2 repeatedly in an endless vicious circle. These conflicts continued to spread widely, with a tendency to escalate into greater violence to the point of lapsing into chaos with a potential threat not only to life and property, but also the wellbeing of innocent people. Such conflicts aggravated the livelihoods and indebtedness of farmers, particularly rice farmers, the economic development of the country, the prevention of problems from natural disasters, confidence in the power of the State, and creditability to foreign investors, thereby also lending opportunity to the commission of more criminal offences and other instances of unrest. These events would eventually undermine national security and public faith in a democratic regime of government with the King as Head of State. Ultimately, the National Council for Peace and Order had to seize control over the administration of the State on 22nd May B.E. 2557 and announced the annulment of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand, B.E. 2550 (2007), except for the provisions of Chapter II, The King. A three-phrase plan was thereafter devised with a view to reaching a resolution to the crisis. The first immediate phase involved the exercise of powers to suppress the use of force and weapons against the public, to eradicate apprehensiveness, and to address economic, social, political and administrative concerns that had accumulated for more than six months. These actions laid the groundwork for the second phase, whereupon an interim Constitution would be promulgated. An Assembly shall then be subsequently established to perform legislative duties. Thence, a Government would be established to perform executive functions to resolve the state of crisis and return normalcy, to restore public order, solidarity and equity, to solve economic, social, political and administrative problems, to introduce urgently-needed laws, to establish the National Reform Council and organs to implement reforms in politics and other aspects, to draft a new Constitution to provide concise and suitable rules for politics, to prevent and suppress corruption, and to render efficient, expeditious and fair examination of the exercise of State’s power, before handing over these tasks to representatives of the Thai people and to the Government which is expected to assume the public administration in the next phase. In this process, more importance shall be attributed to fundamental principles than merely the formal procedures of democracy. Therefore, it is necessary to take time to create an atmosphere of public order and reconciliation, in order to restore long lost happiness to the public and to revise certain rules which have been sources of conflict, are ambiguous, are unable to provide a solution in times of crises, and are inefficient or unfair, in response to the nature of the problems and the needs of the public. It should therefore take no longer than it DISCLAIMER: TRANSLATED BY THE LEGAL OPINION AND TRANSLATION SECTION OF THE FOREIGN LAW BUREAU FOR EDUCATIONAL/COMPREHENSION PURPOSES AND CONTAINS NO LEGAL AUTHORITY. THE OFFICE OF THE COUNCIL OF STATE SHALL ASSUME NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY LIABILITIES ARISING FROM THE USE AND/OR REFERENCE OF THIS TEXT. THE ORIGINAL THAI TEXT AS FORMALLY ADOPTED AND PUBLISHED SHALL IN ALL EVENTS REMAIN THE SOLE AUTHORITY HAVING LEGAL FORCE.