(Full Pdf) Constitution of Thailand - Preamble | FindYourAdvocate
Constitution of Thailand - Preamble
Preamble
May there be virtue. Today is the tenth day of the waxing moon in the fifth month of
the year of the Rooster under the lunar calendar, being Thursday, the sixth day of
April under the solar calendar, in the 2560th year of the Buddhist Era.
His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun is graciously
pleased to proclaim that the Prime Minister has respectfully informed that since
Phrabat Somdet Phra Paramintharamaha Prajadhipok Phra Pokklao Chaoyuhua
graciously granted the Constitution of the Kingdom of Siam, B.E. 2475 (1932),
Thailand has continuously and always maintained the intention to adhere to a
democratic regime of government with the King as Head of State.
Even though
Constitutions have been annulled, amended and promulgated on several occasions
to suitably reorganise governance, there was still no stability or order due to various
problems and conflicts. At times, those events degenerated into Constitutional crises
which cannot be resolved. This was partially caused by there being persons ignoring
or disobeying governance rules of the country, being corrupt and fraudulent, abusing
power, and lacking a sense of responsibility towards the nation and the people,
resulting in the ineffective enforcement of law. It is, therefore, necessary to prevent
and rectify these matters by reforming education and law enforcement, and
strengthening the system of merits and ethics.
Other causes are governance rules
which are inappropriate to the situation of the country and the times, the
prioritisation of forms and procedures over basic principles of democracy, or the
failure to effectively apply, during the crises, existing rules to individuals’ behaviours
and situations, the forms and procedures of which differ from those of the past.
• Reference to country's history
The Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand (Interim), B.E. 2557 (2014) Amendment
(No. 1), B.E. 2558 (2015) accordingly provides that there shall be a Constitution
Drafting Committee to draft a Constitution to be used as the principle of governance
and as a guide for preparing organic laws and other laws by prescribing new
mechanisms to reform and strengthen the governance of the country.
This is to be
carried out by: appropriately restructuring the duties and powers of organs under
the Constitution and the relationship between the legislative and executive
branches; enabling Court institutions and other Independent Organs that have
duties to scrutinise the exercise of State powers to perform their duties efficiently,
honestly and equitably, and to participate in preventing or solving national crises, as
necessary and appropriate; guaranteeing, safeguarding and protecting Thai people’s
rights and liberties more clearly and inclusively by holding that the Thai people’s
rights and liberties are the principle, while the restriction and limitation thereon are
exceptions, provided that the exercise of such rights and liberties must be subject to
the rules for protecting the public; prescribing the duties of the State towards
people, as well as requiring the people to have duties towards the State; establishing
strict and absolute mechanisms to prevent, examine and eliminate dishonest act and
wrongful conduct to prevent executives who lack moral virtue, ethics and good
governance from ruling the country or using power arbitrarily; prescribing measures
to prevent and manage crises in the country more efficiently; and, prescribing other
mechanisms in accordance with the direction specified by the Constitution of
Thailand (Interim), B.E. 2557 (2014).
These are to be used as a framework for
developing the country, in line with the directive principles of State policies and the
National Strategy, from which each Administration shall prescribe the appropriate
policies and implementation. Additionally, this establishes mechanisms to work
together to reform the country in various aspects that are important and necessary,
as well as to reduce the causes of conflict, so that the country can be at peace on the
basis of unity and solidarity. The successful implementation of these matters
demands cooperation among the people from all parts and all agencies of the State,
in accordance with the direction of the Civil State, pursuant to the rules under the
principles of a democratic regime of government and constitutional conventions that
are suited to the situation and the nature of Thai society, the principles of good faith, human rights and good governance. This will in turn drive the country to
progressively develop to become stable, prosperous and sustainable, politically,
economically and socially, under the democratic regime of government with the King
as Head of State.
• Reference to fraternity/solidarity
Pursuant to the foregoing undertakings, the Constitution Drafting Committee has
periodically imparted knowledge and understanding to the people of the principles
and rationale of provisions of the Draft Constitution, has provided the people
opportunities to widely access to the Draft Constitution and its meaning through
different media, and has involved the people in the development of the essence of
the Draft Constitution through receiving recommendations on possible revisions.
Once the preparation of the Draft Constitution was complete, copies of the Draft
Constitution and a brief primer were disseminated in a way which allowed the
people to easily and generally understand the main provisions of the Draft
Constitution, and a referendum was arranged to approve the entire Draft
Constitution. In this regard, the National Legislative Assembly also passed a
resolution introducing one additional issue to be put to vote in referendum on the
same occasion.
The outcome of the referendum was such that people having the
right to vote, by a majority of votes of the people voting in the referendum, approved
such Draft Constitution and additional issue. The Constitution Drafting Committee
accordingly revised the relevant parts of the Draft Constitution to be in accordance
with the outcome pertaining to the additional issue of the referendum, and referred
the revision to the Constitutional Court for consideration as to whether it is in
conformity with the outcome of the referendum. The Constitutional Court
thereafter rendered a decision for the Constitution Drafting Committee to partially
revise the texts. The Constitution Drafting Committee has made a revision according
to the decision of the Constitutional Court.
Accordingly, the Prime Minister
respectfully presented the Draft Constitution to the King. Thereafter, the
Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand (Interim), B.E. 2557 Amendment (No. 4),
B.E. 2560 (2017) provides that the Prime Minister may respectfully ask for the
return of that Draft Constitution from the King to make an amendment thereto on
certain issues. After the amendment is complete, the Prime Minister thereby
respectfully presented the Draft Constitution to the King for signature and
subsequent promulgation as the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand, and the
King deemed it expedient to grant His Royal assent.
• Referenda
Be it, therefore, commanded by the King that the Constitution of the Kingdom of
Thailand be promulgated to replace, as from the date of its promulgation, the
Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand (Interim), B.E. 2557 (2014) promulgated on
the 22nd July B.E. 2557.
May all Thai people unite in observing, protecting and upholding the Constitution of
the Kingdom of Thailand in order to maintain the democratic regime of government
and the sovereign power derived from the Thai people, and to bring about happiness,
prosperity and dignity to His Majesty’s subjects throughout the Kingdom according
to the will of His Majesty in every respect.
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