Page:Constitution of the Kingdom of Siam.djvu/7

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Dated 10 December 2475
Royal Gazette
Volume 49, Page 535

Section7.The Monarch exercises the executive power through the Council of Ministers.

Section8.The Monarch exercises the judicial power through the courts which have been established in accordance with the law.

Section9.Succession to the throne shall, Lord says,[1] be in accordance with the gist[2] of the Palace Law on Succession, 2467 BE, together with the approval of the House of Representatives.

Section10.Whenever the Monarch is to not reside in the Kingdom or, for any reason, is to be unable to handle His royal burdens, He will, with the approval of the House of Representatives, appoint to regency a single person or several persons collectively. If the Monarch has not appointed or is unable to appoint [any Regent], Lord ordains[1] that the House of Representatives shall discuss together and appoint [any Regent], and whilst no one has yet been appointed by the House of Representatives, Lord ordains that the Council of Ministers shall execute that duty[3] for the time being.

Section11.Senior and junior members of the royalty from the class of momchao[4] upwards, whether so born or appointed, do stay above politics.[5]

  1. 1.0 1.1 This constitution retained the traditional style of writing a law as a command from someone whom it referred to with a third-person pronoun of high respect, than (Thai: ท่าน). The pronoun is here translated as "Lord" because the said style was probably influenced by the old belief that laws are created by gods, not by humans. This belief was stated in the preamble of every law enacted in the reign of Rama I, which said that a hermit by the name of Manosan (Thai: มโนสาร) flied to the Walls of the Universe and found laws inscribed there by deities, and he memorised them and flied back to the Earth before writing them as legal scriptures for use by humans (Royal Society of Thailand, 2015, pp. 7–8).
  2. According to the Royal Society of Thailand (2013), the term nai (Thai: นัย), here translated as "gist", means (1) essence, essential part; (2) significance, meaning; (3) way, manner; (4) point, side. Etymologically, it is from Pali naya ("method, plan").
  3. This constitution did not clearly say what duty/duties it was referring to here. It could be the official duty/duties of the monarch, or the duty of the House to appoint a Regent.
  4. The Royal Society of Thailand (2013):
    • Senior (Thai: พระบรมวงศ์) refers to the members of the royalty from the chief consort of a monarch to phra-ongchao who are children of a monarch.
    • Junior (Thai: พระอนุวงศ์) refers to the members of the royalty who are (1) phra-ongchao that are not children of a monarch, and (2) momchao.
    • Momchao (Thai: หม่อมเจ้า) is (1) a child of a prince and his wife who is a commoner or is a momchao, or (2) a child of a phra-ongchao.
    • Phra-ongchao (Thai: พระองค์เจ้า) is (1) a child of a prince and his wife who is phra-ongchao, (2) a child whose father and mother are both phra-ongchao, (3) a child of a king and his commoner concubine, or (4) a commoner who has been given this title.
  5. Literally, "do stay in the status above politics".