CNN News April 14 Basic background About Thailand
Head of state:
King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Thailand is a constitutional monarchy. King, Bhumibol
Adulyadej became king in June 1946 and is the world's longest-reigning monarch. The
royal family is revered by many Thais.
Prime minister: Abhisit Vejjajiva
Abhisit Vejjajiva defeated an ally of exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in
a parliamentary vote to become Thailand's fifth head
of government in two years.
Mr Abhisit's election was the first time his Democrat
Party had formed a government in eight years.
Mr Abhisit's predecessor, Somchai Wongsawat, an
ally of Mr Thaksin, was forced from office in
December 2008 by a court ruling that disbanded his
People Power Party and barred its leaders from
politics for five years.
Abhisit Vejjajiva is supported by
The ruling came after months of protests by Thailand's educated middle classes
opponents of Mr Thaksin and his allies that closed
the country's two main airports.
The protesters said the previous two years' governments were proxies for the discredited
Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006 and has fled Thailand to
escape corruption charges.
Mr Abhisit, 44, comes from a wealthy family of Thai-Chinese origins, and was educated
at England's top public school, Eton, and Oxford University.
He joined the Democrats in 1992, at the age of 27, becoming its leader in 2005.
His supporters are mainly from Thailand's educated middle class, unlike former PM
Thaksin Shinawatra and his allies, who draw their support from working class and rural
Thais.
The deep divisions within Thai society were once more highlighted when anti-
government protesters stormed the venue of an ASEAN summit in the resort of Pattaya in
April 2009, forcing the cancellation of the summit.