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Thailand The King
The Constitution stipulates that the king is "enthroned in a
position of revered worship" and is not to be exposed "to any
sort of accusation or action." As ceremonial head of state, the
monarch is endowed with a formal power of assent and appointment,
is above partisan affairs, and does not involve himself in the
decision-making process of the government. In the 1980s, King
Bhumibol Adulyadej remained the nation's most respected figure
because he was popularly perceived to be the embodiment of
religion, culture, and history. He ensured political stability
and unity by lending legitimacy to important government actions
and, in potentially destabilizing situations, as during the
abortive coups in 1981 and 1985, by discreetly signaling his
support of the incumbent government.
In discharging his formal duties, the king was assisted by
the Privy Council, whose president and not more than fourteen
members were royal appointees. These members could not hold other
public offices, belong to political parties, or show loyalty to
any partisan organization. Also assisting the king were the
Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary and the
Bureau of the Royal Household, agencies responsible for
organizing ceremonial functions and administering the finances
and logistics of the royal palace.
The mode of succession was set forth in the Palace Law on
Succession. In the absence of a crown prince, or if the crown
prince declined succession, a princess could succeed, subject to
parliamentary approval. When the throne became vacant, an heir
was to be appointed by the Privy Council. Until the heir formally
ascended the throne, the president of the Privy Council would act
as regent. Prince Vajiralongkorn, the only son of King Bhumibol
and Queen Sirikit, was designated as heir on December 28, 1972,
at the age of twenty.
Data as of September 1987
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