Thailand
Asia has unique characteristics that set it apart from the rest of the world, particularly in terms of economy, people, government, and tourism, among others. This paper depicts a country in Asia – Thailand.
Thailand is located in the heart of Southeast Asia. It has an area of approximately 200,000 square miles and a population of around 65 million, with an annual population growth rate of 0.3%. In comparison, it is roughly the same size as France but smaller than Texas. The country is divided into four regions: the northern mountainous region, northeast Thailand, Central Thailand, and the southern region (source: http://www.globelink.uk.com/country-information/travelling-to-thailand/geographical-location-of-thailand.html, 2008). The capital city of Thailand is Bangkok.
The country of Thailand is divided into 76 provinces, which are further subdivided into 877 districts and 74,944 villages (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailand, 2008).
Thailand has existed for almost half a million years, dating back to 400 BC. Thais have Chinese ancestry. Researchers believe that some Chinese communities migrated to Thailand, as they did in other parts of Asia. As a result, Thais share some characteristics with the Chinese group in Asia.
People in Thailand are commonly referred to as Thai. The primary ethnic group in the country is Thai, comprising 89% of the population, while the rest are made up of mixed ethnic groups. The majority of people, around 94%, practice Buddhism, with 4% being Muslim and the remaining practicing Christianity, Hinduism, Brahminism or other religions. Over 85% of Thais speak the Thai dialect which is also used as a medium of instruction in schools. Additionally, around 12% of Thais have Chinese ancestry which can be seen in some building structures featuring Chinese characters.
Thailand is a rich source of natural resources, being a major producer of tin, natural gas, rubber, tungsten, fish, and timber. It is also a major producer of rice, soybeans and coconuts. Additionally, Thailand is an active player in the manufacture of garments, textiles and jewelry.
Notably, Thailand has a very low unemployment rate of 1.5% among its labor force. Approximately forty percent (40%) of the labor force is engaged in agriculture. Therefore, it can be concluded that the standard of living for the population is considerably high as a majority of the people are employed or engaged in their respective trades or businesses.
In terms of education, Thailand’s constitution mandates offering free education for twelve (12) years. Therefore, it is expected that Thais are more advanced in education and have a high literacy rate since the government provides subsidies for basic education.
The Government of Thailand is a constitutional monarchy. Recently, it adopted a new constitution after the 2007 referendum amended the prior one. The government has three major branches: executive, legislative, and judiciary. The head of government is the Prime Minister, while the King serves as Chief of State in the executive branch. However, the King has little direct control over the people.
Like other countries in Asia, Thailand’s legislative department is bicameral with two houses of Congress – House of Representatives and Senate – for enacting laws. Members of House are fully elected by populace while Senate is partially elected.
The judiciary in Thailand consists of three divisions: Constitutional Tribunal, Administrative Courts and Courts of Justice (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailand, 2008).
Thai dates back to its existence since 400 BC and was engaged in the manufacture of bronze and metallurgy. Later on, it became one of the centers of wet rice producers, leading to developments in the country, particularly on social and political aspects.
The Thai government was first founded in the 13th century, and at that time, the Kingdom of Thailand was headed by chieftains. It is important to mention the contribution of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, which advocated for Theravada Buddhism – now the country’s major religion. In the 1700s, Ayutthaya was invaded by Burma’s armies, leading to its decline. During this period, Dhamashastra served as Thailand’s primary legal tool.
Prior to Ayutthaya’s fall, however, Thailand had already established international relations with Western countries. In fact, it signed a Treaty of Amity and Commerce with the United Kingdom in the 1800s and later established amity relations with the United States.
In 1932, Thailand saw the rise of constitutional monarchy with the first coup d’état. This transformed the government from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy. In a constitutional monarchy, the monarch is subject to limitations imposed by the constitution which is considered as supreme law. Several coups followed this one, leading to changes in government. Later on, Thailand was invaded by Japanese troops during World War II but they were defeated by Thai forces.
Thailand has never been predominantly a monarchy, and in the mid-1970s, it became an advocate of democracy. Since then, the head of state has been elected through direct election and appointment amid coup attempts and successful coups that have overthrown one government and installed a new one. Thailand used to be controlled by military governments but was later replaced by a democratic form of government. During the early years of political struggle, the government was primarily headed by the bureaucratic elite.
In 1988, Choonavan became the first elected Prime Minister in the democratic form of government. His term ended with Panyarachun’s appointment as Prime Minister – a military appointee. Kraprayoon, a military commander, was subsequently appointed as well.
The consecutive military governments were met with violent reactions among Thais which led to their decline in 1992. The May 1992 elections put Leekpai from the Democratic Party into office; however, his administration dissolved parliament after spearheading economic changes and developments until it led to the formation of Thailand’s 1997 Constitution.
Shinawatra was elected in 2001 and re-elected in 2005 but had a short last term due to allegations of massive corruption within his administration. This led to Shinawatra’s Parliament being abolished in 2007 when Thailand promulgated its new constitution.
Sundaravej took office as Prime Minister in 2008.
Thailand has never had a peaceful transition of government. Almost every transition has been characterized by bloodless coups, which have been brought about through the participative actions of the people – people power, that is.
It has been opined that the enactment of new constitutions in recent years has shaped the development of democracy in Thailand. These constitutions have accommodated people on matters involving social, economic, and political concerns (Aphornsuvan, No Year).
Moreover, it can be gleaned that Thailand’s major mode of electing officers is through direct elections. This makes it a participative government, despite the bloodless coups staged by its citizens.
Major elections in the country have been dominated by the participation of several political parties. The constitution allows for a multi-party system, thus opening the gates for participation among various sectors of the community.
The Democratic Party is one of the major political parties in the country. It is established as the oldest political party in the country and is said to be the oldest in Southeast Asia following the transition from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy. The party advocates for basic ideologies such as equality, justice, and freedom.
1. Political transparency.
2. Social accountability;
3. Adherence and reverence to the Constitution.
4. Advocate of freedom and liberty.
Social concern and security are important issues that need to be addressed in any democratic agenda.
The Democrat Party of Thailand recognizes the significance of these issues and has made it a priority to address them. To learn more about our stance on social concern and security, please visit our website at http://www.democrat.or.th/democrat_english/democratic_agenda.htm (2008).
The Democratic Party of Thailand was organized similarly to the Democratic Party of the United States, with a primary focus on participation from the poor and working class. Many of Thailand’s great leaders who have served as Prime Ministers have come from the Democratic Party (source: http://www.democrat.or.th/democrat_english/history_eng.htm, 2008).
Other political parties include, but are not limited to, the ‘For Thais Party’, ‘Royal People Party’, and ‘Great People Party’ (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_parties_in_Thailand, 2008).
Political growth and development in Thailand have been characterized by bloodless coups d’état. Nevertheless, these events have been instrumental in creating the strong government that exists today.
Bibliography
Aphornsuvan, T. (No Year). Human Rights in Thailand: A Review of the Literature.” Retrieved from https://rspas.anu.edu.au/pah/human_rights/papers/2001/Thanet.pdf.
No author (2008). List of political parties in Thailand. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_parties_in_Thailand.
No author (2008). History of the Democrat Party.” Retrieved from http://www.democrat.or.th/democrat_english/history_eng.htm.
No author (2008). Democratic Agenda.” Retrieved from http://www.democrat.or.th/democrat_english/democratic_agenda.htm.
No author (2008). Thailand.
