Thailand is a constitutional monarchy headed by His Majesty, King Bhumibol. The royalty's power has been reduced considerably since the period before the 1932 revolution. However, the present King can, by the force of his moral authority, influence important decisions. Although he no longer rules as did the absolute monarchs of previous centuries, he is still regarded as one of the three pillars of the society - monarchy, religion, and the nation. This concept is represented by the five-banded national flags : the outer red bands symbolizing the nation; the inner white bands the purity of the Buddhist religion ; and the thick blue band at the center, the monarchy.

Along with Her Majesty Queen Sirikit and other members of the royal family, the King has long been active in promoting the interests of Thais in the lower economic strata, earning the royal family genuine respect from their people.
The structure of the government is defined by the constitution and its enabling ordinances. A new constitution, designed to place power in the hand of people, was passed in 1997. Despite its frequent revisions, it has remained true to the spirit of the original.

The Thai government consists of three branches : legislative, executive and judiciary, each in theory acting independently of the others in a system of checks and balances.