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ลำดับตอนที่ #3 : Royal powers

Royal powers

Despite Thailand's successful transition to parliamentary democracy, King Bhumibol retains enormous powers, partly because of his immense popularity and partly because his powers - although clearly defined in the Thai Constitution - are often subject to conflicting interpretations. This was highlighted by the controversy surrounding the appointment of a new Auditor-General. The Constitution Court ruled in July 2004 that the appointment of Jaruvan Maintaka to this post was by the State Audit Commission was unconstitutional. But Jaruvan refused to accept this without an order from the King. In February 2006 the Audit Commission reinstated Jaruvan when it became clear from a memo from the Office of the King's Principal Private Secretary that the King supported her position.                                                            

This raised the issue of whether the King was more powerful than the Constitution. Senator Kaewsan Atibhodi, a former member of the Constitution Drafting Committee, noted that under Article Seven of the 1997 Constitution said that: "whenever no provision under this Constitution is applicable to any case, it shall be decided in accordance with the constitutional practice in the democratic regime of government with the King as Head of the State”. Kaewsan interpreted this as giving the King veto powers over the Senate's appointment of Wisut Montriwat to replace Jaruvan: "Whatever [the King] considers [something as being] not beneficial to the people and being unjust, His Majesty has a veto power".

Bhumibol's hold over Thai public opinion was demonstrated following the 2003 Phnom Penh riots in Cambodia, when hundreds of Thai protesters, enraged by the burning of Thai embassy in Phnom Penh, gathered outside the Cambodian embassy in Bangkok, ripped the Cambodian seal out of the front wall, and tried to break into the embassy. The situation was resolved peacefully when Police General Sant Sarutanonda told the crowd that he had received a call from royal secretary Arsa Sarasin conveying the King's call for calm.^[18]

The King has the constitutional prerogative to pardon criminals. The 2006 pardon of several convicted paedophiles, including an Australian rapist and child pornographer, has caused controversy.

 

Royal projects

King Bhumibol has been involved in many social and economic development projects, although the nature of his involvement has varied by political regime.

The military regime of Plaek Pibulsonggram (1951-1957) suppressed the monarchy; however, during that period King Bhumibol managed to initiate a few projects using his own personal funds. These projects included the Royal Film and Radio Broadcasting Projects.

In the military regime of Sarit Dhanarajata and his successors (1958-1980), King Bhumibol was reportrayed as the "Development King," and appropriated to the economic and political goals of the regime.            

Royally-initiated projects were implemented under the financial and political support of the government, including projects in rural areas and communities under the influence of the Communist Party of Thailand. King Bhumibol's visits to these projects were heavily promoted by the Sarit government and broadcast on the state-controlled media.

During the civilian governments of General Prem Tinsulanond (1981-1987), the relationship between the Thai state and the monarch was at its closest. Prem, later to become President of King Bhumibol's Privy Council, officially allocated government budgets and manpower to support royal projects. Most activities in this period involved the development of large scale irrigation projects.

During the modern period (post-1988), the structured development of the Royal Projects reached its apex. King Bhumibol's Chaipattana Foundation was established, promoting what he called the self-sufficient economy, an alternative to the export-oriented policies adopted by the period's elected governments.

Awards

The king is a recipient of the Royal Victorian Chain, a personal award of the British Monarch.

In May 2006, UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, presented the United Nations' first Human Development Lifetime Achievement Award to the king.

The king, who serves as head of The National Scout Organization of Thailand, was presented the Bronze Wolf award on June 20, 2006, World Organization of the Scout Movement's highest award, for his support and development of Scouting in Thailand by His Majesty Carl XVI Gustav, King of Sweden and Honorary President of the World Scout Foundation. The presentation took place at Chitralada Palace in Thailand and was witnessed by Chairman of the World Scout Committee Herman Hui.