Thailand will be holding parliamentary elections on July 3rd.  

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 ABHISIT Vejjajiva

Assembly: Thailand has a bicameral National Assembly (Rathasapha) consisting of the Senate (Wuthisapha) with 150 seats and the House of Representatives (Sapha Phuthaen Ratsadon) with 500 seats.

Description of electoral system:

The King is the hereditary head of state.

The Prime Minister is appointed by the monarch to serve a 4-year term.

In the Senate (Wuthisapha), 74 members are appointed and 76 members are elected by single non-transferable vote (SNTV). In the House of Representatives (Sapha Phuthaen Ratsadon), 375 members are elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies to serve 4-year terms and 125 members are elected through a closed-list proportional representation system to serve 4-year terms.