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 The National Assembly of Thailand (Abrv: NAT; Thai: รัฐสภา, RTGS: Ratthasapha, pronounced [rát.tʰā.sā.pʰāː]) is the bicameral legislative branch of the government of Thailand.

During the 2013 political crisis, the House of Representatives was dissolved by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra who called for election on 2 February 2014 until it was nullified by the Constitutional Court.

[5] Even though the chamber is mandated to be nonpartisan, many media and analysts have categorized legislators into political factions: Note: All of these numbers may not be 100% accurate.

Thailand's "proportional representation" is, in fact, parallel voting, often described as "mixed member majoritarian" (MMM).

Those barred from voting in House elections are: members of the sangha or clergy, those suspended from the privilege for various reasons, detainees under legal or court orders, and those who are of unsound mind or of mental infirmity.

[18] The National Assembly has the authority to call any minister to appear before it at any time to explain policies or answer questions.

The National Assembly can compel him to appear before it like any other minister, and force him to explain policies and answer questions, just like any other member of the Cabinet.

[22] However, the power to appoint members of the State Audit Commission (including the Auditor General) belongs to the monarch, with a counter signature of the President of the Senate.

These include the "words expressed in giving statements of fact or opinions or in casting the vote" in a joint session of the National Assembly; no member of the House of Representatives or Senate shall, during a session, be arrested, detained, or summoned by a warrant for an inquiry as the suspect in a criminal case unless permission of the house of which he or she is a member is obtained or he or she is arrested in flagrante delicto.

However, through the years the composition of the Assembly increased and the Throne Hall became too small to accommodate all the legislators and its secretariat.

The fourth time, however, was a success, with the help of King Bhumibol Adulyadej who appropriated to the National Assembly royal land immediately north of the Throne Hall for the site of the new Parliament House.

The Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall became a national historic building and was returned to the king as part of Dusit Palace.

Prior to 1932, the Kingdom of Siam did not possess a legislature, as all legislative powers were vested in the person of the monarch.

However, on 24 June 1932 a group of civilians and military officers, calling themselves the Khana Ratsadon (or People's Party) carried out a bloodless revolution, in which the 150 years of absolute rule of the House of Chakri was ended.

The "Draft Constitution" of 1932 signed by King Prajadhipok, created Thailand's first legislature, a People's Assembly with 70 appointed members.

The new constitution changed the composition of the Assembly to 78 directly elected and 78 appointed (by the Khana Ratsadon), together totalling 156 members.

The constitution is considered Thailand's most democratic and created for the first time a bicameral legislature: a Senate and a House of Representatives.

Also for the first and last time, the constitution called for a fully elected Senate (albeit indirectly) and House.

On June 5, 1949, Orapin Chaiyakan became the first woman to be elected to hold a post in the National Assembly of Thailand (specifically, the House of Representatives.

In 1959 Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat carried out another coup d'état this time abolishing the National Assembly altogether.

Within two years the military led by Thanin Kraivichien again abrogated the constitution and installed a royally-appointed 360-member unicameral National Assembly.

By 1978, Kriangsak Chamanan (who succeeded Tanin in 1977) restored the bicameral legislature with an elected 301-member House and a 225-member Senate appointed by the prime minister.

This arrangement lasted for almost 13 years until Army Commander General Suchinda Kraprayoon overthrew the government of Chatichai Choonhavan in 1991 and returned the unicameral appointed National Assembly with 292 members.

However, Suchinda's rule was brought down by the Black May uprising, which led to the overthrow of the military and the drafting of a new constitution.