Thailand's first 20-year national strategy will be ready by May next year after a law took effect.
The Act on the Preparation of the National Strategy was published in the Royal Gazette on Monday.
Under the law, the National Strategy Commission consists of up to 34 members -- 17 by position and up to 17 experts in different fields.
The prime minister is the chairman. The vice-chairmen are the speakers of the House and the Senate, and a deputy prime minister or a minister assigned by the PM.
Those coming by position are heads of the following agencies: Defence Ministry (permanent secretary), Royal Thai Armed Forces, Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy, Royal Thai Air Force, National Thai Police, National Security Council, National Economic and Development Board (NESDB), National Farming Council, Thai Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Thai Industries, Tourism Council of Thailand and Thai Bankers Association.
The other group of up to 17 expert members, to hold a five-year term, will be appointed by the cabinet within 30 days after the laws took effect, or by the end of August.
The committee will draft the national strategy and monitor the implementation. The strategy will be reviewed every five years, or when a world situation warrants it, which will be decided by the commission.
In drafting the strategy, the committee will set up one or more committees of up to 15 experts each for different fields within 30 days. The commission and its committees may set up panels as they see fit or hire people or institutions to conduct research.
All of them will be compensated as determined by the cabinet.
The NESDB will act as the secretary of the commission and committees.
From the promulgation date, the 295-day timeline is: finishing the first draft (120 days), public hearings (30), revisions (75), cabinet consideration (30), National Legislative Assembly consideration (30), royal endorsement (10).
After the strategy comes into effect, the committees will draft master plans for their respective areas to achieve the goals.
If a cabinet's policies are not in line with the strategy or master plans, the commission will report to the Senate, who will consider the case and may send it to the Constitution Court to decide. If the court rules the move is illegitimate, the commission will send the case to the National Anti-Corruption Commission to take legal action against the cabinet ministers.
Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha introduced the idea of the national strategy after the 2014 coup, saying the country has long suffered from a lack of policy continuity. Having a master plan for a period of 20 years should solve the problem, he said.
But politicians and critics say future governments will be hamstrung as they cannot introduce new policies and have to follow the plan laid down by Gen Prayut's government. They also think such a move should be best implemented by an elected government and a period of 20 years is too long.