Wan Muhamad Noor Matha (PCC) Pichet Chuamuangphan (PTP) Paradorn Prissanananthakul (BTP) Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut (PP)

Mongkol Surasajja Kriangkrai SrirakBunsong Noisophon President: Chanakarn Theeravechpolkul President: Prasitsak Meelarp President: Nakarin Mektrairat Diplomatic missions of / in Thailand Passport Visa requirements Visa policy Borders : Cambodia Laos Malaysia Myanmar (Maritime : India Indonesia Vietnam) Foreign aid Senate elections were held in Thailand from 9 to 26 June 2024, the first of its kind under the 2017 Constitution.

This was the first election to utilize the highly complex electoral system envisioned by the 2018 Organic Act on the Acquisition of Senators.

Under the present 2017 Constitution, which was promulgated in the aftermath of the 2014 Thai coup d'état, provided for a 5-year transitional Senate appointed by the National Council for Peace and Order, the military junta that governed Thailand from the coup in 2014 until 2019, followed by "permanent" Senates.

It had the power to vote for Prime Minister, alongside members of the House of Representatives.

This provision came under intense public scrutiny during the 2023 Prime Ministerial election, when Senators refused to back the election of Pita Limjaroenrat, despite a large majority of the House supporting his candidacy.

The government of Prayut Chan-o-cha was defeated in a landslide in the 2023 House of Representatives elections.

An attempt to form a coalition government between the two parties failed, after Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat failed to be elected prime minister, largely because of opposition from the conservative Senate.

The permanent Senate of Thailand is composed of 200 senators, chosen by and among "persons having the knowledge, expertise, experience, profession, or characteristics or common interests or working or having worked in varied areas of the society".

Also prohibited from contesting are civil servants, current and former member of parliaments, former government ministers, former local administrators, former political party executives (unless they have been out of their post for at least five years), parents, spouses and children of senatorial candidates.

The process will then move on to the national level, where the remaining 3,080 candidates will repeat the intra and inter-group voting to elect 10 senators from each of the 20 groups.

The number of candidates each voter is allowed to vote for varies depending on the round.

The results were 153 for the so-called "Blue Senators," who were alleged to be affiliated with Bhumjaithai Party, 19 for the so-called "New Breed Senators" who vowed to promote liberal and progressive causes (despite 30 pledged into this camp beforehand), and 13 for the unaffiliated of the two aforementioned camps.