| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Rathasapha / National Assembly |
| Structure of parliament |
Bicameral |
| Chamber name (generic / translated) |
Saphaphuthan Ratsadon / House of Representatives |
| Related chamber (for bicameral parliaments) |
Wuthisapha / Senate
|
| LEGAL FRAMEWORK |
| Electoral Law |
16 October 2007
(2007 Constitution) Last amended: 11 February 2011 |
| Mode of designation |
directly elected 500 |
| Constituencies |
- 375 single-member constituencies (majority system)
- One nation-wide constituencies for the remaining 125 seats(proportional representation system) |
| Voting system |
Mixed:
Single-member plurality systems (first-past-the-post) for 375 seats
Representatives elected from a constituency and appointed to ministerial posts must vacate their seats within 30 days of their appointment. They or the party they represent are in charge of the by-election in that constituency.
Proportional representation (closed party-list system for 125 seats)
Voters are allowed to vote for only one party list. The party lists are submitted to the Election Commission before the deadline for submission of candidatures for the constituency-based elections. The total number of valid votes won is divided by 10 to determine the number of votes needed for each candidate to be elected (quotient). The number of party-list representatives that each party may appoint is calculated by dividing the total number of valid votes that each party obtains by the quotient. If fewer than 10 representatives are elected by this method, the parties having the most remaining votes share the remaining seats. Party-list representatives who are appointed to ministerial posts must vacate their seats within 30 days of their appointment, and the next name on the relevant party list is appointed as a representative without a by-election.
Voting is compulsory. |
| Voter requirements |
- age: at least 18 years old; and
- Thai citizenship by birth.
Disqualifications: insanity, mental infirmity, Buddhist priests, monks or clergy, detention by a court-issued warrant or legal order, deprivation of the right to vote by court decision. |
| CANDIDATES |
| Eligibility |
- qualified voters;
- age: at least 25 years old on election day;
- Thai nationality by birth;
- members of any and only one political party for a consecutive period of not less than 90 days prior to the submission of their candidature (30 days of membership suffice if the general election is called on account of early dissolution of the House of Representatives);
In addition, candidates for the majority system have to satisfy one of the following conditions:
- they must prove their residence in the province where they are standing for election for not less than one year (their name must appear in an official document called "Ta Bian Ban" or certificate of residence;
- they must have been a member of the House of Representatives or a member of a local assembly or a local administrator of that province;
- they must have been born in Province where they are standing for election;
- they must have studied in an educational institute in the province where they are standing for election, not less than two academic years before; and
- they must have served as a government officer of the province where they are standing for elections for not less than two years (thus have their name registered in the House Register of that province).
Ineligibilities:
- government officials holding a permanent position or receiving a salary, except "political office holders" such as Prime Minister and Ministers of State;
- members of a local assembly or a local administrator;
- senators and former senators who have been out of office for less than two years;
- officials or employees of a government agency, State agency or State enterprise or other State officials;
- judges of the Constitutional Court, Election Commissioners, Ombudsmen, members of the State Audit Commission or members of the National Human Rights Commission;
- undischarged bankrupts, persons addicted to harmful drugs, detained persons under sentence or order of imprisonment, imprisonment of two years or more (except for an offence committed through negligence) discharged less than five years before the election day concerned, deaf and dumb persons. |
| Incompatibilities |
- national or local government officials (excluding "political office holders") holding a permanent salaried position;
- officials in the employ of a State agency or enterprise;
- membership of a local assembly;
- persons receiving a concession or benefit from a government agency; and
- government contractors. |
| Candidacy requirements |
- nomination by a political party; and
- payment of a deposit of 10,000 baht per candidate. |
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Electoral system module
