태국의 민주화와 1997년 헌법개정

Abstract

Democratization and the Amendment of Thai Constitution in 1997 Thailand has had a rich experience in the constitutional system. In 1932, Thailand changed from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy. In the 72 years which have elapsed since that date, Thailand has had 16 Constitutions, some of which have also been amended. Thailand has had some Constitutions which provided majority support for the government in the parliament. Its parliament was made up of two kinds of representatives: half of the representatives were elected by the people, while the other half were appointed by the King on the advice of the Prime Minister. For a certain period, its parliament was consisted of the House of representatives of which members were elected by the people and the Senate of which members were appointed by the King on the advice of the Prime Minister. The political system was always controlled by the military until 1992, while the King played traditionally an important political role as “Head of State". The present Constitution of Thailand was adopted in 1997. The Constitution of 1997, fundamentally reformed, recognised more rights and freedoms than any other previous Constitution. It also made government more transparent through anti-corruption provisions, for example, establishment of a National Counter Corruption Commission, a Constitutional Court, the National Human Rights Commission, etc. In conclusion, regarding the historical reliance of Thais on patron-client relationships within its political culture, there is still a long way to go.