Act on National Culture

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ACT ON THE NATIONAL CULTURE

B.E. 2485
i 1

In the name of His Majesty King Anatida Mahidol

Regency Council

(By the announcements of the President of the House of Representatives

dated 4 August B.E. 2480 and 16 December B.E. 2484)

Athit TMp-apa

Pridi Phanomyong

Enacted on the
281h
Day of September B.E. 2485;

Being the 9lh Year of the Present Reign.

According to a resolution passed by the National Assembly to amend Laws on

the National Culture, to lay the basis solidly, to nourish, to uphold and to disseminate

widely;

Be it, therefore, commanded by the King, with the advice and consent of the

National Assembly, that the Act be promulgated as follows:

Section 1. This Act is called “Act on the National Culture, B.E. 2489.”

Section 2. This Act shall come into force from the date of its publication in

the Government Gazette.

Section 3. The Act on the Nourishment of the National Culture, B.E. 2483

and the Act on the Nourishment of the National Culture (No. 2), B.E. 2485 shall be

hereby repealed.

Section
4.
In this Act:

“Culture”” means characteristics that demonstrate the prosperity, order,

harmonized progress of the nation and good morals of the people.

Section 5. All persons have a duty to behave according to the national culture

and shall uphold and enhance the prosperity of the nation by maintaining culture

according to good traditions and customs, as well as assist in adjusting the national

culture appropriately upon time.

Section 6. Apart from the provisions by this aot3 cultures to which a person

shall exercise accordingly may be provided by Royal Decrees in the following cases:

1.
Order in dressing, ethics and etiquettes in public places or as appeared to the

public.

2.
Order in personal praotices and in performances to the households.

3.
Order in personal behaviors which may bring about honours to the Thai

nation and Buddhism in Thailand.

4.
Efficiency and ethics of professions.

5.
Sophistications of minds and good morals of Hie people.

6. Progress in literary and fine arts.

7.
Preferences in Thainess.

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Section 7. In determination of cultures by the Royal Decrees under the

previous section, geographical conditions, life styles, types of people in each locality

should be considered.

Section 8- A counoil should be founded and called “National Culture

Council”. Tin’s council is a juristic person.

Section 9. The National Culture Council shall have the following duties:

(1) To research, adapt, maintain and promote the existing national cultures.

(2) To research, adapt, and determine oultures that should be accepted and

adjusted.

(3) To disseminate the national cultures appropriately to time.

(4) To control and find methods to instill national culture into the people’s

mind until it becomes their characters.

(5) To give opinions, counsel and act according to the purposes of the

government in affairs concerning national cultures.

Section 10. There shall be a committee to control and supervise the general

operation of the National Culture Council. Members and Secretary General of the

Council shall be appointed by the cabinet and announced in the Government Gazette.

Seotion
11.
The National Culture Council shall be divided into 4 Bureaus.

(1) Bureau of Spiritual Culture

(2) Bureau of Traditional Culture

(3) Bureau of Artistic Culture

(4) Bureau of Literary Culture

Section 12. Activities to be performed by each Bureau shall be assigned as

regulations by the National Culture Council.

Section
13.
The National Culture Council may receive financial subsidy from

the government or receive financial supports from any persons or organizations.

Section 14. Any associations or organizations whose objectives are related to

activities of the National Culture Council, no matter whether they have already been

founded before, must get permission from the National Culture Council, prior to

applying for foundation as provided by law or for continuance. After founded or

continued, they are under the control of this Council.

Section
15.
Any person who violates orders of competent officials, who made

orders by authorization provided by the Royal Decree legislated under Section 6, shaJJ

be liable to a fine not exceeding twelve baht

Money acquired from such fine shall be regarded as the subsidized money for

primary education according to Revenue Code.

Section 16. The Prime Minister shall have charge and control of the execution

of this Act, and shall have power to create Regulations for the execution of this Act.

Such Regulations shall come into force upon their publication in the

Government Gazette.

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Countersigned by

Field Marshal
P.
Pfbulsonggram

Prime Minister

(Note: This Act was published in the Government Gazette, Part 63, Volume 59, dated

29th
September B.E. 2485, pages 1744-1749.)

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ACT ON THE NATIONAL CULTURE (No-2)

B.E. 2486

In the name of His Majesty King Ananda Maliidol

Regency Council

(By the announcements of tine President of the House of Representatives

dated 4 August
B.E.
2480 and 16 December B.E. 2484)

Athit Thip-apa

Pridi Phanomyong

Enacted on the
31s1
Day of December B.E. 2485;

Being the 9Ul Year of the Present Reign.

According to a resolution passed by the National Assembly to amend and add

the Act on the National Culture B.E. 2485;

Be it, therefore, commanded by the King, with the advice and consent of the

National Assembly, that the Act be promulgated as follows:

Section 1. This Act is called “Act on the National Culture (No. 2), B.E. 2489.”

Section 2. This Act shall come into force from the date of its publication in

the Government Gazette.

Section
3.
Section 8 of the Act on the National Culture, B.E. 2485 shall be

repealed, and shall be replaced by the following provision:

“Section 8- The National Culture Council is a political department under the

command of the Prime Minister.”

Section 4. Section 11 of the Act on the National Culture, B.E. 2485 shall be

repealed, and shall be replaced by the following provision:

“Section 11. The National Culture Council shall be divided into 5 Bureaus.

(1) Bureau of Spiritual Culture

(2) Bureau of Traditional Culture

(3) Bureau of Artistic Culture

(4) Bureau of Literary Culture

(5) Bureau of Women’s Culture”

Section 5, Section 14 of the Act on the National Culture, B.E. 2485 shall be

repealed, and shall be replaoed by the following provision:

“Section 14. Any associations or organizations whose objectives are related to

activities of the National Culture Council, no matter whether they have already been

founded before, must get permission from the National Culture Council prior to

applying for foundation as provided by law or for continuanoe. After founded or

continued;, they are under the control of this Council. Associations or organizations

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that are not allowed to continue must be dissolved and cease their operation at once.

In addition, if the National Culture Council deems it appropriate to revoke the

permission given to any association or organization, such association or organization

must also be dissolved and cease their operation at once.”

Section 6. Section 15 of the Act on the National Culture, B.E. 2485 shall be

repealed, and shall be replaced by the following provision:

“Any person who violates orders of competent officials, who made orders by

authorization provided by the Royal Decree legislated under Section 6, shall be liable

to a fine not exceeding one hundred baht or to imprisonment for a terra not exceeding

one month or to both.”

Section 7. The following provision shall be added as Section 15 bis. of the Act

on the National Culture, B.E. 2485:

“Section 15 bis. Any person who advertises, invites, engages in managing the

membership, or does anything that promotes or supports the existence of any

association or organization that has not yet been granted permission, from the National

Culture Council to be founded, or any association or organization whose license has

been revoked, or whose operation has been discontinued, shall be liable to a fine not

exceeding two thousand baht or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or

to both.”

Section 8. The Prime Minister shall have charge and control of the execution

of this Act.

Countersigned by

Field Marshal
P.
Pfbulsonggram

Prime Minister

(Note: This Act was published in the Government Gazette, Part 1, Volume 60, dated

1 * January B.E. 2486, pages 29-32.)

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REGULATION OF THE NATIONAL CULTURE COUNCIL

ON THE CONTROL OF ASSOCIATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS

” By virtue of the power provided under
No.
8 of the Prime Minister Office’s

Regulations dated 16th November B.E. 2485, issued under the provision of the Act on

the National Culture B.E.2485., the National Culture Council hereby prescribes

Regulations on the Control of Associations and Organizations which have objectives

in relation with the activities of the National Culture Council as follows:

No.
]. Associations and organizations must not perform in any way that brings

about damage to the national culture no matter directly or indirectly.

No.
2. Associations and organizations must perform in every way to conserve,

promote and uphold the national culture and must try to find ways to advise members

or persons in the associations or organizations to perform altogether according to the

national culture.

No.
3. Associations and organizations must assist and render cooperation to

the National Culture Council in performing activities related to the national culture to

the best of their ability when requested to do so.

No.
4. If it appears that any director or member does not exercise according to

the national culture honestly, association or organization where such person belongs

to must consider striking his or her name off the register and notify the National

Culture Council very soon.

No.
5. Associations and organizations must notify the National Culture

Council numbers of all types of members, clearly classifying by sex and nationality,

every 12 months from the date of the foundation or continuance permission.

No.
6. Associations and organizations must notify names of the new directors

to the National Culture Council within 7 days from the date of appointment. If their

names are not reported, such directors are not admitted
to
join the meeting in the

capacity of directors.

No.
7. Associations and organizations must send the agenda of the meeting to

the National Culture Council within 15 days from the date of the meeting. If the

National Culture Council requires the report of the meeting, it must be sent as

ordered.

No.
8. Associations and organizations must send the annual report of the

activities performed to the National Culture Council every year.

No.
9- Any association and organization that organizes a general meeting or an

extraordinary meeting or any meeting for any ceremony must notify the National

Culture Council not less than 7 days in advance.

No.
10. Any association and organization that amends, alters or adds its

regulations must notify the National Culture Council within 14 days from the date on

which the general meeting of the association or organization passes the resolution.

No.
11. Secretary General of the National Culture Council or any person

entrusted by the Secretary General of the National Culture Council in writing has the

right to attend the meetings of directors or meetings of members of associations or

organizations aha Kas’tne right’ to inspect the place of associations or organizations in

appropriate time.

No.
12. When person in No. 11 visits the place of any association or

organization, officials of the association or organization must welcome and render

convenience properly for such person to perform his or her duty.

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/
No.
13. If any association or organization arranges a talk, no matter whether

the speaker is a member of the association or organization, at least two sets of copy of

the talk must be sent to the National Culture Council within 7 days from the date of

the talk.

No.
14. Any association or organization who publishes any books or

magazines in the name of tbe association or organization must send at least 2 copies

or 2 sets of such publication to the National Culture Council.

No.
15. Associations and associations must perform according to orders of

Secretary General of the National Culture Council that are issued under the provision

of this Regulation. If any association or organization is not satisfied with the orders

of Secretary General of the National Culture Council, it is entitled to appeal against

such orders to the Chairman of the National Culture Council Committee within 7 days

from the date of receiving orders. The decision of the Chairman of the National

Culture Council Committee shall be final.

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