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Thailand's governmental structure has undergone gradual and practical evolution in response to the changing environment. The Kingdom of Sukhothai (1257-1378A.D.) adopted the paternalistic system of government. The King, while enjoying absolute sovereign power, would, like a father, look after his subjects and personally paid close attention to their well-being.

The Ayutthaya kingdom inherited extensive Khmer traditions and customs, including their system of government with the kings as demigods. A major indigenous development in the governing system during the reign of King Barommatrailokanat (1448-1488) left behind a clear division between the civil and military administration and a strong centralized government.

The succeeding Ratanakosin Kingdom established in 1767 in Bangkok also adopted the Ayutthaya system and government structure. Thus, for over three centuries, the basic pattern of the administration of the country was by and large carried out without drastic changes in term of reorganization.

In face of the threatening advance of colonialism, King Rama V or King Chulalongkorn the Great (1868-1910) carried out major reorganization of the central, regional and local administrations. which formed the basis of the present system. His administrative reform and rapid drive for the country's modernization proved successful both in maintaining the country's independence throughout the turbulent years of the western colonial threat and in providing a foundation for the modern system of government.

Changes in 1932

The politics of Thailand took a very significant turn on 24 June 1932 when a group of young intellectuals, educated abroad and imbued with the concept of Western democracy, staged a bloodless coup, demanding a change from absolute to constitutional monarchy. Determined to avoid any bloodshed, King Prajadhipok (RamaVII) agreed to the abolition of absolute monarchy and the transfer of power to the constitution-based system of government as demanded. To some, this demand was premature, but thanks to the far- sightedness of King Prajadhipok and his predecessors in particular King Chulalongkorn the Great (Rama V) and King Vajiravudh (RamaVI), Thailand was not unprepared for this transition. While continuing the process launched by the two previous kings, King Prajadhipok had every intention of accustoming the Thais to the Western system of constitutional monarchy and had considered the eventuality of altering the form of government at an appropriate moment. Popular readiness, he believed, was an important ingredient to success for such transition It was only the matter of waiting for the right time.

On 10 December 1932, King Prajadhipok signed Thailand's first constitution and thus ended 800 years of Thailand's absolute monarchy. Despite the number of successive constitutions that followed in the span of just over half a century, the basic concepts of constitutional government and monarchy laid down in the 1932 constitution have remained unaltered.