List of government ministries of Thailand

The Government Ministries of Thailand (Thai: กระทรวง: Krasuang) are the government agencies that compose the executive branch of the Government of Thailand. Each ministry is headed by a minister of state (Thai: รัฐมนตรีว่าการกระทรวง, RTGS: Ratthamontri Wa Kan Krasuang) and, depending on the prime minister, several deputy ministers (Thai: รัฐมนตรีช่วยว่าการกระทรวง) . The combined heads of these agencies form the Cabinet of Thailand. There are 19 ministries.[1] The combined employees of these departments make up the civil service of Thailand.

Ministries

The present structure of the Royal Thai Government is unchanged since the Administrative Reorganisation Act, BE 2545 (2002). The cabinet includes 19 ministries plus the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM). A new, twentieth ministry, the "Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation", is due to be established in June 2019. The government has allocated 130 billion baht to the new ministry for fiscal year 2020, which starts 1 October 2019.[2]

Ministries

Ministry Name			Created	Head	Seal
English	Thai	Romanised (RTGS)			Image	Name
Office of the Prime Minister	สำนักนายกรัฐมนตรี	Sam-nak Nayok Ratthamontri	1933	Minister		Seal of Rajasiha and Gajasiha, the Protectors of the Constitution
Ministry of Defence	กระทรวงกลาโหม	Krasuang Kalahom	1887	Minister		Seal of the Thai Armed Forces
Ministry of Finance	กระทรวงการคลัง	Krasuang Kan Khlang	1875	Minister		Seal of the Bird of Paradise
Ministry of Foreign Affairs	กระทรวงการต่างประเทศ	Krasuang Kan Tang Prathet	1840	Minister		Seal of the Crystal Lotus
Ministry of Tourism and Sports	กระทรวงการท่องเที่ยวและกีฬา	Krasuang Kan Thong Thiao Lae Kila	2002	Minister		Seal of the Lord of Strength on the Back of Airavata
Ministry of Social Development and Human Security	กระทรวงการพัฒนาสังคมและความมั่นคงของมนุษย์	Krasuang Kan Phatthana Sangkhom Lae Khwam Man Khong Khong Manut	2002	Minister		Seal of the Lord of Creatures
Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation	กระทรวงการอุดมศึกษา วิทยาศาสตร์ วิจัยและนวัตกรรม	Krasuang Kan Udomsueksa Witthayasat Wijai Lae Nawattakam	2019	Minister
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives	กระทรวงเกษตรและสหกรณ์	Krasuang Kaset Lae Sahakon	1892	Minister		Seal of Varuna on Naga's Back
Ministry of Transport	กระทรวงคมนาคม	Krasuang Khamanakhom	1912	Minister		Seal of Rama on the Chariot
Ministry of Digital Economy and Society	กระทรวงดิจิทัลเพื่อเศรษฐกิจและสังคม	Krasuang Digital Phuea Setthakit Lae Sangkhom	2016	Minister		Seal of Budha
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment	กระทรวงทรัพยากรธรรมชาติและสิ่งแวดล้อม	Krasuang Sapphayakon Thammachat Lae Sing Waet Lom	2002	Minister		Seal of the Shield of Nature
Ministry of Energy	กระทรวงพลังงาน	Krasuang Phalang Ngan	2002	Minister		Seal of Lokuttara
Ministry of Commerce	กระทรวงพาณิชย์	Krasuang Phanit	1892	Minister		Seal of Vishvakarman
Ministry of Interior	กระทรวงมหาดไทย	Krasuang Mahatthai	1892	Minister		Seal of the Lion
Ministry of Justice	กระทรวงยุติธรรม	Krasuang Yuttitham	1891	Minister		Seal of the Scales of Justice
Ministry of Labour	กระทรวงแรงงาน	Krasuang Raeng Ngan	1993	Minister		Seal of the Three Deities
Ministry of Culture	กระทรวงวัฒนธรรม	Krasuang Watthanatham	2002	Minister		Seal of the Illumed Baldachin
Ministry of Education	กระทรวงศึกษาธิการ	Krasuang Sueksathikan	1892	Minister		Seal of the Wheel of Law
Ministry of Public Health	กระทรวงสาธารณสุข	Krasuang Satharanasuk	1942	Minister		Seal of Caduceus (Renew Seal Design in 2016)
Ministry of Industry	กระทรวงอุตสาหกรรม	Krasuang Utsahakam	1942	Minister		Seal of Narayana Churning the Ocean of Milk

History

During the Rattanakosin Period, the kingdom's administration was similar to that of the Ayutthaya Period. There were two chief ministers (Thai: อัครมหาเสนาบดี: Akkhramahasenabodi): the first running military affairs or samuhakalahom (Thai: สมุหกลาโหม), and the second Samuhanayok (Thai: สมุหนายก) for civilian affairs. The civilian ministry was divided further into four kroms (Thai: กรม), headed by a senabodi (Thai: เสนาบดี) or 'minister'. This type of administration was called the Chatusadom (Thai: จตุสดมภ์) :

Ministries
Name	Thai Name	Head	Purpose
Krom Nakhonban or Kromma Wiang	กรมนครบาล หรือ กรมเวียง	Senabodi	Cities and local administration
Kromma Wang	กรมวัง	Senabodi	Palace affairs
Kromma Khlang	กรมคลัง	Senabodi	Treasury and trade
Kromma Na	กรมนา	Senabodi	Agriculture and land

Rama V reforms

King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), who had received a European education and traveled widely, reformed the administration of the state. In 1875, he issued a royal decree to bring about this reform, dividing and creating many departments, and thereby preventing the archaic system from collapsing.

The administrative reforms of Chulalongkorn created six ministries (Thai: กระทรวง: krasuang), each headed by a minister of state or (Thai: รัฐมนตรี, RTGS: ratthamontri):

Ministries
Name	Thai Name	RTGS	Head	Purpose
Ministry of Interior	กระทรวงมหาดไทย	Krasuang Mahatthai	Minister	Local administration and the north
Ministry of War	กระทรวงยุทธนาการ	Krasuang Yuttana Thikarn		Military and the south
Ministry of Metropolitan	กระทรวงนครบาล	Krasuang Nakhonban		Bangkok and surrounding area
Ministry of the Royal Household	กระทรวงวัง	Krasuang Wang		Palace affairs
Ministry of Finance	กระทรวงการคลัง	Krasuang Kan Khlang		Finance and commerce
Ministry of Agriculture	กระทรวงเกษตราธิการ	Krasuang Kasettrathikarn		Agriculture and land

A further four were soon added:

Ministries
Name	Thai Name	Head	Purpose
Ministry of Foreign Affairs	กระทรวงการต่างประเทศ	Minister	Foreign affairs and relations
Ministry of Justice	กระทรวงยุติธรรม	Minister	Justice and the judiciary
Ministry of Transport and Communication	กระทรวงโยธาธิการ	Minister	Transport and communication (railways and telegrams)
Ministry of Education	กระทรวงธรรมการ	Minister	Education

By 1900 the entire structure was formed. The ten ministries became the center of Siamese government and rule. After the 1932 Revolution, most of the ministries were retained by the Khana Ratsadon, however from then on the ministers were chosen by the prime minister and not the king.

See also

• Cabinet of Thailand
• Independent agencies of the Thai government
• Government of Thailand
• List of state enterprises of Thailand
• Politics of Thailand
• Prime Minister of Thailand

References

1. "Government Agencies". Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) (Thailand). Retrieved 5 July 2016.
2. Theparat, Chatrudee (25 April 2019). "Novel R&D ministry 80% ready". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 26 April 2019.

External links

• Official webpage
• Reshaping Thailand through Bureaucratic Reform and Development
• The History of Thailand's Administration Website of the Department of Provincial Administration – DOPA (in English) ( Internet archive of 25 November 2009)