The Senate of Thailand ( th, วุฒิสภา, , ; formerly known as Phruetthasapha ( th, พฤฒสภา, , ) is the

upper house An upper house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house.''Bicameralism'' (1997) by George Tsebelis The house formally designated as the upper house is usually smaller and often has more restric ...

of the

National Assembly of Thailand The National Assembly of Thailand ( Abrv: NAT; th, รัฐสภา, , ) is the bicameral legislative branch of the government of Thailand. It convenes in the Sappaya-Sapasathan, Dusit District, Bangkok. The National Assembly was establishe ...

, Thailand's

legislative branch A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known ...

. In accordance with the

2017 Constitution of Thailand The Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand ( th, รัฐธรรมนูญแห่งราชอาณาจักรไทย; ) provides the basis for the rule of law in Thailand. Since the abolition of the absolute monarchy in 1932, T ...

, the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

is a

non-partisan Nonpartisanism is a lack of affiliation with, and a lack of bias towards, a political party. While an Oxford English Dictionary definition of ''partisan'' includes adherents of a party, cause, person, etc., in most cases, nonpartisan refers s ...

legislative chamber, composed of 250 members. All 250 Senators are appointed by the Royal Thai Military. Senators serve five year terms in office. Both the Senate and the

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 ...

were abolished as a result of the 2014 Thai coup d'état. These were replaced with the

unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature, which consists of one house or assembly, that legislates and votes as one. Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multi ...

National Legislative Assembly, a body of 250 members, selected by the

National Council for Peace and Order The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO; th, คณะรักษาความสงบแห่งชาติ; ; abbreviated ( th, คสช.; )) was the military junta that ruled Thailand between its 2014 Thai coup d'état on 22 M ...

. However, the new 2017 constitution, which was approved by a referendum in 2016, re-established the Senate. Following the 2019 general elections, the Senate is to be composed of 250 military-appointed members, so it is considered as a rubber stamp legislative. After the promulgation of the 2017 Constitution in April 2017, the Senate was re-established but the constitution allowed the military National Legislative Assembly to remain in place until the Senate was formed following the 2019 general election.

History

The idea of

bicameralism Bicameralism is a type of legislature, one divided into two separate assemblies, chambers, or houses, known as a bicameral legislature. Bicameralism is distinguished from unicameralism, in which all members deliberate and vote as a single gr ...

first permeated Thai politics with the Constitution of 1946, when the government of

Pridi Banomyong Pridi Banomyong ( th, ปรีดี พนมยงค์, , ; 11 May 1900 – 2 May 1983), also known by his noble title Luang Praditmanutham ( th, หลวงประดิษฐ์มนูธรรม) was a Thai politician and professo ...

introduced a Senate modelled on the British

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminst ...

. For the first time, an

came into existence in Thailand. The Senate was to be fully elected, however, the elections would be indirect, as the

would elect the senators, for six-year terms. The 1946 Constitution was soon abrogated in a military coup. Subsequent constitutions saw only occasional bicameralism, and when it did exist, the Senate was always filled with appointees from the military and the elite. The 1997 Constitution saw a return to a fully elected Senate. That constitution was abrogated after the 2006 coup, and replaced with one calling for a half-elected/half-appointed Senate. * 1947 – First Thai Senate established with 100 members, all royally appointed. * 1952 – Establishment of a

National Assembly with 123 members. * 1968 – Re-establishment of the Senate with 164 royally-appointed members. * 1972 - The Thai Legislature is banned by Thanom Kittikachorn. * 1974 – Return of the royally-appointed Senate. * 1976 – Re-establishment of a

National Assembly with 360 members, all royally appointed. * 1978 – Return of a Senate with 225 royally-appointed members. * 1991 – Establishment of a unicameral National Assembly with 292 royally-appointed members. * 1997 – Establishment for the first time of a fully and directly elected Senate with 200 members for a 6-year term. * 2006 – Following the

military coup A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

, an interim charter was signed establishing a 250-member National Legislative Assembly. * 2007 – Half of the Senate is appointed, half is elected as established by referendum under the 2007 Constitution. * 2014 – Following the

, an interim constitution was passed establishing a 220-member National Legislative Assembly. * 2018 – After the signing of the 2017 Constitution, the National Assembly was reestablished and the NLA was dissolved, with the Senate to be composed of 250 military-appointed members following the 2019 general elections.

Composition

The 250-person Senate is composed of 194 members selected by the ruling junta. Fifty senators represent 10 professional and social groups: bureaucrats, teachers, judges, farmers, and private companies. A shortlist of 200 were proposed to the NCPO which made the final selection of fifty. The remaining six Senate positions are reserved for the supreme commander of the Armed Forces, the defence permanent secretary, the national police chief, and the heads of the army, navy, and air force, who are all senators ''ex officio''. 104 of the 250 senators are military or police officers.

Qualifications

The qualifications for the membership of the Senate could be found in section 115, Part 3, Chapter 6 of the 2007 Constitution. A candidate intent on being a member of the Senate had to be a natural born citizen 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 ...

as well as being 40 years or older on the year of election or selection. The candidate must have graduated with at least a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to si ...

or an equivalent. Elected candidates must have been born, must have had a home and had to be registered to vote in the province which the candidate intended to represent. The candidate must not have been an ascendant, spouse or a child of a member of the House of Representatives or any person holding a political position and must not have been a member of a

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 ideological or p ...

for at least five years. All other disqualifications were similar to that of the House, the individual must not have been: addicted to drugs, been

bankrupt Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor ...

, a convicted felon, a member of a local administration, a

civil servant The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...

, a member of the judiciary or any other government agency. Being disenfranchised (being a member of the

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

, felon, or mentally infirm). If the candidate was a member of a local administration or a Minister he must have left his post for a period of at least five years before being eligible.

Appointment

Depending on the situation in each constitution.

Term

The term of the Senate is five years. The term is fixed, therefore the Senate cannot be dissolved under any circumstances and would be re-elected in accordance with a

Royal Decree A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used for ...

issued thirty days after the expiration of the term.

Membership

Members of the Senate are entitled use the title ''Senator'' in front of their names ( th, สมาชิกวุฒิสภา or ส.ว.). Membership of an elected Senator began on the senate election day, while an appointed senator became a member after the publication of the election result by the Electoral Commission. Senators could not hold more than one consecutive term, therefore senators could not be re-elected. A Senator whose membership expired before a new Senator could be named continued his or her duties until such seats were occupied. If there was a vacancy the seat was immediately filled either by election or appointment.

Powers

The Senate shares many powers with the

; these include: *Legislation *Scrutiny *Passing of annual Appropriations Bills *Constitutional Amendments Exclusive Powers: *Creating and appointing committee to examine and investigate affairs. *Passing approval resolutions advising the King in certain appointments. **Judges of the

Constitutional Court of Thailand The Constitutional Court of the Kingdom of Thailand ( th, ศาลรัฐธรรมนูญ, , ) is an independent Thai court created by the 1997 Constitution with jurisdiction over the constitutionality of parliamentary acts, royal ...

** Election Commissioners ** Ombudsmen **Members of the National Anti-Corruption Commission,

State Audit Commission State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * '' Our ...

(including the Auditor General) and

National Human Rights Commission A human rights commission, also known as a human relations commission, is a body set up to investigate, promote or protect human rights. The term may refer to international, national or subnational bodies set up for this purpose, such as nation ...

. *The Senate also advised the selection and the actual selection of certain members of the

Judiciary The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

. *Selection of its Officers. *Expulsion of members. *Determination of its own rules and procedures.

Leadership

The Senate elected three presiding officers; one

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

and two

Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...

s. The President of the Senate was also the ex-officio Vice President of the National Assembly of Thailand. The election was done by secret ballot, after a resolution finalizing the selection the name was submitted to the king for formal appointment. There were no partisan officers as the Senate of Thailand was a non-partisan chamber.

References

External links

Inter Parliamentary Affairs, NLAThai Senate
{{National upper houses Parliament of Thailand 1947 establishments in Thailand