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, a gro ...

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 bo ...

. 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 not ...

is also the chair of the

Cabinet of Thailand The cabinet of Thailand or, formally, the Council of Ministers of Thailand ( th, คณะรัฐมนตรี; is a body composed of thirty-five of the most senior members of the government of the Kingdom of Thailand. The cabinet is the pri ...

. 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 dif ...

. 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, m ...

, 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 monarchy of Thailand (whose monarch is referred to as the king of Thailand; th, พระมหากษัตริย์ไทย, or historically, king of Siam; th, พระมหากษัตริย์สยาม) refers to the c ...

. 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 Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; th, ประยุทธ์ จันทร์โอชา, ; born 21 March 1954) is a Thai politician and retired Royal Thai Army, army officer who has served as the Prime Minister of T ...

, 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 modern pr ...

, 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 monarch Absolute monarchy (or Absolutism (European history), Absolutism as a doctrine) is a form of monarchy in which the monarch rules in their own right or power. In an absolute monarchy, the king or queen is by no means limited and has absolute pow ...

s, 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 Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...

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

. During the reign of

King Mongkut Mongkut ( th, มงกุฏ; 18 October 18041 October 1868) was the fourth monarch of Siam (Thailand) under the House of Chakri, titled Rama IV. He ruled from 1851 to 1868. His full title in Thai was ''Phra Bat Somdet Phra Menthora Ramathibod ...

, Somdet Chao Phraya

Si Suriyawongse Somdet Chaophraya Borom Maha Sri Suriwongse ( th, สมเด็จเจ้าพระยาบรมมหาศรีสุริยวงศ์, , ; also spelled ''Suriyawong'', etc.; 23 December 1808 – 19 January 1883), whose personal ...

had a very significant role in an otherwise absolutist system. During the reign of

King Chulalongkorn Chulalongkorn ( th, จุฬาลงกรณ์, 20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910) was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, titled Rama V. He was known to the Siamese of his time as ''Phra Phuttha Chao Luang'' (พร� ...

, Prince

Damrong Rajanubhab Prince Tisavarakumarn, the Prince Damrong Rajanubhab (Thai: ; Full transcription is "Somdet Phrachao Borommawongthoe Phra-ongchao Ditsawarakuman Kromphraya Damrongrachanuphap" (สมเด็จพระเจ้าบรมวงศ์เธ� ...

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 Phraya Manopakorn Nitithada ( th, พระยามโนปกรณ์นิติธาดา; ; born Kon Hutasingha ( th, ก้อน หุตะสิงห์; ); 15 July 1884 – 1 October 1948) was the first Prime Minister of Siam ...

, 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

. Military dominance began with the country's second prime minister,

Phot Phahonyothin Phraya Phahonphonphayuhasena, (29 March 1887 – 14 February 1947) (short form: Phraya Phahon), born as Phot Phahonyothin, was a Thai military leader and politician. He became the second prime minister of Siam in 1933 after ousting his pr ...

, 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 as ...

Plaek Pibulsonggram Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram ( th, แปลก พิบูลสงคราม ; alternatively transcribed as ''Pibulsongkram'' or ''Pibulsonggram''; 14 July 1897 – 11 June 1964), locally known as Marshal P. ( th, จอมพล � ...

at 14 years, 11 months, and 18 days. The shortest was

Tawee Boonyaket Thawi Bunyaket (also spelt ''Thawee Bunyaget''; th, ทวี บุณยเกตุ, ; 10 November 1904 – 3 November 1971) was a Thai politician and the prime minister for a short term. Early life and education After studying at the Ki ...

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 Mom Rajawongse Seni Pramoj ( th, หม่อมราชวงศ์เสนีย์ ปราโมช, , ; 26 May 190528 July 1997) was three times the Prime Minister of Thailand, a politician in the Democrat Party, lawyer, diplomat and pr ...

at 40 years old. Thailand received its first female prime minister,

Yingluck Shinawatra Yingluck Shinawatra ( th, ยิ่งลักษณ์ ชินวัตร, , ; ; born 21 June 1967), nicknamed Pou ( th, ปู, , , meaning "crab"), is a Thai businesswoman, politician and a member of the Pheu Thai Party who became the Pri ...

, 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

, 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

. The appointment and removal of

ministers Minister may refer to: * Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric ** Minister (Catholic Church) * Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department) ** Minister without portfolio, a member of governme ...

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 Public Sector Development Commission, and the

Internal Security Operations Command ('Conquer evil by the power of good') , logo = , logo_width = 150 , logo_caption = , seal = , seal_width = 200px , seal_caption = , picture = นายกรัฐมนตรี เป็น� ...

. 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 Minister of State is a title borne by politicians in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a Minister of State is a Junior Minister of government, who is assigned to assist a specific Cabinet Minister. In ot ...

. 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 gu ...

() in the Dusit area of

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, 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 estima ...

. The

official residence An official residence is the House, residence of a head of state, head of government, governor, Clergy, religious leader, leaders of international organizations, or other senior figure. It may be the same place where they conduct their work-relate ...

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
/ref>

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 Prawit Wongsuwon ( th, ประวิตร วงษ์สุวรรณ, , ; born 11 August 1945) is a Thai politician who is serving as the First Deputy Prime Minister and previously served as Minister of Defence from 2008 to 2011 during th ...

(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

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