Unofficial Translation

 

Policy Statement of 
The Council of Ministers
of Prime Minister
Colonel Phya Phahon Phonpayuhasena
Delivered to Parliament
on Monday, 24 September 1934

 

 

Policy Announcement*

This government aspires the social harmony and unity, between the Royal Family, clergy, House of Representatives, Cabinet, as well as, general public, according to the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand. In addition, the government believes the Constitutional Monarchy is the righteous form of state administration and shall yield prosperity to the country.

The Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand was based upon the Six Commandments, namely, independence, security, economic prosperity, equality, liberty and education. The equality and liberty, according to the Constitution, were already fully guaranteed.

Independence Policy

Generally speaking, there are still liberty restraints and customs obligations, which the government shall negotiate amendments with other sovereign nations, in due course. As for codes of law, the government shall intend to draft the Judiciary Officers Regulation Act, establish the Royal Judge Committee, as to support and control the judge's status, set up the Court Committee, as to enact court procedures, together with procedures for other judicial agencies, i.e., Confiscation Division and Subpoena Division. Moreover, the government shall maintain and strengthen the Royal Army, Navy and Air Force, in time for national defense, as to cherish the national peace and independence.

Security Policy

 The government shall follow these steps:

1. Security Administration

The government shall prevent and suppress crimes and delinquences, to the utmost of our capacity, maintain and develop the Royal Police Force, facilitate transportation system, better national economy, institute good virtues to the general public, and promote municipal administration.

2. Municipal Administration

The government shall promote and implement the municipal administration, according to Municipal Administration Act of 1933, following these steps:

(a)
Establish the provincial council, within the present year, and recruit the qualified members of different professions.
(b)
Upgrade the sanitation administration to municipal administration, within the present year.
(c)
Subsidize the provincial budget fund.
(d)
Recruit new municipal advisors, as to help direct the municipal affairs.

3. Transportation

The government shall continue existing transportation projects and upgrade major thoroughfares, as to facilitate the transportation system.

The government shall, also, subsidize more municipal and provincial transportation system projects, as for economic and administrative potentials, either yielding more budget or despatching transportation specialists and advisors, as to help implement or supervise the aforementioned construction and maintenance.

4. Sanitation or Municipal Infrastructure Assistance

The government shall establish more sanitation or municipal power plants and water works.

5. Correction

The government shall implement these policies:

(a)
Provide moral, vocational and hygienic education and practice to the inmates, as to institute good habit and promote profession.
(b)
Regulate social welfare, i.e., accommodation and food, and provide education to the vagabonds, in the hope that they will become good citizen.
(c)
Improve the Youth Detention School, provide vocational education and practice to the underprivileged.

6. Public Health

(a)Curing

The government shall establish more provincial hospitals, as seen necessary, and more village health centers, in remote area, as to provide the general public with greater accessability, and expand medical assistants network, as to cure off mortal disease in remote area.

(b) General Requirements

The government shall follow these steps:

(1)
Pass Public Health Act, as to meet general sanitation regulations, in particular, market administration, food distribution, rubbish and sewage drain.
(2)
Amend Contagious Disease Act, as to achieve greater level of prevention and suppression.
(3)
Expand suppression network of high-risk diseases, e.g., malaria, tubercolosis, leprosy and mental disorder, etc.

Economic Prosperity Policy

As for the national economy, the government shall furnish career co-ordination projects, maximizing the capacity of the national treasury, in order to attain national prosperity and security.

The projects shall:

1.
Respect property ownership and profession liberty of any individual, according to the Constitution.
2.
Respect international treaties and contacts.
3.
Respect national popularity and current requirement.
4.
Respect investigations, researches and trials, before expanding the capacity, when seen prosperous.

Plans

1.
 Regulate the Economic Committee, as to implement economic projects in various steps, and archive statistical records, as for greater economic revival.
2.
Harmonize mutual cooperations.
3.
Control infrastructure projects and collaborate with private companies in some projects.
4.
Support liberalization in non-infrastructural projects, except for essential matters. Should nobody be engaged in so doing, the government shall lead, support or participate, until seen appropriate, the company or the private sector shall resume the continuation.

Actions

The government shall improve general requirements and, in particular:

1.
Implement national terrain and natural resource surveys, as to identify the pros and cons of each area.
2.
 Expand agriculture and pasture reseach station network.
3.
 Implement unoccupied land survey and regulate land reform, in accordance with agricultural requirement and individual circumstance.
4.
Support national irrigation and transportation system, as to facilitate the agriculture and commerce, according to the budget and necessity.
5.
Implement merchandise importance survey and enhance goods quality.
6.
 Implement quality of life survey, as to provide professional assistance, according to the circumstances.
7.
Meet manufacturers and consumers, as to promote direct economy, and seek for domestic and international markets.
8.
Provide education and practice to the general public and popularize agriculture, industry, trade and co-operatives.
9.
Expand loan co-operatives and establish other co-operatives network, according to the budget and circumstance of each organization.
10.
Improve welfare, education, and health care system for agriculturists and laborers.

Education

As for education, the government shall aspire to provide full education to Thai people, in accordance with the national democratic regime, i.e., broaden the outlook and wisdom, promote self-motivated practice, attain moral, cultural and hygienic excellence, and preserve Thai good values.

The government shall improve primary and secondary education systems, extend the primary education, by establishing municipal schools, at least one per municipality, as to register the development, according to the Constitution, formal or non-formal alike, which shall provide the agricultural and commercial knowledge, improve the academic standard of state universities, in order to meet those of developed countries, provide greater accessibility to the people, and raise the academic standard.

The government shall provide educational opportunities to Thai children, according to the Constitution, most importantly, sports education, excel physical and mental force and wisdom, relish of sports equipments and locales, as to improve the sports discipline. As for religious education, the government shall cherish religious and moral education to the people, and nurture Thai culture. In addition, the government believes the education and religion are inter-related, hence, shall support and co-operate the closer harmony. As for national arts, the government shall revive the Thai culture, as to eliminate internal and external disdain pressure.

In order to achieve these, the government shall enhance the teaching quality and recruit qualified teachers.

The six aforementioned policies shall be achieved, once the personnel and the budget are met.

In this respect, the government shall implement state administration reform, as to provide knowledge and expertise to the civil servants, so that they can efficiently carry out essential projects, and establish the justice and security, conforming the posts and positions.

As for finance, Thailand, together with other nations, has suffered from the global economic downfall. Within three years, the asking price of rice plunged. As the Siamese people bravely endured and the democratic government carefully considered the expenditures, however, the national financial status is stabilized. In 1932 to 1933, the budget balance was positive, and, in 1934, it turned negative, according to the figures in the Budget Act, but we believe, according to the accrued budget over the last five months, the budget shall be draw.

The government shall intend to keep, hence, the financial and monetary stability. Once the global crisis has passed, it does not mean that recovery is immediate.

As for maintenance, the government cannot be thrifty and shall provide sufficient fund. In this respect, once the project is implemented, according to the formal policy, the government shall furnish it with sufficient fund. The government shall implement the necessary taxation reform, as to avoid the public tax burden, and improve the financial regulations, accordingly.

The government shall establish the national prosperity, in accordance with international relations, in order to achieve closer diplomatic ties.

How best this government is to attain is dealt with the Royal Assistance, parliamentary co-operation, and public support. The government shall establish the national prosperity, according to the democratic Constitution and public requirement.

*Parliament Assembly Report of 24/1934 (Special) Session 2, 24 September 1934, Pages 1756-1766

Unofficial Translation

 


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