At stake in this election:

• 500 seats in the House of Representatives (Sapha Phuthaen Ratsadon)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: King BHUMIBOL Adulyadej
• Head of Government: Prime Minister THAKSIN Shinawatra
• Assembly: Thailand has a bicameral Bicameral National Assembly consisting of the Senate (Wuthisapha) with 200 seats and the House of Representatives (Sapha Phuthaen Ratsadon) with 500 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The King is hereditary N/A.
• In the Senate (Wuthisapha) 200 members are elected by popular vote to serve 5-year terms. In the House of Representatives (Sapha Phuthaen Ratsadon), 400 members are elected by simple majority vote in single-member constituencies to serve 4-year terms and 100 members are elected by party list to serve 4-year terms.

Main parties in the First Round of the electoral race:

• Party: Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT)*
  • Leader: THAKSIN Shinawatra
  • Seats won in last House of Representatives election: 376