BANGKOK : Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn has issued a royal decree on the dissolution of parliament, according to an announcement released on Monday by the Royal Gazette on Monday, paving the way for a general election in May.
The decree, which was issued on Mar 17, will be effective on Monday. The Thai constitution stipulates that polls must be held between 45 and 60 days after the dissolution of parliament. The polls will take place between May 4 and 19th.
The election will be announced by the Election Commission and will be published in the Royal Gazette.
The prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha asked for a royal decree to dissolve parliament prior to the end of the four-year term on Mar 23.
Thailand's elections took place on March 24, 2019, marking the transition from nearly five years of military regime to a democratically elected government.
At the time, the prime minister was Gen Prayut, a candidate from the Palang Pracharat Party. In 2014 he staged a military coup in order to seize power from Yingluck Shinawatra's democratically elected government.