Translation CONSTITUTION OF THE KINGDOM OF THAILAND* HIS MAJESTY KING MAHA VAJIRALONGKORN BODINDRADEBAYAVARANGKUN Enacted on the 6th Day of April B.E. 2560; Being the 2nd Year of the Present Reign. 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. The Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand (Interim), B.E. 2557 (2014) Amendment (No. 1), B.E. 2558 (2015) therefore 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 * Published in the Government Gazette, Vol. 134, Part 40 a, Page 1, dated 6th April B.E. 2560. Disclaimer: This translation has been prepared by Legal Opinion and Translation Section, Foreign Law Division under the legal duty of the Office of the Council of State for information purpose only. The original Thai text as formally adopted and published shall in all events be the sole authoritative text having legal force. The Office of the Council of State shall assume no responsibility for any liabilities arising from the use and/or reference of this text.