Thailand is a constitutional monarchy, under which form of government the King serves the People of Thailand as "HEAD OF STATE", under the terms of the Constitution of Thailand. (It should be noted that the Constitution provides that the successor to the King may be a Princess, and not necessarily a Prince, and therefore some translators use the word "Monarch" instead of the word "King" in translating this Constitution into English. The word "monarch" is a non-sexist term, which indicates a monarch may be either a man or a woman.) Thailand adopted a new Constitution in October of 1997, which is now in effect, although certain provisions of that Constitution will not take full effect until after new elections are held. (Those provisions are known as "Transitory Provisions", and some do not take effect for several years after its adoption, to give the parliament enough time to enact appropriate new laws.) Bills passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate become law upon approval of the bill by the King. The King has the power to approve or disapprove bills adopted by the Parliament; bills do not become effective as laws without the approval of the King, unless later re-approved by the Parliament. If the King disapproves a bill as a proposed law, the bill is returned to the Parliament to consider the King's objections. If the parliament nonetheless approves the law again, by at least a 2/3 vote of both houses of the parliament, the bill is returned to the King for reconsideration. If the King still declines to sign the bill into law, the Prime Minister is authorized to promulgate the bill as a law by publishing it in the Government Gazette, the official newspaper of the Government, as if the King had signed it.