PREAMBLE
Thailand has been under the rule of democratic government with the King as head of the state for more than 75 years, during which several constitutions were promulgated, amended and repealed. To ensure suitability with the situation in the country and change of time and by virtue of the provisions of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand (Interim Edition) of B.E. 2549 on the establishment of the Constitutional Drafting Assembly and Constitution Drafting Committee in charge of drafting a new Constitution to be the guidance for the government of the country in the future, people have been allowed to extensively express their views and opinions in every procedure and those views and opinions are given continually special consideration in drafting and submitting a motion for change in second reading.
The essential substances of the Draft Constitution is to achieve the common objectives of Thai people to maintain independence and security of the State, to support all religions to last long, to uphold the King as the Head of the State, to adhere democratic regime of the government with the King as the Head of the State, , to protect people’s rights and liberties, to encourage people’s participation in the government of the country, and the actual check on the use of the state power; to provide the mechanisms of the political institutions in legislative and administrative branches to keep fruitfulness under the parliamentary form of government; to support honesty and impartial functions of courts and other independent organizations.
After the completion of drafting of the new Constitution, the Constitution Drafting Assembly presented the draft charter to the people and held a referendum, the first of its kind in the country, to allow them to vote whether to approve this whole constitution. The referendum result is that the majority of the eligible voters who have come to vote approved for the enactment of this newly draft constitution. President of the National Legislative Assembly has graciously presented this draft constitution to the King for His signature for its enactment as the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand. With the King’s opinion, the royal permission has been granted in compliance to the approval of majority of the people. By the Royal Command, this Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand is now enacted to replace the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand (Interim Edition) of B.E. 2549, dated October 1, B.E. 2549, as of this announcement day. Be Thai people in harmony and unity in order to maintain this Constitution of Kingdom of Thailand as to its will to maintain the democratic regime for the happiness of all Thai people.
Thailand-Constitution-2007-eng (full text in English, PDF)