History of the Administrative Court
146 years ago, ascending to the throne on Thursday, the 1st of October 1868, His Majesty King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) introduced the key concepts and models of organization needed to develop the administration of State affairs. This move led Thailand to be recognized worldwide, especially when an organ known among the civil law countries as “Conseil d’Etat” or “Council of State” was established in 1874 and when the Act on Council of State was enacted. The mission of the Council of State was not only to draft laws and give legal advice, but also to hear grievances of people which are generally recognized as administrative cases. After the establishment of the Council of State in Thailand, His Majesty King Chulalongkorn, 20 years later, played a significant role in the reform of court affairs, the establishment of the Ministry of Justice and the application of the European civil law system to Thai legal affairs.
After the Revolution in 1932, the Thai government created its own Administrative Tribunal and legal advisory organ in form of a Conseil d’Etat or Council of State by enacting the Act on Council of State, B.E. 2476 (1933). Adjudication of administrative cases; however, was not carried out but the effort to establish the Administrative Court in any form still continued. The “Petition Commission” in charge of trying and adjudicating administrative cases was set up under the Act of Petitions, B.E. 2492 (1949) and an amendment to the Act on Council of State in 1979 allowed the establishment of another Petition Commission, distinct from the Law Drafting Commission, which later became the Administrative Court. This progressive development eventually led to the establishment of the Administrative Court under the dual court system as required by the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand, B.E. 2540 (1997) which stipulated that the Administrative Court was to be separate from the Court of Justice. The Act on Establishment of the Administrative Court and Administrative Court Procedure, B.E. 2542 (1999) formally established the Administrative Court under the dual court system. The Administrative Court thus has its origins in the Council of State or Conseil d’Etat of France in the reign of His majesty King Chulalongkorn.
The Administrative Court was inaugurated on 9th March 2001. The Supreme Administrative Court, the Central Administrative Court and the Office of the Administrative Courts were temporarily housed at the Empire Tower, South Sathorn Road, Bangkok while their permanent office building was under construction. On 14th July 2008, the Supreme Administrative Court, the Central Administrative Court and the Office of the Administrative Courts moved from their temporary office building into their new premises on Chaengwattana Road, Bangkok.
