At stake in this election:

• 200 seats in the Senate (Wuthisapha)

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 6-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.

Last Parliamentary election:

• Senate elections were last held on March 4, 2000.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 62,418,054 (December 2005)
• Registered Voters: 45,232,145 (April 2006)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 33,478,316 (2006)

·         Is Thailand a signatory to CEDAW: No

·         Has Thailand ratified CEDAW: Yes, accession (9 August 1985) 

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 47 (Senate) following the 2006 elections

·         Human Development Index Position: 93 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Low (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Thailand a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Thailand ratified CRPD: Yes (29 July 2008)

·         Population with a disability: 9,362,708 (est.)