramoj at 40 years old. Thailand received its first female prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, in 2011. Every prime minister since Manopakorn Nititada has been Buddhist. The current 2017 Constitution states that the Prime Minister shall hold the office for no longer than eight years, consecutively or not. The term limit was the subject of legal challenge in 2022 after there were debates of how to count the term.


Appointment

The prime minister of the Kingdom of Thailand must be a member of the House of Representatives. Therefore, the qualifications for the office of prime minister are the same as the qualifications for membership in the house. Prior to the
coup d'état A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, ...
, to be appointed, the nominee for the office must have the support of one-fifth of the members of the House of Representatives. Then after a simple-majority vote in the house, a resolution will be passed and submitted to the king, who will then make a formal appointment by giving his royal assent to the resolution. This must take place within thirty days after the beginning of the first session of the House of Representatives after an election. If no candidate can be found within this time period, then it is the duty of the
president of the National Assembly of Thailand The President of the National Assembly ( th, ประธานรัฐสภา; ; ) is the presiding officer (speaker) of the National Assembly of Thailand. Since 1997, the office has been an ''ex officio'' position occupied by the Speaker of ...
to submit the name considered most worthy for the king to formalize. The nominee and eventual prime minister is always the leader of the largest
political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology ...
in the lower house or the leader of the majority coalition formed after an election. Under the current junta, the nominee for the office is selected by National Legislative Assembly, with the House of Representatives being abolished.


Function

The prime minister is the ''de facto'' chair of the Cabinet of Thailand. The appointment and removal of ministers can only be made with their advice. As the leader of the government the prime minister is therefore ultimately responsible for the failings and performance of their ministers and the government as a whole. The prime minister cannot hold office for a consecutive period of more than eight years. As the most visible member of the government the prime minister represents the country abroad and is the main spokesperson for the government at home. The prime minister must, under the constitution, lead the cabinet in announcing the government's policy statement in front of a joint-session of the National Assembly, within fifteen days of being sworn-in. The prime minister is also directly responsible for many departments. These include the National Intelligence Agency, the Bureau of the Budget, the Office of the National Security Council, the Office of the Council of State, the Office of the Civil Service Commission, the
Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board The Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council ( th, สำนักงานสภาพัฒนาการเศรษฐกิจและสังคมแห่งชาติ), also known as NESDC, is a national economi ...
, the Office of Public Sector Development Commission, and the Internal Security Operations Command. Legislatively all money bills introduced in the National Assembly must require the prime minister's approval. The prime minister can be removed by a
vote of no confidence A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or mana ...
. This process can be evoked, firstly with the vote of only one-fifth of the members of the House of Representatives for a debate on the matter. Then after the debate a vote is taken and with a simple majority the prime minister can be removed. This process cannot be repeated within one parliamentary session.


Office and residence

The prime minister is aided in his work by the Office of the Prime Minister () a cabinet-level department headed usually by two ministers of state. These offices are housed in the
Government House of Thailand Government House ( th, ทำเนียบรัฐบาล; ) refers to the offices of the Prime Minister of Thailand and appointed cabinet ministers. It contains conference rooms and is used for state functions and receptions of foreign gue ...
() in the
Dusit Dusit () is the Thai name for Tushita, the fourth heavenly realm in Buddhist cosmology. The name may refer to: * Dusit District, a district of Bangkok *Dusit Palace, namesake of the district * Dusit Subdistrict, Bangkok, in Dusit District * Dusit S ...
area of
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populatio ...
. The official residence of the prime minister is the
Phitsanulok Mansion Phitsanulok Mansion ( th, บ้านพิษณุโลก) or formerly known Banthomsinth House ( th, บ้านบรรทมสินธุ์ lit: ''House of the Sleeping Narayana'') is the official residence of the Prime Minister of ...
(), in the center of Bangkok. The mansion was built during the reign of
King Vajiravudh Vajiravudh ( th, วชิราวุธ, , 1 January 188126 November 1925) was the sixth monarch of Siam under the Chakri dynasty as Rama VI. He ruled from 23 October 1910 until his death in 1925. King Vajiravudh is best known for his efforts ...
. It became an official residence in 1979. The mansion is rumored to have many ghosts, therefore most prime ministers live in their private residences and only use the house for official business.Chuan takes a home with haunting history
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Deputy prime ministers

Several deputy prime ministers of Thailand () can be appointed. This position can be combined with other ministerial portfolios. ''Note:'' † Military officers


List of prime ministers

ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:12 PlotArea = top:3 bottom:150 right:130 left:20 AlignBars = late DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:1932 till:2022 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:1932 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1932 Colors = id:canvas value:gray(0.5) id:chartthai value:magenta legend:Chart_Thai id:constitution value:claret legend:Constitutional_Front id:democrat value:oceanblue legend:Democrat id:freethai value:lightpurple legend:Free_Thai id:khanaratsadorn value:rgb(0.0,0.8,0.0) legend:Khana_Ratsadorn id:newaspiration value:yellow legend:New_Aspiration id:palangpracharath value:rgb(0.24,0.38,0.65) legend:Palang_Pracharath id:ppp value:redorange legend:People's_Power id:pheuthai value:red legend:Pheu_Thai id:socialaction value:darkblue legend:Social_Action id:trt value:red legend:Thai_Rak_Thai id:military value:teal legend:Military id:ind value:gray(0.8) legend:Independent Legend = columns:2 left:200 top:120 columnwidth:230 TextData = pos:(20,27) textcolor:black fontsize:M text:"Political parties:" BarData = bar:Manoprakorn bar:Photphahon bar:Plaek bar:Khuang bar:Thawi bar:Seni bar:Pridi bar:Thawan bar:Pote bar:Thanom bar:Sarit bar:Sanya bar:Kukrit bar:Tanin bar:Kriangsak bar:Prem bar:Chatchai bar:Anand bar:Suchinda bar:Chuan bar:Banharn bar:Chavalit bar:Thaksin bar:Surayud bar:Samak bar:Somchai bar:Abhisit bar:Yingluck bar:Niwatthamrong bar:Prayut bar:Wongusan PlotData= width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till bar:Manoprakorn from: 28/06/1932 till: 21/06/1933 color:ind text:" P.M. Nititada" bar:Photphahon from: 21/06/1933 till: 16/12/1938 color:khanaratsadorn text:" P.P. Phonphayuhasena" bar:Plaek from: 16/12/1938 till: 01/08/1944 color:khanaratsadorn from: 01/03/1948 till: 16/09/1957 color:military text:" P. Phibunsongkhram" bar:Khuang from: 01/08/1944 till: 31/08/1945 color:khanaratsadorn from: 31/01/1946 till: 24/03/1946 color:ind from: 10/11/1947 till: 08/04/1948 color:democrat text:" K. Aphaiwong" bar:Thawi from: 31/08/1945 till: 17/09/1945 color:freethai text:" T. Bunyaket" bar:Seni from: 17/09/1945 till: 31/01/1946 color:freethai from: 15/02/1975 till: 14/03/1975 color:democrat from: 20/04/1976 till: 06/10/1976 color:democrat text:" S. Pramoj" bar:Pridi from: 24/03/1946 till: 23/09/1946 color:freethai text:" P. Banomyong" bar:Thawan from: 23/09/1946 till: 08/11/1947 color:constitution text:" T. Thamrongnawasawat" bar:Pote from: 21/09/1957 till: 01/01/1958 color:ind text:" P. Sarasin" bar:Thanom from: 01/01/1958 till: 20/10/1958 color:military from: 09/12/1963 till: 14/10/1973 color:military text:" T. Kittikachorn" bar:Sarit from: 20/10/1958 till: 08/12/1963 color:military text:" S. Thanarat" bar:Sanya from: 14/10/1973 till: 15/02/1975 color:ind text:" S. Dharmasakti" bar:Kukrit from: 14/03/1975 till: 20/04/1976 color:socialaction text:" K. Pramoj" bar:Tanin from: 08/10/1976 till: 20/10/1977 color:ind text:" T. Kraivicien" bar:Kriangsak from: 11/11/1977 till: 03/03/1980 color:military text:" K. Chamanan" bar:Prem from: 03/03/1980 till: 04/08/1988 color:military text:" P. Tinsulanonda" bar:Chatchai from: 04/08/1988 till: 23/02/1991 color:chartthai text:" C. Choonhavan" bar:Anand from: 02/03/1991 till: 07/04/1992 color:ind from: 10/06/1992 till: 23/09/1992 color:ind text:" A. Panyarachun" bar:Suchinda from: 07/04/1992 till: 24/05/1992 color:ind text:" S. Kraprayoon" bar:Chuan from: 23/09/1992 till: 13/07/1995 color:democrat from: 09/11/1997 till: 09/02/2001 color:democrat text:" C. Leekpai" bar:Banharn from: 13/07/1995 till: 25/11/1996 color:chartthai text:" B. Silpa-archa" bar:Chavalit from: 25/11/1996 till: 09/11/1997 color:newaspiration text:" C. Yongchaiyut" bar:Thaksin from: 09/02/2001 till: 19/09/2006 color:trt text:" T. Shinawatra" bar:Surayud from: 01/10/2006 till: 29/01/2008 color:military text:" S. Chulanont" bar:Samak from: 29/01/2008 till: 08/09/2008 color:ppp text:" S. Sundaravej" bar:Somchai from: 08/09/2008 till: 02/12/2008 color:ppp text:" S. Wongsawat" bar:Abhisit from: 17/09/2008 till: 05/09/2011 color:democrat text:" A. Vejjajiva" bar:Yingluck from: 05/09/2011 till: 07/05/2014 color:pheuthai text:" Y. Shinawatra" bar:Niwatthamrong from: 07/05/2014 till: 22/05/2014 color:pheuthai text:" N. Boonsongpaisan (acting)" bar:Prayut from: 24/08/2014 till: 05/06/2019 color:military from: 05/06/2019 till: 24/09/2022 color:palangpracharath text:" P. Chan-o-cha" bar:Wongusan from: 24/08/2022 till: 24/09/2022 color:palangpracharath text:" Prawit Wongsuwan (acting)"


Flags of the prime minister

File:Flag of the Prime Minister of Thailand (1936-1939).svg, Flag of the prime minister of Thailand 1936–1939 File:Flag of the Prime Minister of Thailand (1939).svg, Flag of the prime minister of Thailand 1939–1979 File:Flag of the Prime Minister of Thailand.svg, Flag of the prime minister of Thailand 1979–present


See also

* List of prime ministers of Thailand * Constitution of Thailand *
Government of Thailand The Government of Thailand, or formally the Royal Thai Government ( Abrv: RTG; th, รัฐบาลไทย, , ), is the unitary government of the Kingdom of Thailand. The country emerged as a modern nation state after the foundation of t ...
* Office of the Prime Minister (Thailand) * Cabinet of Thailand


References


External links


Official Website
website for the Royal Thai Government

a detailed list of Prime Ministers {{DEFAULTSORT:Prime Minister of Thailand 1932 establishments in Siam