Abhisit Vejjajiva
Encyclopedia
Abhisit Vejjajiva is a Thai
politician who was the 27th Prime Minister
of Thailand
from 2008 to 2011 and is the current leader of the Democrat Party
. As leader of the second largest party in the House of Representatives
, he is also Leader of the Opposition - a position he last held in December 2008.
Born in England, Abhisit attended Eton College
and earned bachelors and masters degrees from the University of Oxford. He was elected to the Parliament of Thailand
at age 27, and promoted to Democrat Party leader in 2005, after his predecessor resigned following the party's defeat in the 2005 general election.
Abhisit was appointed Prime Minister of Thailand on 17 December 2008, after the Constitutional Court of Thailand
removed Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat
from office. At age 44, he was the country's youngest prime minister in more than 60 years.
Abhisit became Premier at a time of global economic turmoil and rising domestic political tensions. As prime minister, he promoted a "People’s Agenda
," which focused primarily on policies affecting the living conditions of Thailand's rural and working class citizens. He administered two economic stimulus packages: a $40 billion, three-year infrastructure improvement plan, and a more than $3 billion program of cash subsidies and handouts. By 2010, the stock market
and the value of the baht had rebounded to their highest levels since the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. Abhisit censored thousands of Web sites, shut down hundreds of radio stations, and arrested and silenced many media figures and opposition and labor leaders, claiming that they insulted King Bhumibol
. Human Rights Watch
called Abhisit "the most prolific censor in recent Thai history" and Freedom House
downgraded Thailand's rating of media freedom to "not free."
Abhisit also advocated for stronger anti-corruption measures, although several members of his Cabinet resigned due to corruption scandals and parts of his economic stimulus packages were criticized for instances of alleged corruption.
Abhisit's government faced major protests in April 2009
and April–May 2010
. The military's crackdowns
on protesters left hundreds dead. Abhisit launched a reconciliation plan to investigate the crackdown, but the work of the investigation commission was hampered by military and government agencies. The Thai Army clashed with Cambodian troops numerous times from 2009 to 2010 in the bloodiest fighting in over 2 decades. The South Thailand insurgency escalated during Abhisit's government, and reports of torture and human rights violations increased.
Having resigned the party leadership after the defeat the Democrats suffered in the parliamentary elections of 2011, Abhisit was re-elected as leader at a party assembly.
, Newcastle upon Tyne
, England, attended Eton College
(where he was known as "Veggie" amongst his peers), and earned a bachelor's degree
in philosophy, politics and economics (PPE), first class honors, and a master's degree in economics from St John's College, Oxford
. He also received a bachelor's degree in law from Thailand's Ramkhamhaeng University
, and taught at Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy
and Thammasat University
Faculty of Economics. He is fluent in both his mother tongue and the English language, and has dual Thai and British
citizenship.
His dual citizenship became a topic for the Thai parliamentary debates in early 2011. He is ethnically Han Chinese
of Hokkien
origin.
Abhisit was preceded in public service by his father, Athasit (อรรถสิทธิ์) Vejjajiva, a former president
of Mahidol University
and the Royal Institute of Thailand and who is now director of Charoen Pokphand Foods
, Thailand's largest agribusiness firm and part of the Charoen Pokphand Group, known throughout Thailand as CP.
Abhisit is married to Pimpen Sakuntabhai, his classmate at the Chulalongkorn University Demonstration elementary school, who was a former dentist and is now a lecturer at the Department of Mathematics at Chulalongkorn University
. They have two children: Prang Vejjajiva (daughter) and Pannasit Vejjajiva (son). Abhisit has two sisters: child psychiatrist Alisa Wacharasindhu and author Ngarmpun Vejjajiva
.
, surnamed Yuan
(袁), who moved from Vietnam
to Thailand. The family name Vejjajiva was granted by King Rama VI to Abhisit's great-grandfather Dr. Long (หลง), together with Long's father Nai Jinsang (นายจิ๊นแสง), grandfather Nai Pong (นายเป๋ง) and great-grandfather Nai Go (นายก่อ) while Dr. Long was serving as an Army Medical Department sub-lieutenant
The Vejjajiva family came to prominence when Dr. Long, then style
d Phra Bamrad Naradura, rose to public health minister
, and founded the Bamrad Naradura hospital in Nonthaburi. The family name means "medical profession."
The National Peace Keeping Council
seized power in a military coup in 1991 and appointed Abhisit's father Deputy Minister of Public Health.
MP for the Democrat Party. He was re-elected to the same seat in the 1995 and 1996 general elections. In the elections of 2001
and 2005
, he returned to parliament as a Party List
MP for the Democrat Party. He has served as Democrat Party spokesman, Government spokesman, Deputy-Secretary to the Prime Minister for Political Affairs, Chairman of the House Education Affairs Committee, and Minister to the Prime Minister's Office.
. However, he lost the bid in a close election with seasoned politician Banyat Bantadtan. Two years later, Banyat led the Democrat Party to an overwhelming defeat in the 2005 general elections. Banyat resigned following the elections and Abhisit was named the new party leader.
dissolved the House of Representatives and called for new elections in April. In response, Abhisit announced that the Democrats and other opposition parties would boycott the elections. They claimed the elections lacked legitimacy, and were an attempt by Thaksin to divert public attention from his tax free sales of the Shin Corporation
to Temasek Holdings
.
Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai Party won an overwhelming majority in the virtually uncontested April 2006 election. However, the elections also left 38 seats vacant in the House of Representatives, because some Thai Rak Thai candidates were unable to garner the constitutionally required minimum of 20% of the vote to hold office. In the ensuing political crisis, Thaksin announced he would step down as Prime Minister, and the Constitutional Court ultimately invalidated the election results.
The Thai Rak Thai party charged the Democrats with bribing other small political parties into boycotting the April 2006 elections. An 11-member fact-finding panel headed by Deputy Attorney-General Chaikasem Nitisiri voted unanimously in June 2006 to recommend dissolving the Democrat Party, as well as Thai Rak Thai and three other parties, based on evidence that the Democrats bribed other opposition parties into boycotting the elections. In February 2007, candidates from the Progressive Democratic Party testified before the Constitution Tribunal that they were duped into registering for candidacy in the April elections. Three witnesses testified that Democrat leaders Thaworn Senniam
, Wirat Kalayasiri, and Jua Ratchasi encouraged protesters to disrupt the registration of candidates during the by-elections after the April 2006 election. Prosecutors contended that the party tried to disqualify the election results and force continuous rounds of by-elections. The defense claimed that the witnesses were hired by the Thai Rak Thai party to discredit the Democrats. Ultimately, the Constitutional Court of Thailand
acquitted Abhisit and the Democrats of bribery, and instead banned Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai
party for the same charges.
Abhisit and the Democrats supported the military junta's 2007 draft constitution
on the grounds that rejecting it would give more power to the junta. Abhisit said the Democrat Party considered the new constitution similar to the 1997 Constitution
, but with improvements as well as faults. "If we wanted to please the Council for National Security we would reject the draft so it could pick a charter of its own choosing. If we reject the draft, it will be like handing out power to the Council. We have come up with this stand because we care about national interest and want democracy to be restored soon," he said. Abhisit said he would seek to amend the Constitution if he was named prime minister.
. In a parliamentary vote to select a new prime minister on 28 January 2008, Samak Sundaravej
of the People's Power Party
defeated Abhisit by a vote of 310 to 163. On 9 September 2008, Mr. Samak was removed from the post by the Constitutional Court for receiving payment as the host of a TV cooking program.
In the crisis that followed, some Democrat Party members became leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy
, which organized a six-month-long demonstration and seized Government House, Don Muang Airport, and Suvarnabhumi Airport. Abhisit voiced displeasure at the sieges, but did not stop his deputies from their leadership of the PAD. The sieges ended after the Constitutional Court banned the People's Power Party. Army commander and co-leader of the 2006 coup, General Anupong Paochinda
, allegedly coerced several PPP MPs from the Friends of Newin Group to defect to the Democrat Party, allowing Abhisit to be elected Prime Minister.
Upon becoming Premiere, Abhisit promised to enforce the rule of law
and prosecute the 21 Peoples Alliance for Democracy leaders who were responsible for seizing Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi Airports. As of February 2010, arrest warrants still had not been issued for the airport seizures. On 24 February 2010, government prosecutors deferred a decision for the eighth time to decide whether to indict the nine leaders of the PAD over the 7-month long seizure of Government House. However, as the PAD leaders did not come testify voluntarily, the judge could not make the decision and the process was thereby delayed.
," with education as the main focus. He used the campaign slogan "Putting People First." He also vowed not to privatize basic utilities such as water and electricity, and to nationalize state enterprises that Thaksin had privatized. Regarding core elements of the so-called "Thaksinomics", Abhisit promised "the benefits from certain populist policies, such as the 30-Baht healthcare scheme, the Village Fund and the SML (Small Medium Large) scheme, will not be revoked but instead improved." He later urged that Thaksin's popular 30-Baht health care scheme should be replaced with a system where access to medical services was totally free. Abhisit stated that all future Democrat MPs would have to declare their assets and any involvement in private companies. (By law, only members of the cabinet needed to declare their assets.)
Abhisit raised more than Bt200 million at the Democrat Party's 60th Anniversary dinner. He outlined several energy policies, including increasing dividend payments from state-owned oil company PTT
and using the funds to repay Oil Fund debts, and having state-owned electric utility EGAT
absorb part of the rising fuel prices. Abhisit later outlined plans to reduce retail petrol prices by eliminating the 2.50 baht/litre tax used to maintain the government's Oil Fund.
On 13 July 2006, Abhisit promised to deal with escalating violence in the South
by making the problems in the Southern provinces a public agenda.
Abhisit also promised many populist policies including providing free education, textbooks, milk, and supplemental foods for nursery school students and increasing the minimum wage.
Following the Constitutional Court of Thailand
's removal of prime minister Samak Sundaravej in 2008 for vested interests by taking a salary from a cooking show while in the seat of PM, Abhisit lost the National Assembly
vote for Prime Minister
by 163 votes to 298 for Somchai Wongsawat
, ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra's brother in law. On 2 December 2008, the Constitutional Court
banned the three government parties for election fraud, including the PPP, thus dissolving the governing coalition and paving the way for a Democrat-led government. The Court also removed Somchai from office and banned him from politics for five years for his involvement in the scandal as one of PPP's executive board members. He was succeeded by a deputy.
After Somchai was removed and the PPP dissolved, the MPs of the parties which had been in coalition with the PPP forged a new coalition with the Democrat Party
, which had been in opposition until then. Most of the defectors were MPs from the Friends of Newin faction of the PPP, as well as the Bhumjaithai Party, the Puea Pandin Party, the Chartthaipattana Party, and the Rum Chart Pattana Party. The defection of the powerful Friends of Newin Group came about due to the alleged coercion by Army Commander General Anupong Paochinda
, a move that Senator Khamnoon Sitthisamarn called an "Anupong-style coup." The Democrat-led coalition was able to endorse Abhisit as Prime Minister. Abhisit became Prime Minister after winning a vote in parliament on 15 December 2008.
Key appointments in Abhisit's government included PAD leader Kasit Piromya
as Foreign Minister, construction tycoon Chaovarat Chanweerakul
as Interior Minister, and investment banker and former Abhisit classmate Korn Chatikavanij
as Finance Minister. Massage parlor
tycoon Pornthiva Nakasai was appointed Deputy Commerce Minister.
Abhisit's first act as Prime Minister was to send SMS texts to tens of millions of Thai mobile phone users. The message, signed "Your PM," asked people to help him solve the country's crisis. Interested phone users were asked to send back their postal codes, at a cost of three baht. Abhisit was criticized for violating privacy regulations in the mass SMS. The National Telecommunication Commission says that mobile phone service providers may not exploit client information, including phone numbers, without their consent. However, it did not seek actions against Abhisit.
According to a survey by Assumption University's Abac Poll in May 2009, Abhisit received a 70 percent approval rating, the highest within the Cabinet. The government's overall approval rating was 59 percent "rather much or much" satisfied and 9.4 percent "very much" satisfied. Overall the government was rated 6.5 out of 10 by a majority of respondents. In a nationwide survey conducted 24–25 December 2010, by Bangkok University, the government's two years in power were rated 4.61 out of 10, with the PM's performance at 5.17.
, Thailand's central bank, warned that implementing Abhisit's populist policies might cause public debt to surge past the legal debt ceiling of no more than 50% of GDP. The government countered the BoT's warning by claiming it was just expression of opinion in a technical manner. Abhisit noted that several countries had experienced debt crises – but not Thailand.
Abhisit responded to the crisis with two economic stimulus packages. The government announced the first, 117-billion-baht stimulus package in January 2009. The package included a one-time issuance of 2,000 Baht (approximately 75 USD) checks to people making less than 15,000 Baht (approximately $500) a month. A training program, dubbed "Ton Kla A-cheep" was initiated for up to 500,000 new graduates and unemployed people. Free government education was expanded to up to 15 years, as written in the constitution, saving approximately 2,000 baht per term per student. A pension of 500 baht a month was provided to those aged 60 and above. Price guarantees were instituted to subsidize rice, corn, and tapioca farmers. The government provided funds to villages nationwide to carry out projects based on King Bhumibol's sufficiency economy philosophy.
The cabinet approved the second, 1.4-trillion-baht package in May. The plan was called "Strong Thailand" (Thai Khem Khaeg), with the majority of the money dedicated to infrastructure improvements. In addition, a program was initiated to provide resolve land-title issues for squatters living on state land. The government attempted to transfer private loans from loan sharks to state-owned banks, protecting debtors from unreasonably high interest rate demanded by the loan sharks and helping them finance their families again.
By the end of 2009, Thailand's economy had only contracted by 2.3% – buoyed by 5.8% economic growth in the fourth quarter of the year.
junta's policy of compulsory licensing of pharmaceuticals, saying that it complied with the World Trade Organisation's agreement on intellectual property. As of March 2009, he warned that there would be societal pressure to expand compulsory licensing if the U.S. downgraded Thailand's trade status.
Despite opposition, Abhisit continued to support public health protection and refused to drop the Medical Malpractice Victim Protection Bill in the on-going legislative process. Furthermore, he set up a national-level committee to improve the draft before sending the final copy to the parliament. "We need to push ahead with the legislation. For some contentious points in this bill, all sides just need to talk and cooperate," Abhisit said after a meeting with representatives from the Network for People's Medical Protection and the Federation of Medical Workers, where both sides sought to have a national committee set-up to improve the bill.
In 2009, Abhisit said that it was his government's goal to reduce the number of new HIV cases in the country by 50% by 2011. He noted that new cases among married women increased by 30% to 40% and promised to be involved in a campaign to promote fidelity among married couples. In 2010, he became a presenter in his government's "honest husband" campaign and vowed to become a role model of fidelity for all married men.
The Abhisit government repeatedly extended temporary subsidies that provided free bus and train rides. Abhisit also proposed making the free rides permanent.
Under the guidance of Abhisit's administration, the BTS sky train, which is a rail-based mass transit system in Bangkok, launched a new 2.2-kilometre extension linking the Saphan Taksin Bridge Station to Krung Thonburi Station and Wong Wian Yai Station on the Thonburi side of Bangkok. The new service linked Sathorn Road, one of Bangkok’s prime business districts, to Thonburi on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. Under the "Thai Khem Khang Project", BTS is in the process of constructing the 6.7-kilometre extension from Onnuj station to Sukhumvit 107. This is expected to be ready within two years. Another section of 12.8-km to connect to Bang Pu district in Samut Prakan province has also been planned for a later stage. Additionally, a 4.5-kilometre route from Taksin Bridge to Nong Khaem district is also expected to begin service within two years.
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva emphasized his government's plans for new logistical and infrastructure projects that the high-speed trains will not only facilitate the rapid movement of goods and people, but will provide even more benefits to Thailand once ASEAN becomes a single market and Thailand becomes a stronger production base for the Economic Community. As Asian economies look more towards regional rather than Western trade for future growth, it's a forward-looking plan with the potential to position Thailand as a highly efficient regional hub connecting China to Southeast Asia.
The project will have two phases: from Nong Khai in the Northeast to Bangkok, from Bangkok to Rayong and from Bangkok to Padang Besar, on the border with Malaysia. The transnational line will start from Kunming in China's southwestern Yunnan province and run south to Thailand through Laos and Vietnam.
The entire project, from Nong Khai to Bangkok and Rayong, and from Bangkok to Padang Besar, will cost almost Bt350 billion. The railway tracks will be built in parallel with existing tracks, but with a wider gauge of 1.4 metres, instead of the current gauge of 1 metre. The Nong Khai-Bangkok route says it will cover a total distance of 615 kilometres. The track will run through a tunnel of about 10 km and will be elevated over a distance of 59 km. The high-speed train will travel at no less than 200 kilometres per hour. It will be electrically powered, and studies have shown that existing power supplies will be sufficient.
Once this project has been completed, travelling by train from Bangkok to Kunming will take around 5 hours, 3 hours from Bangkok to Vientiane, and less than 5 hours from Bangkok to Padang Basar.
Abhisit's administration completed the Air Port Link project that was delayed by the previous government due to several factors. Suvarnabhumi Airport's Link, which connects downtown Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi airport, began commercial services on 23 August 2010. The Airport Link's City Line will run every 15 minutes and the Express Line every 30 minutes. Both lines operate from 6 am to midnight. The trains have a maximum speed of 160 kilometres per hour. The City Line will make eight stops across the capital, starting at Phaya Thai, before heading to the airport. The trains take 30 minutes from Phaya Thai to Suvarnabhumi.
An auction for 3G
2.1 gigahertz spectrum licenses organized by the National Telecommunications Commission was cancelled after state-owned firms CAT Telecom
and TOT
successfully filed an injunction which claimed that the NTC lacked the authority to organize the auction. They also argued that the auction would cause the state agencies to lose revenue. The regulator originally planned to hold the auctions prior to the 2006 military coup. Five days after the injunction, the government approved a 19.9 billion budget for TOT to expand its existing 3G network.
Within mass communication, it is difficult to delineate between objective and biased information. On one hand, the media can be used to provide useful information; on the other hand, it can be used to increase the popularity of the government. And this is why there arises the debate about whether the government is justified to use mass communication, and to what extent.
fighter planes, in addition to the six aircraft purchased by the military junta of Surayud Chulanont
. Army Commander Anupong noted that the military's budget would be increased to 2% of GDP, from about 1% of GDP prior to the 2006 coup.
In July 2009, Abhisit claimed that violence in Southern Thailand decreased since his government took over, thanks to a focus on economic development. His claim was contradicted by Deep South Watch, an academic think-tank at the Prince of Songkhla University in Pattani
province, which showed that violence actually increased since the beginning of the 2009.
In February 2010, the government said that it was capable of eliminating insurgency violence by the end of the year. Foreign Minister Kasit claimed a "sense of optimism" in the region. By the end of 2010, insurgency-related violence had increased, confounding the government's optimism.
The Abhisit government was condemned by several international human rights groups for the routine and systematic torture of suspected insurgents. In just a two month period in 2010, Amnesty International
received eight reports of torture. "The security forces continue to use torture even though senior commanders claim to have prohibited it," found Brussels-based International Crisis Group
. Common methods of torture allegedly used by the Army, many of which occurred at the Ingkhayutthabariharn Reconciliation Promotion Center, included severe beatings, suffocation with plastic bags
, electric shocks, forced nudity, exposure to extreme cold or heat, needles inserted into open wounds, and holding detainees' family members hostage – including, in one case, a 6-year-old boy.
Abhisit personally denied the torture allegations and questioned the accuracy of Amnesty International's claims.
The army repeatedly denied the allegations. "We have never committed torture," said regional commander Lieut. General Udomchai Thamsarorat.
Human Rights Watch
criticized the government for failing to curb torture and abuses by security forces in the South. It noted that no member of the security forces had ever been prosecuted for human rights abuses in the region. It found that insurgents used these state-sponsored abuses and to recruit new insurgents and justify their campaign of violence.
In 2010, Privy councilor
Air Chief Marshal Kamthon Sindhavananda said the Abhisit government had been slow to respond to perceived threats against the monarchy. In response, Abhisit said protecting the monarchy was the government's top priority, and pledged to "improve mechanisms to safeguard the royal institution."
During Abhisit's tenure, the arrest of Prachatai
editor Chiranuch Premchaiporn also became a cause celebre
. Chiranuch was charged under the Computer Crimes Act for not quickly deleting online comments posted to her news Web site that were allegedly insulting to the monarchy. Chiranuch faced up to 50 years in prison on the initial charges. She was arrested again on separate charges after attending "Internet at Liberty 2010," an international conference on media freedom. Amnesty International
, the Committee to Protect Journalists
, and Reporters Without Borders
all criticized the arrest.
Abhisit has also denied the legitimacy of Thaksin’s leadership of the UDD and has refused to deal directly with Thaksin. Abhisit argued that Thaksin’s wealth and corrupt background were at odds with the UDD’s largely agrarian and working-class membership and ideologies, and that this hypocrisy undermined the red shirts’ demands for fairer politics led by a less elite government.
In the days before the verdict of the Supreme Court's seizure of Thaksin's assets was announced, Abhisit announced that he would possibly forgive Thaksin if Thaksin showed remorse.
On 11 November 2009, Sivarak Chutipong was arrested by Cambodian police for passing the confidential flight plans of Thaksin and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to Kamrob Palawatwichai, First Secretary of the Royal Thai Embassy in Cambodia. Sivarak was sentenced to seven years in jail, but later pardoned after Thaksin made a personal appeal on his behalf to the Cambodian government. Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban later accused Sivarak of staging his own arrest in order to discredit the Abhisit government.
to tour the newly flooded city. Abhisit initially assigned flood management primary responsibility to former Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, although Suthep later resigned to take part in a by-election campaign. Then on 24 October, Abhisit appointed PM's Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey and advisor Apirak Kosayothin to lead a committee to deal with the floods. Rice farmers in flooded areas were offered hand-outs of up to 55% of their production cost. Starting 2 November, the government handed out 5,000 baht in cash to some 632,000 households. Recipients had to live in a house that flooded for more than 7 days. Further housing, education and public health assistance was expected to be implemented in 3 months, with expedited assistance for districts where the flooding had ceased. The Stock Exchange of Thailand was unaffected, but prices of rice and rubber saw their largest gains in two decades.
to discuss the floods.
in October 2010 to strengthen the relationship between the two countries. Abhisit met with Senior-General Than Shwe
to promote cordial ties and bilateral development between the neighboring countries. The meeting covered subjects on rule of law, stability and development in the two countries' border areas, economy and technology cooperation, boosting bilateral trade and investment, promoting tourism sector and building a deep-sea port in Dawei, Myanmar workers in Thailand and internal affairs of both countries.
Traders said that adding new border trade zones since 2009 has encouraged cross-border trade and maintain border stability. The opening of new borders will lower illegal trade and boost tourism.
In addition, Abhisit hopes that the Myawaddy-Mae Sot will reopen soon after the Myanmar had closed the checkpoint due to internal security problems.
After a bilateral meeting between Abhisit and Prime Minister Thein Sein, the two premiers agreed to jointly develop a deep-sea port at Dawei, Myanmar's Andaman Sea coast. Abhisit said the port will be linked to a new economic zone in the region.
Experts said the port will remove trade barriers and significantly shorten the distance that ships from Europe, the Middle East and Africa have to travel to reach China, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. Ships now travel up to an additional 2,316 kilometers in the region because they have to pass through Singapore.
The agreement signed during Abhisit’s visit to Myanmar also includes the construction of 100 miles (approximately 160 kilometers) of road and rail between Kanchanaburi province in Thailand and the Dawei port in Myanmar.
Italian-Thai Development Pcl Ltd is expected to sign a contract to construct the port with the Myanmar Port Authority by the end of November. The construction is estimated to cost 400 billion baht (approximately $13 billion), which includes a railway, roads, industrial estates, a refinery and a steel mill.
Thailand and China have agreed to proceed with rail connections that will connect the two countries through neighboring Laos. The plan also calls for high-speed routes connecting Nong Khai to Bangkok and then eastwards to the industrially driven Thai Eastern Seaboard, with a third line linking the capital to the country's southern region near the Malaysian border at Padang Basar. The planned links aim to enhance rising trade flows sparked by the new China-Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) free-trade agreement and facilitate with modern infrastructure the region’s move towards a common ASEAN market.
On China's part, it will build a standard railway from Kunming to Vientiane, covering a distance of 420 km. This line will then link with Thailand across the mekong River to Nong Khai before continuing to Bangkok and Rayong. China says it is willing to provide support in manpower, training and technology transfer to the State Railway of Thailand.
China has said it would promote Thailand as a tourist destination among Chinese. It will as well consider buying more rice from Thailand, while adding the rail link development will provide convenience of people in the region to travel and enhance a better logistics and transport system.
On 8 July 2008, the UN World Heritage Committee
added Prasat
Preah Vihear to the World Heritage Site
list. The People's Alliance for Democracy claimed that this gave Cambodia de facto sovereignty over the disputed temple, and used this claim to launch large nationalist protests against the government of Somchai Wongsawat.
After Abhisit rose to power, he appointed Kasit Piromya as Foreign Minister. Prior to his appointment, the former diplomat led the PAD's anti-Cambodia protests. During the PAD's siege and occupation of Suvarnabhumi Airport, Kasit reportedly said "I will use Hun Sen‘s blood to wash my feet," recalling the historic incident where King Naresuan
of Siam did the same to King Lovek
of Cambodia. In a 2008 television interview, he called Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen
"crazy", a "slave", and a "nak leng" (commonly translated as "gangster"). After his appointment, he later wrote to Hun Sen, saying it was all a misunderstanding, and that "nak leng" actually meant "a person who is lionhearted, a courageous and magnanimous gentleman."
In April 2009, large-scale fighting erupted between Thai and Cambodian troops near Preah Vihear. At least two Thai soldiers and two Cambodian soldiers were killed. The Cambodian government claimed its army had killed at least four Thai soldiers and captured 10 more, but the Thai government denied that any Thai soldiers were killed or injured. Both armies blamed the other for firing first and denied entering the other's territory.
Fighting escalated in early February 2011, when Thai forces allegedly used banned cluster munitions against Cambodian villages. Three Thais and eight Cambodians were killed and dozens of people wounded in the bloodiest border fighting in nearly two decades. As part of a ASEAN-brokered ceasefire deal, Thailand and Cambodia agreed on 22 February to allow unarmed military observers from Indonesia to be posted along their border. The Thai government later reneged on the agreement, refusing to allow foreigners into border areas. "There's a [bilateral] mechanism in place, so there's no need to run crying to ASEAN or the international community," Foreign Minister Kasit proclaimed.
Fighting further escalated in 22 April 2011, leaving at least five dead near Ta Moan and Ta Krabey temples, about 150 kilometers southwest of Preah Vihear. Both sides claimed the other side fired first. Cambodia accused the Thai military of again firing cluster munitions into villages, this time up to 20 kilometers inside the Cambodian border. Cambodia also accused the Thais of using chemical weapons. The accusations were rejected by the Thai military. Cambodian Defence Ministry spokesman Chhum Socheat claimed that Thai artillery landed more than 20 kilometers inside Cambodian territory. Over 25,000 Thais and over 23,000 Cambodians were evacuated. Fighting continued and by 26 April had expanded into the area around Preah Vihear temple. Army Chief Prayuth Chan-ocha revealed that Cabinet discussions were underway on whether to declare war with Cambodia. Plans for ministerial-level talks on 27 April were cancelled by Thailand on the evening of the 26th.
On 25 June, Thailand withdrew from the World Heritage Convention. Suwit Khunkitti, head of the Thai delegation to UNESCO
, claimed that following the withdrawal, the World Heritage Committee could no longer force Thailand to compile to its decisions. The withdrawal occurred after five days of negotiations between Thailand, Cambodia, and the World Heritage Committee, during which the Thai delegation staged a walkout. After the walkout, the Committee reaffirmed the need to ensure the protection and conservation of the temple site from any damage and further encouraged Thailand and Cambodia to use the Convention as a tool to support conservation, sustainable development and dialogue. Thailand's withdrawal occurred immediately afterwards.
In November 2009, Cambodia announced that Thaksin Shinawatra had been appointed a special advisor to the Cambodian government and to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Thaksin had been residing in exile in Dubai
, and continued to live there after the appointment. On 5 November 2009, Abhisit recalled Thailand's ambassador from Cambodia in protest. Abhisit said Cambodia was interfering in Thailand's internal affairs and as a result all bi-lateral co-operation agreements would be reviewed. In retaliation, Cambodia announced it was withdrawing its ambassador from Thailand. Sok An
, a member of the Council of Ministers
and Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia, said Thaksin's appointment is a decision internal to Cambodia. "We are looking forward to learning from Thaksin's great economic experience and we are convinced that his experience will contribute to our country's economic development," said a Cambodia government spokesman. The mutual withdrawal of ambassadors was the most severe diplomatic action to have occurred between the two countries since the Franco-Thai war of 1940–41 during which Thailand regained Preah Vihear.
The increase in tensions between Cambodia and Thailand caused Abhisit's popularity to skyrocket, with support tripling according to one poll after diplomatic ties were downgraded. However, his rise in popularity was short-lived, and soon fell dramatically. When the crisis flared up again in February 2011, The People's Alliance for Democracy demanded for Abhisit to step down.
In August 2010, Thaksin resigned as an economic advisor to the Cambodian government. Abhisit normalized relations with Cambodia. Both countries sent back their ambassadors.
In February border clashes with Cambodian security forces, the Thai army was accused by the Cluster Munition Coalition
of firing cluster munitions into a Cambodian village. According to the Coalition, this was the first confirmed use of cluster munitions anywhere in the world since the Convention on Cluster Munitions
banning the weapons became international law. The government later admitted to using Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munition
(DPICM), but denied that they were actually cluster munitions. However, the CMC claimed that DPICMs were a classic example of cluster munitions under the Convention. Abhisit's government repeatedly denied that the military had cluster munitions in its arsenals, although it admitted that it had weapons with similar features to cluster munitions. Abhisit's spokesman claimed that the Thai government had the right to categorise weapons differently from militaries in other countries. The CMC's investigation found that a Thai cluster bomb had killed two Cambodian policemen during the February clashes and warned that thousands of people remained at risk from unexploded bomblets in several villages along the border.
The governments of Norway
and the UK condemned the Thai government for its use of cluster munitions. "We condemn in the strongest terms the use of cluster munitions that causes unacceptable harm to the civilian population," said the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office
in a statement. "These weapons kill and maim civilians and have unacceptable humanitarian consequences long after they are used," said Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre
.
met on 10 July 2009, to discuss how to address the global economic crisis. Abhisit arrived in Hanoi
for a one-day visit with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyễn Tấn Dũng. The two reviewed an honor guard before heading for an hour-and-half talks behind closed doors. "Your visit will contribute to expanding and deepening the friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam
and Thailand," Dung told his guest during the five-minute photo opportunity.
In a regular press conference on 9 July, Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Dung told reporters that the two prime ministers were expected to discuss how each is dealing with the financial crisis, discuss the rice trade, tourism, transport links and protection of the Mekong
River. Thailand is the world's leading exporter of the grain while Vietnam is ranked second. Thailand and Vietnam are important trading partners, and their bilateral trade reached $6.5 billion in 2008. Thailand also ranked ninth among foreign investors in Vietnam, having poured nearly $6 billion into the country. Vietnam, which has recorded average economic growth of 7 percent over the past decade, saw its economy expand only 3.9 percent in the first half of 2009.
in apprehending the suspect. The DSI also claimed that it had no evidence that the "blue diamond" ever existed in the first place. The blue diamond was at the center of the gems theft case that is presumed to have caused the murders.
In August 2010, Abhisit promoted Lieutenant-General Somkid Boonthanom from chief of the Chiang Mai region to assistant national police chief. Somkid had earlier been indicted for the murder of Mohammad al-Ruwaili, a Saudi assigned to investigate the blue diamond theft. The Saudi embassy said in a statement:
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said he would send a letter to the Saudis which would clarify the matter. Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya met Saudi chargé d'affaires Nabil Ashri and announced he had explained everything and no letter was necessary. Abhisit then said the Foreign Ministry would provide a written explanation that but that the letter had to be painstakingly translated to prevent any misinterpretation. However, Abhisit then met with the chargé d'affaires Ashri and gave an interview to the press calling the Saudis misinformed. In an official statement, the Saudi's blasted Abhisit's rhetoric:
Somkid then announced that he would not accept Abhisit's promotion. Suthep praised Somkid for his sacrifice and said that “His decision will make it easy to solve the problem between Thailand and Saudi Arabia.”
and from March to May 2010
– ultimately escalating into violent clashes between protestors and the military that left 91 people dead and more than 2,000 injured.
On 12 April, protesters surrounded Abhisit's limousine at the Interior Ministry in Bangkok and hurling objects at his windows. Abhisit made it out safely while one of his deputies was wounded by the protesters. Government spokesman Panitan Wattanayakorn said that Abhisit's inner circle viewed the attack as a well-coordinated assassination attempt, claiming that security footage of the incident showed men with masks and guns were positioned on the perimeter of the attack, apparently waiting for protesters to break through the car's bulletproof windows.
In the pre-dawn of Monday 13 April, Army soldiers cleared protesters blocking the main roads from the Din Daeng
intersection near Victory Monument in central Bangkok. At least 70 people were injured.
The same day, the government ordered the blocking of D Station, satellite news station that was broadcasting the clashes, claiming that the station was calling for protesters to gather in Bangkok. Several community radio stations were shut down and searched upon suspicion of supporting the UDD. Violent clashes at numerous locations in Bangkok continued while arrest warrants were issued for Thaksin and 13 protest leaders. Some protest leaders voluntarily gave themselves in to police on 14 April 2009. Afterward, the Thai government revoked Thaksin's ordinary passport.
According to government figures, more than 120 people were injured in the unrest, most of them UDD demonstrators although some military personnel, pro-government supporters, and members of the general public were also injured. At least one UDD protester died from gunshot wounds sustained during the military's attack in Din Daeng, although the Army claimed the wound was not caused by their standard firearm. The UDD later claimed that at least six demonstrators were killed in the unrest and their bodies hauled away by the military; however, they had no evidence for their claim. The dead bodies of two UDD protesters were found floating in the Chao Phraya river
, their hands tied behind their backs and their bodies badly beaten, although police had yet to conclude whether their murders were politically motivated. Abhisit aide Satit Wongnontaey claimed that two government supporters were shot dead by red shirted protesters in clashes in Din Daeng, although he had no evidence for his claim. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration estimated that it had incurred 10 million Baht (approximately 300,000 USD) in property damages, including 31 damaged and burned buses. Standard & Poor's lowered Thailand's local currency rating to "A-" from "A", although Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij claimed this would increase the government's borrowing cost minimally.
In February, the UDD announced plans to hold protests calling for elections. In early February, Abhisit established 38 security centers with over 20,000 security personnel in the North and Northeast to prevent the protests. Abhisit also escalated efforts to monitor and censor community radio stations, which were often used by rural residents to voice their discontent and by activists to organize protests.
On 7 February 2010, Abhisit's spokesperson compared UDD leaders to "dogs" and vowed to use the National Telecommunications Commission to crack down on red shirt community radio stations. He noted that if the current law for the NTC cannot enforce the crackdown, the government would try to pass a special law that would make such a crackdown. The NTC acting Secretary-General was also a member of the government-appointed Situation Monitoring Committee in the run up to Thaksin's February court verdict. The government claimed to foreign diplomats and foreign chambers of commerce that the UDD would "spark violence" and "intensify its agitation and step up protests in Bangkok and around the country in order to disrupt the work of the government and the judiciary." The UDD announced that it would rally against the government on 14 March.
Abhisit informed the Democrat Party-led Bangkok Metropolitan Administration that he had intelligence of planned bomb attacks in at least two locations and grenade attacks in 30–40 locations in Bangkok. When questioned about the matter, Army spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the Army had no such intelligence.
On 9 March, Abhisit imposed the Internal Security Act from 11–23 March and relocated his Cabinet to an Army base. A 50,000-strong security force was deployed on Bangkok.
The 14 March protests were the largest in Thai history, and were peaceful. However, Thailand's free-to-air TV channels, all controlled by the government or military, claimed that there were only 25,000 protesters. The protesters remained at the Rajadamnoen protest site and later started a satellite site at Rajaprasong intersection. There were dozens of bombings in Bangkok over the weeks, far from the protest areas, with nobody claiming responsibility and no arrests made. A Porsche was rammed into protester motorcycles at Rajprasong intersection, injuring several. In a separate incident, a woman rammed her car into a crowd of protesters, but drove away before she could be arrested.
Negotiations between the protesters and the government failed to result in an election date. Abhisit declared a state of emergency on the evening of 8 April.
On 10 April, government troops unsuccessfully tried to take back control of Phan Fah Bridge near Rajadamnoen, killing 24 protesters, including one Japanese journalist. More than 800 people were injured. The military noted that uniformed soldiers died from cerebral edema
(a swelling of the brain) after being hit on the head by a rock.
On 16 April, security forces raided a hotel attempting to arrest protest leaders who Suthep Thaugsuban called "terrorists." The protest leaders escaped before they could be captured. That same day, Abhisit relieved Suthep from his security responsibilities and replaced him with the Commander of the Royal Thai Army General Anupong Paochinda
. Tensions continued to grow, as pro-government rallies started to appear alongside the anti-government ones. On 22 April, a series of explosions in Bangkok killed at least one person and injured more than 85 others, including four foreigners. At least some of the explosions were caused by grenades, which the government claimed were fired from the Red Shirt encampment.
The main protest area at Ratchaprasong intersection was surrounded with armoured vehicles and snipers in early May. The protest site was declared a "live-fire zones" and troops were ordered to shoot to kill
. From 13 to 18 May, 41 civilians were killed, including one Italian journalist, and over 2,100 were injured. One military death occurred due to accidental friendly fire. Abhisit claimed that all civilians killed were either armed terrorists or civilians shot by terrorists, and noted that some civilians were shot by terrorists disguised in Army uniforms. Protest leaders handed themselves in to police and were jailed without bail. Red Shirt media was censored and dozens of prominent Red Shirts were arrested for lese majeste.
Official government investigations into the crackdowns exonerated the military and blamed the protesters and "Black Shirts" for the killings. Not a single Black Shirt was identified or charged.
documenting the government's views on the unrest. At the time, the government's emergency and censorship decrees were still in place.
Abhisit was accused of applying disparate standards in the treatment of UDD and PAD protestors. For instance, the government was quick to issue warrants for UDD members after the outbreak of violence, even though they had yet to issue warrants for PAD protestors involved in the airport seizures that took place months earlier. In an interview with the Financial Times
, Abhisit said "I can understand [the UDD] feeling the cases against PAD have been slow. The problem is that PAD action didn't take place during my administration and the process that began to investigate." When the interviewer noted that the airport sieges ended just two weeks before Abhisit came to power, he claimed that "I have summoned the police chief and expressed my concern that the case is ruling slowly and they have made some progress."
Abhisit was Democrat Party leader during the PAD protests. After Samak Sundaravej
was replaced by Somchai Wongsawat
, the People’s Alliance for Democracy refused to stop their protests, claiming that Somchai was a proxy for Thaksin Shinawatra.
After he was named Prime Minister, Abhisit proposed five-point roadmap to national reconciliation.
When Abhisit was voted by House of Parliament 235 to 198 after Somchai Wongsawat
was relieved from premiership for buying votes. Abhisit said his priority was the people, focusing mainly on the interests of the people and lower class citizens through the “People’s Agenda
” policy platform, and saying the government must be “honest and truly democratic government” without any conflict of interest.
Leading to PAD’s development of new political party “Thien Hang Dhama” which is later changed to “New Political Party” to drive their new “ideology” overlapping each other's political base. Claiming that Democrat party only protects their own interest and ineffectively solving the country’s problem.
were expected to be a shoo-in for the government-member Bhum Jai Thai Party due to its control over the powerful Ministry of Interior. However, Bhum Jai Thai was roundly defeated by the Thaksin-affiliated Puea Thai Party.
Elections were held for Councillors and District Councillors in August 2010 for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, a jurisdiction where the Democrat Party traditionally dominated. The Democrat Party won receiving 45 seats for Bangkok Metropolitan Councillors, followed by Puea Thai Party with 15 Seats, and Independent Party with 1 seat. For District Councillors, Democrat Party won 210 seats, followed by Puea Thai Party with 39 Seats and Independent Party with 7 seats.
to King Bhumibol to dissolve Parliament. Election for the House of Representatives
was set for 3 July. Election-related violence began immediately after the election date was set. Pracha Prasopdee, ex-MP for Samut Prakan Province
who had won all five of the previous elections, was shot in the back on the night of 10 May. Bail was immediately revoked for opposition
leaders Jatuporn Prompan
and Nisit Sinthuprai for allegedly violating national security and insulting King Bhumibol after they were released from jail. The opposition leaders were originally jailed for months as part of the 2010 Thai military crackdown
on protesters and had been released on bail. They lost their parliamentary immunity
after Parliament was dissolved.
Abhisit unveiled a slate of candidates highlighted by 30 celebrities and heirs of political families, including Chitpas Bhirombhakdi, heiress of the Singha Beer fortune and former staff member of Abhisit's secretariat office. Abhisit promised to increase the minimum wage
by 25% if the Democrat Party won the election.
Nearly all polls conducted in the months prior to the election showed that the Democrat Party would gain fewer parliamentary seats than the Pheu Thai Party, and even Democrat Party Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij admitted that, "we're doing terribly in the polls" and that, "it was obvious from the beginning" that they would not win a majority. Newin Chidchob, de-facto leader of coalition partner Bhum Jai Thai Party, predicted that the Democrat Party would win only 160 out of 500 seats. Abhisit dismissed the polls, and days before the election exuded confidence that the Democrat Party would certainly win the election and form the next government. He promised to "evaluate his own performance" if the Democrat Party won fewer than 170 seats.
In his last campaign rally, Abhisit claimed that the Democrat Party was the only way that Thais would live, "under the same sky" and that a victory for Puea Thai would result in "mob rule." Abhisit positioned the election as a referendum on Thaksin. "If you want the country get rid of the poison that is Thaksin, then you should vote for us and vote for us to get more than 250 seats!”
The Democrats were defeated in the elections, winning only 159 seats compared to the 265 seats won by the Pheu Thai Party led by political novice Yingluck Shinawatra
. Abhisit conceded the defeat and, on 4 July, resigned as the leader of the Democrat Party. However, on 6 August, he was re-elected as the leader of the Democrat Party with the support of 96% of those eligible to vote at the party's assembly - some 330 people including local branch leaders and MPs. Abhisit insisted that when he announced his resignation he had no plans to return to the party leadership, but pressure and support from within the party convinced him otherwise. He has also said he wants to "expand the party" and hopes to win 88 more seats at the next election.
Abhisit's Social Development and Human Security Minister also resigned due to a corruption scandal. In addition, Apirak Kosayodhin, the Democrat Party Governor of Bangkok, were indicted by the National Counter Corruption Commission on 11 November 2008 for corruption in the purchase of 6.6 billion baht in fire-fighting equipment. Apirak resigned from his office on 13 November.
Flood victims in Phatthalung
province became nauseous after eating canned fish products which were donated through the Social Development and Human Security Ministry. Opposition party spokesman, Prompong Nopparit accused Democrat Minister Vitoon Nambutr of corruption in the procurement of the fish. Democrat Minister Vitoon Nambutr insisted there was no irregularities and that the ministry did not procure them for distribution. However, he later resigned to take responsibility for this situation.
Abhisit's government came under accusations that the 26 billion baht Sufficiency Economy Community project was tainted with corruption. Abhisit replied to the accusations by suggesting that the "alleged malpractice might have originated during the period when the office was in charge of managing small, medium, and large (SML) enterprises…. The SML project was created by the Thaksin Shinawatra government."
Democrat MPs saw their personal net worth increase by 4.3 billion baht while Abhisit was Prime Minister. Democrat financier Kalaya Sophonphanit's personal wealth increased by 422 million baht, while the wealth of MPs Wilat Chanpitak and Chalermlak Kebsap increased by 303 and 302 million baht respectively. 10 out of 10 MPs whose wealth increased the most during Abhisit's premiership were all Democrat MPs.
(which was under rehabilitation under the Financial Institutions Development Fund) as well as advertising shell companies Messiah Business and Creation. In the lead-up to the 2005 general election, while Abhisit was Deputy Party Leader, TPI Polene allegedly transferred the funds to Messiah Business and Creation, which then transferred the funds to senior Democrat Party leaders and their relatives in batches of less than 2 million baht each to over 70 separate bank accounts (2 million baht is the maximum that banks can transfer without reporting to the Anti-Money Laundering
Office). The opposition claimed that the Democrats never reported the donation, which was far in excess to legal limits, to the Election Commission. Abhisit denied the allegations, claiming that his party's accounts had been checked by auditors. Other Democrat Party leaders claimed that "the alleged donation never took place" and that the "party never obtained it." Receiving and using an unlawful donation could result in the dissolution of the Democrat Party and the banning of its executives from political office for violating the Political Party Act.
The Opposition raised the issue in a debate of no-confidence, and accused Abhisit of approving false account reports for 2004 and 2005 to the EC and filing false information. The government won the vote, despite the Bangkok Post
calling the evidence against the Democrats "overwhelming" and even the pro-Democrat Nation called the Opposition's presentation "clear-cut." However, the scandal was subsequently investigated by the Department of Special Investigation. The DSI prepared a 7,000 page report which it submitted to the Election Commission in early 2010. The EC claimed that the DSI report contained many holes.
investigations revealed that up to 1,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar
had been captured by the Thai Navy, beaten, then towed out to sea without engines or navigational aids and with little food and water. Abhisit's initial response was to claim that the media reports were "exaggerated" and that the refugees would "sail on boats without engines or sink their ships so that authorities help them to get onshore." Army Commander Anupong Paojinda denied the reports of abuse.
On 20 January, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) requested that the Thai government provide them access to the 126 surviving boat people in their custody. Abhisit said he was "glad to work with international organisations" but that such organizations would have to work on a cooperative basis with proper Thai government procedures. The military said it had "no clear information" about refugees in its custody.
Further media investigations revealed that refugees had very recently been cleared from a detention center but were nowhere to be found. A Thai Navy officer
was interviewed, saying that "We have to take the engines off the boats or they will come back. The wind will carry them to India or somewhere." Abhisit then promised a thorough military-led investigation. The investigation was led by the Internal Security Operations Command
(ISOC), the same unit in charge of refugee arrivals.
The ISOC investigation cleared all the government officials involved. Consequently, ISOC continued to be in charge of refugee arrivals.
Abhisit's deputy, Suthep Thaugsuban
, suggested the entire situation was cooked up to besmirch Thailand's image. Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said that the CNN reports were incorrect and called for people not to "believe what the world says about Rohingya."
UNHCR goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie
criticised the Thai government of ignoring the plight of Rohinyas and suggested that Thai government should take better care of the Burmese ethnics. The Foreign Ministry reprimanded the UNHCR, noting that the UNHCR had "no mandate" and saying that the matter should not be mentioned by it and its "guests." Abhisit was criticized by both Thai and international commentators for defending the military at the expense of protecting the human rights of the refugees. "We are not going to see the Abhisit government going after the military because it was instrumental in his assumption of office," said political scientist Thitinan Pongsudhirak.
than his popular predecessor Thaksin Shinawatra.
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
politician who was the 27th Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Thailand
The Prime Minister of Thailand is the head of government of Thailand. The Prime Minister is also the chairman of the Cabinet of Thailand. The post has existed since the Revolution of 1932, when the country became a constitutional monarchy....
of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
from 2008 to 2011 and is the current leader of the Democrat Party
Democrat Party (Thailand)
The Democrat Party is Thailand's oldest political party and was the main coalition government party of the 23rd House of Representatives of Thailand. The Democrat Party's current leader is Abhisit Vejjajiva, incumbent opposition leader and former Prime Minister. The party upholds a conservative...
. As leader of the second largest party in the House of Representatives
House of Representatives of Thailand
The House of Representatives of the Kingdom of Thailand is the lower house of the National Assembly of Thailand, the legislative branch of the Thai Government. The system of government of Thailand is that of a Constitutional Monarchy and a Parliamentary Democracy. The system of the Thai...
, he is also Leader of the Opposition - a position he last held in December 2008.
Born in England, Abhisit attended Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and earned bachelors and masters degrees from the University of Oxford. He was elected to the Parliament of Thailand
National Assembly of Thailand
The National Assembly of Thailand or the Parliament of Thailand is the legislative branch of the government of Thailand. The National Assembly of Thailand is a bicameral body, consisting of two chambers: the upper house, , and the lower house,...
at age 27, and promoted to Democrat Party leader in 2005, after his predecessor resigned following the party's defeat in the 2005 general election.
Abhisit was appointed Prime Minister of Thailand on 17 December 2008, after the Constitutional Court of Thailand
Constitutional Court of Thailand
The Constitutional Court of Thailand is an independent Thai court originally established under the 1997 Constitution with jurisdiction over the constitutionality of parliamentary acts, royal decrees, draft legislation, as well as the appointment and removal of public officials and issues regarding...
removed Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat
Somchai Wongsawat
Somchai Wongsawat is a Thai politician, as well as former executive member of the People's Power Party whose political rights have been disfranchised by the Constitutional Court for five years....
from office. At age 44, he was the country's youngest prime minister in more than 60 years.
Abhisit became Premier at a time of global economic turmoil and rising domestic political tensions. As prime minister, he promoted a "People’s Agenda
People’s Agenda
People’s Agenda or commonly known in Thailand as “วาระ ประชาชน” .Is a policy under the Democrat party to direct the national development to a new direction with the idea of “policy for the people by the people” which marks the idea that “People must come first”...
," which focused primarily on policies affecting the living conditions of Thailand's rural and working class citizens. He administered two economic stimulus packages: a $40 billion, three-year infrastructure improvement plan, and a more than $3 billion program of cash subsidies and handouts. By 2010, the stock market
Stock Exchange of Thailand
The Stock Exchange of Thailand is the national stock exchange of Thailand. It is located in Bangkok. As of 31 December 2007, the Stock Exchange of Thailand had 541 listed companies with a combined market capitalization of $280 billion. The indices of the stock exchange are SET Index, SET50 Index...
and the value of the baht had rebounded to their highest levels since the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. Abhisit censored thousands of Web sites, shut down hundreds of radio stations, and arrested and silenced many media figures and opposition and labor leaders, claiming that they insulted King Bhumibol
Lèse majesté
Lese-majesty is the crime of violating majesty, an offence against the dignity of a reigning sovereign or against a state.This behavior was first classified as a criminal offence against the dignity of the Roman republic in Ancient Rome...
. Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
called Abhisit "the most prolific censor in recent Thai history" and Freedom House
Freedom House
Freedom House is an international non-governmental organization based in Washington, D.C. that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom and human rights...
downgraded Thailand's rating of media freedom to "not free."
Abhisit also advocated for stronger anti-corruption measures, although several members of his Cabinet resigned due to corruption scandals and parts of his economic stimulus packages were criticized for instances of alleged corruption.
Abhisit's government faced major protests in April 2009
April 2009 Thai political unrest
A series of political demonstrations and following unrest occurred in Thailand from 26 March to 14 April 2009 in Bangkok and Pattaya against the government of Abhisit Vejjajiva and the military crackdown that followed...
and April–May 2010
2010 Thai political protests
A prolonged series of political protests occurred in Bangkok, Thailand in 2010 from March to May against the Democrat Party-led government. The protests were organized by the National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship...
. The military's crackdowns
2010 Thai military crackdown
On 10 April and 13–19 May 2010, the Thai military cracked down on the National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship protests in central Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. The crackdown was the culmination of months of protests that called for the Democrat Party-led government of Abhisit...
on protesters left hundreds dead. Abhisit launched a reconciliation plan to investigate the crackdown, but the work of the investigation commission was hampered by military and government agencies. The Thai Army clashed with Cambodian troops numerous times from 2009 to 2010 in the bloodiest fighting in over 2 decades. The South Thailand insurgency escalated during Abhisit's government, and reports of torture and human rights violations increased.
Having resigned the party leadership after the defeat the Democrats suffered in the parliamentary elections of 2011, Abhisit was re-elected as leader at a party assembly.
Early life and family
Mark Abhisit Vejjajiva was born in WallsendWallsend
Wallsend is an area in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. Wallsend derives its name as the location of the end of Hadrian's Wall. It has a population of 42,842.-Romans:...
, Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, England, attended Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
(where he was known as "Veggie" amongst his peers), and earned a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in philosophy, politics and economics (PPE), first class honors, and a master's degree in economics from St John's College, Oxford
St John's College, Oxford
__FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...
. He also received a bachelor's degree in law from Thailand's Ramkhamhaeng University
Ramkhamhaeng University
Ramkhamhaeng University is one of two open universities in Thailand. The university was named in honor of King Ramkhamhaeng the Great of Sukhothai, who traditionally is credited for creating the Thai alphabet....
, and taught at Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy
Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy
Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy or CRMA is the military academy of Royal Thai Army. Established in 1887 it has graduated the vast majority of Thailand's military leaders and many of them become Thai Prime Ministers.-History:...
and Thammasat University
Thammasat University
Thammasat University , or in brief TU , is Thailand's second oldest university. Officially established on 27 June 1934, the university was originally named by founder Pridi Banomyong, University of Moral Science and Politics , reflecting the political fervor of the time...
Faculty of Economics. He is fluent in both his mother tongue and the English language, and has dual Thai and British
British nationality law
British nationality law is the law of the United Kingdom that concerns citizenship and other categories of British nationality. The law is complex because of the United Kingdom's former status as an imperial power.-History:...
citizenship.
His dual citizenship became a topic for the Thai parliamentary debates in early 2011. He is ethnically Han Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
of Hokkien
Hokkien
Hokkien is a Hokkien word corresponding to Standard Chinese "Fujian". It may refer to:* Hokkien dialect, a dialect of Min Nan Chinese spoken in Southern Fujian , Taiwan, South-east Asia, and elsewhere....
origin.
Abhisit was preceded in public service by his father, Athasit (อรรถสิทธิ์) Vejjajiva, a former president
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of Mahidol University
Mahidol University
Mahidol University is a public research university in Bangkok, Thailand. Established back in 1888 as School of Medical Practitioners, Siriraj Hospital and reorganized in 1943 as University of Medical Sciences . The university originally focused on Health Sciences but also expanded to other...
and the Royal Institute of Thailand and who is now director of Charoen Pokphand Foods
Charoen Pokphand Foods
Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited is Thailand's largest agribusiness firm. It is a publicly traded subsidiary of the Charoen Pokphand Group....
, Thailand's largest agribusiness firm and part of the Charoen Pokphand Group, known throughout Thailand as CP.
Abhisit is married to Pimpen Sakuntabhai, his classmate at the Chulalongkorn University Demonstration elementary school, who was a former dentist and is now a lecturer at the Department of Mathematics at Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
. They have two children: Prang Vejjajiva (daughter) and Pannasit Vejjajiva (son). Abhisit has two sisters: child psychiatrist Alisa Wacharasindhu and author Ngarmpun Vejjajiva
Ngarmpun Vejjajiva
Ngarmpun Vejjajiva is a Thai novelist and translator. She was the recipient of the S.E.A. Write Award for Thailand in 2006 for her first novel, The Happiness of Kati. A wheelchair user, she has had cerebal palsy since birth and finds comfort in immersing herself in the imaginary world of reading...
.
Background
Abhisit's ancestors were HokkienHokkien
Hokkien is a Hokkien word corresponding to Standard Chinese "Fujian". It may refer to:* Hokkien dialect, a dialect of Min Nan Chinese spoken in Southern Fujian , Taiwan, South-east Asia, and elsewhere....
, surnamed Yuan
Yuan (surname)
Yuan is a Chinese surname ranked 37th in China by population. In Standard Chinese, the surname is transliterated "Yuán" or "Yüen2" . Regional variants include "Yeu" , "Ion" , "Yuen" , "Oan" , "Won" , and "Viên"...
(袁), who moved from Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
to Thailand. The family name Vejjajiva was granted by King Rama VI to Abhisit's great-grandfather Dr. Long (หลง), together with Long's father Nai Jinsang (นายจิ๊นแสง), grandfather Nai Pong (นายเป๋ง) and great-grandfather Nai Go (นายก่อ) while Dr. Long was serving as an Army Medical Department sub-lieutenant
The Vejjajiva family came to prominence when Dr. Long, then style
Style (manner of address)
A style of office, or honorific, is a legal, official, or recognized title. A style, by tradition or law, precedes a reference to a person who holds a post or political office, and is sometimes used to refer to the office itself. An honorific can also be awarded to an individual in a personal...
d Phra Bamrad Naradura, rose to public health minister
Ministry of Public Health (Thailand)
The Ministry of Public Health , is a Thai government body responsible for the oversight of Public Health in Thailand.-External links:* - Official Website in Thai* - Official Website in English...
, and founded the Bamrad Naradura hospital in Nonthaburi. The family name means "medical profession."
The National Peace Keeping Council
National Peace Keeping Council
The National Peace Keeping Council was a Thai military junta that overthrew the civilian elected government of Chatichai Choonhavan in 1991. It was led by Army Commander Suchinda Kraprayoon, Supreme Commander Sunthorn Kongsompong, Airforce Commander Kaset Rojananil and members of the 5th Class of...
seized power in a military coup in 1991 and appointed Abhisit's father Deputy Minister of Public Health.
Early political career
Entry into politics
Abhisit began his political career in the 1992 general elections that followed the coup, becoming a BangkokBangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
MP for the Democrat Party. He was re-elected to the same seat in the 1995 and 1996 general elections. In the elections of 2001
Thailand legislative election, 2001
General elections were held in Thailand on January 6, 2001. 500 seats in the House of Representatives were at stake...
and 2005
Thailand legislative election, 2005
General elections were held in Thailand on 6 February 2005. With a turnout of 60.7 percent, the Thai Rak Thai Party of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra won a landslide victory. Out of 500 seats in the House of Representatives, Thaksin's party won 374 seats, with its former coalition partner, the...
, he returned to parliament as a Party List
Party-list proportional representation
Party-list proportional representation systems are a family of voting systems emphasizing proportional representation in elections in which multiple candidates are elected...
MP for the Democrat Party. He has served as Democrat Party spokesman, Government spokesman, Deputy-Secretary to the Prime Minister for Political Affairs, Chairman of the House Education Affairs Committee, and Minister to the Prime Minister's Office.
Democrat Party leader
Abhisit was first nominated for the position of Democrat Party leader in 2003, following the resignation of then-party leader and former-Prime Minister Chuan LeekpaiChuan Leekpai
Chuan Leekpai was the Prime Minister of Thailand from September 20, 1992 to May 19, 1995 and again from November 9, 1997 to February 9, 2001. A third-generation Thai Chinese, Chuan was born in Trang province in a grass-roofed house. The walls of his family's house were woven from strips of...
. However, he lost the bid in a close election with seasoned politician Banyat Bantadtan. Two years later, Banyat led the Democrat Party to an overwhelming defeat in the 2005 general elections. Banyat resigned following the elections and Abhisit was named the new party leader.
2006 elections
In February 2006, then-Prime Minister Thaksin ShinawatraThaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
dissolved the House of Representatives and called for new elections in April. In response, Abhisit announced that the Democrats and other opposition parties would boycott the elections. They claimed the elections lacked legitimacy, and were an attempt by Thaksin to divert public attention from his tax free sales of the Shin Corporation
Shin Corporation
Shin Corporation is one of the largest conglomerates in Thailand.- History :It was founded in 1983 as Shinawatra Computer by Thaksin Shinawatra, former Prime Minister of Thailand, and took on its current name in 1999, by using the first four letters of his last name...
to Temasek Holdings
Temasek Holdings
Temasek Holdings is an investment company owned by the government of Singapore. With an international staff of 380 people, it manages a portfolio of about S$193 billion at end of March 2011, focused primarily in Asia...
.
Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai Party won an overwhelming majority in the virtually uncontested April 2006 election. However, the elections also left 38 seats vacant in the House of Representatives, because some Thai Rak Thai candidates were unable to garner the constitutionally required minimum of 20% of the vote to hold office. In the ensuing political crisis, Thaksin announced he would step down as Prime Minister, and the Constitutional Court ultimately invalidated the election results.
The Thai Rak Thai party charged the Democrats with bribing other small political parties into boycotting the April 2006 elections. An 11-member fact-finding panel headed by Deputy Attorney-General Chaikasem Nitisiri voted unanimously in June 2006 to recommend dissolving the Democrat Party, as well as Thai Rak Thai and three other parties, based on evidence that the Democrats bribed other opposition parties into boycotting the elections. In February 2007, candidates from the Progressive Democratic Party testified before the Constitution Tribunal that they were duped into registering for candidacy in the April elections. Three witnesses testified that Democrat leaders Thaworn Senniam
Thaworn Senniam
Thaworn Senneam was a Thai politician and the country's Deputy Interior Minister. He has also served as Deputy Secretary General of the Democrat Party. Thaworn previously worked as a legal advisor to Secretary General Maj. Gen. Sanan Kachornprasart...
, Wirat Kalayasiri, and Jua Ratchasi encouraged protesters to disrupt the registration of candidates during the by-elections after the April 2006 election. Prosecutors contended that the party tried to disqualify the election results and force continuous rounds of by-elections. The defense claimed that the witnesses were hired by the Thai Rak Thai party to discredit the Democrats. Ultimately, the Constitutional Court of Thailand
Constitutional Court of Thailand
The Constitutional Court of Thailand is an independent Thai court originally established under the 1997 Constitution with jurisdiction over the constitutionality of parliamentary acts, royal decrees, draft legislation, as well as the appointment and removal of public officials and issues regarding...
acquitted Abhisit and the Democrats of bribery, and instead banned Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai
Thai Rak Thai
The Thai Rak Thai Party was a Thai political party that was officially banned on May 30, 2007, by the Constitutional Court of Thailand due to violations of electoral laws during the 2006 legislative elections. From 2001 to 2006, it was the ruling party under Prime Minister and its founder Thaksin...
party for the same charges.
2006 military coup
On 19 September 2006, only weeks before the scheduled elections, the military seized power in the 2006 Thailand coup. Abhisit voiced his disapproval of the coup just hours before all political activities were banned:Abhisit and the Democrats supported the military junta's 2007 draft constitution
2007 Constitution of Thailand
A Permanent Constitution for the Kingdom of Thailand was drafted by a committee established by the military junta that abrogated the previous 1997 Constitution. On August 19, 2007, a referendum was held in which 59.3% of the voters voted in favor of the constitution...
on the grounds that rejecting it would give more power to the junta. Abhisit said the Democrat Party considered the new constitution similar to the 1997 Constitution
1997 Constitution of Thailand
For legal and historical context, see the Constitutions of Thailand articlethumb|275px|Bangkok's [[Democracy Monument, Bangkok|Democracy Monument]]: a representation of the 1932 Constitution sits on top of two golden offering bowls above a turret....
, but with improvements as well as faults. "If we wanted to please the Council for National Security we would reject the draft so it could pick a charter of its own choosing. If we reject the draft, it will be like handing out power to the Council. We have come up with this stand because we care about national interest and want democracy to be restored soon," he said. Abhisit said he would seek to amend the Constitution if he was named prime minister.
2007 elections
The Democrat Party remained in the opposition after the December 2007 parliamentary electionThai general election, 2007
The 2007 Thai general elections were held on 23 December. This was the first legislative election after the Council for National Security, a military junta, had overthrown Thailand's elected government and abrogated the constitution on September 19, 2006. The junta had canceled general elections...
. In a parliamentary vote to select a new prime minister on 28 January 2008, Samak Sundaravej
Samak Sundaravej
Samak Sundaravej was a Thai Chinese politician who briefly served as the Prime Minister of Thailand and Minister of Defense in 2008, as well as the leader of the People's Power Party in 2008.-Early life and family:...
of the People's Power Party
People's Power Party (Thailand)
The People's Power Party was a Thai political party founded on November 9, 1998 by Police Lieutenant Colonel Garn Tienkaew. The party leader was Somchai Wongsawat, the Party Secretary General was Surapong Suebwonglee, and the Party Spokesperson was Kuthep Saikrajarng...
defeated Abhisit by a vote of 310 to 163. On 9 September 2008, Mr. Samak was removed from the post by the Constitutional Court for receiving payment as the host of a TV cooking program.
In the crisis that followed, some Democrat Party members became leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy
People's Alliance for Democracy
The People's Alliance for Democracy also called the National Liberation Alliance - กลุ่มพันธมิตรกู้ชาติ, Thai Patriots Network or the Yellow Shirts - เสื้อเหลือง - was originally a coalition of protesters against Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand. Its leaders include...
, which organized a six-month-long demonstration and seized Government House, Don Muang Airport, and Suvarnabhumi Airport. Abhisit voiced displeasure at the sieges, but did not stop his deputies from their leadership of the PAD. The sieges ended after the Constitutional Court banned the People's Power Party. Army commander and co-leader of the 2006 coup, General Anupong Paochinda
Anupong Paochinda
General Anupong Paochinda is a former Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Army. He held the position from 2007 until his retirement on 30 September 2010....
, allegedly coerced several PPP MPs from the Friends of Newin Group to defect to the Democrat Party, allowing Abhisit to be elected Prime Minister.
Upon becoming Premiere, Abhisit promised to enforce the rule of law
Rule of law
The rule of law, sometimes called supremacy of law, is a legal maxim that says that governmental decisions should be made by applying known principles or laws with minimal discretion in their application...
and prosecute the 21 Peoples Alliance for Democracy leaders who were responsible for seizing Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi Airports. As of February 2010, arrest warrants still had not been issued for the airport seizures. On 24 February 2010, government prosecutors deferred a decision for the eighth time to decide whether to indict the nine leaders of the PAD over the 7-month long seizure of Government House. However, as the PAD leaders did not come testify voluntarily, the judge could not make the decision and the process was thereby delayed.
Rise to Premiership
When Thaksin called for new elections in April 2006, Abhisit said he was "prepared to become a prime minister who adheres to the principles of good governance and ethics, not authoritarianism." On 29 April Abhisit announced his candidacy for Prime Minister at the Democrat Party annual convention. He promised a "People’s AgendaPeople’s Agenda
People’s Agenda or commonly known in Thailand as “วาระ ประชาชน” .Is a policy under the Democrat party to direct the national development to a new direction with the idea of “policy for the people by the people” which marks the idea that “People must come first”...
," with education as the main focus. He used the campaign slogan "Putting People First." He also vowed not to privatize basic utilities such as water and electricity, and to nationalize state enterprises that Thaksin had privatized. Regarding core elements of the so-called "Thaksinomics", Abhisit promised "the benefits from certain populist policies, such as the 30-Baht healthcare scheme, the Village Fund and the SML (Small Medium Large) scheme, will not be revoked but instead improved." He later urged that Thaksin's popular 30-Baht health care scheme should be replaced with a system where access to medical services was totally free. Abhisit stated that all future Democrat MPs would have to declare their assets and any involvement in private companies. (By law, only members of the cabinet needed to declare their assets.)
Abhisit raised more than Bt200 million at the Democrat Party's 60th Anniversary dinner. He outlined several energy policies, including increasing dividend payments from state-owned oil company PTT
PTT
PTT may refer to:Chemistry and medicine:* Partial thromboplastin time, a performance indicator in medicine for coagulation status* Photothermal Therapy, A method of using light and photosensitizers for medical treatments...
and using the funds to repay Oil Fund debts, and having state-owned electric utility EGAT
Égat
Égat is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.-References:*...
absorb part of the rising fuel prices. Abhisit later outlined plans to reduce retail petrol prices by eliminating the 2.50 baht/litre tax used to maintain the government's Oil Fund.
On 13 July 2006, Abhisit promised to deal with escalating violence in the South
South Thailand insurgency
An ethnic separatist insurgency is taking place in Southern Thailand, predominantly in the Malay Pattani region, made up of the three southernmost provinces of Thailand. Violence has increasingly spilling over into other provinces...
by making the problems in the Southern provinces a public agenda.
Abhisit also promised many populist policies including providing free education, textbooks, milk, and supplemental foods for nursery school students and increasing the minimum wage.
Following the Constitutional Court of Thailand
Constitutional Court of Thailand
The Constitutional Court of Thailand is an independent Thai court originally established under the 1997 Constitution with jurisdiction over the constitutionality of parliamentary acts, royal decrees, draft legislation, as well as the appointment and removal of public officials and issues regarding...
's removal of prime minister Samak Sundaravej in 2008 for vested interests by taking a salary from a cooking show while in the seat of PM, Abhisit lost the National Assembly
National Assembly of Thailand
The National Assembly of Thailand or the Parliament of Thailand is the legislative branch of the government of Thailand. The National Assembly of Thailand is a bicameral body, consisting of two chambers: the upper house, , and the lower house,...
vote for Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Thailand
The Prime Minister of Thailand is the head of government of Thailand. The Prime Minister is also the chairman of the Cabinet of Thailand. The post has existed since the Revolution of 1932, when the country became a constitutional monarchy....
by 163 votes to 298 for Somchai Wongsawat
Somchai Wongsawat
Somchai Wongsawat is a Thai politician, as well as former executive member of the People's Power Party whose political rights have been disfranchised by the Constitutional Court for five years....
, ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra's brother in law. On 2 December 2008, the Constitutional Court
Constitutional Court of Thailand
The Constitutional Court of Thailand is an independent Thai court originally established under the 1997 Constitution with jurisdiction over the constitutionality of parliamentary acts, royal decrees, draft legislation, as well as the appointment and removal of public officials and issues regarding...
banned the three government parties for election fraud, including the PPP, thus dissolving the governing coalition and paving the way for a Democrat-led government. The Court also removed Somchai from office and banned him from politics for five years for his involvement in the scandal as one of PPP's executive board members. He was succeeded by a deputy.
After Somchai was removed and the PPP dissolved, the MPs of the parties which had been in coalition with the PPP forged a new coalition with the Democrat Party
Democrat Party (Thailand)
The Democrat Party is Thailand's oldest political party and was the main coalition government party of the 23rd House of Representatives of Thailand. The Democrat Party's current leader is Abhisit Vejjajiva, incumbent opposition leader and former Prime Minister. The party upholds a conservative...
, which had been in opposition until then. Most of the defectors were MPs from the Friends of Newin faction of the PPP, as well as the Bhumjaithai Party, the Puea Pandin Party, the Chartthaipattana Party, and the Rum Chart Pattana Party. The defection of the powerful Friends of Newin Group came about due to the alleged coercion by Army Commander General Anupong Paochinda
Anupong Paochinda
General Anupong Paochinda is a former Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Army. He held the position from 2007 until his retirement on 30 September 2010....
, a move that Senator Khamnoon Sitthisamarn called an "Anupong-style coup." The Democrat-led coalition was able to endorse Abhisit as Prime Minister. Abhisit became Prime Minister after winning a vote in parliament on 15 December 2008.
Prime Minister of Thailand
Abhisit was formally endorsed by King Bhumibol Adulyadej as Prime Minister on 17 December 2008. Abhisit ascended to power amid a global economic crisis.Key appointments in Abhisit's government included PAD leader Kasit Piromya
Kasit Piromya
Kasit Piromya is a Thai diplomat, "Yellow Shirts" activist, and Democrat Party politician. He was Foreign Minister of Thailand under Abhisit Vejjajiva from 2008 to 2011....
as Foreign Minister, construction tycoon Chaovarat Chanweerakul
Chaovarat Chanweerakul
Chaovarat Chanweerakul, or Chavarat Charnvirakul is a Thai politician. He had served as an Acting Prime Minister of Thailand as a result of the 2008 Thai political crisis....
as Interior Minister, and investment banker and former Abhisit classmate Korn Chatikavanij
Korn Chatikavanij
Korn Chatikavanij is a Thai Democrat Party politician and former investment banker. He was Finance Minister under Abhisit Vejjajiva.-Early life:...
as Finance Minister. Massage parlor
Massage parlor
A massage parlor is a business where customers can receive a massage. Sometimes the term is synonymous with brothel as the term "massage" may be used as a euphemism for paid sexual favours....
tycoon Pornthiva Nakasai was appointed Deputy Commerce Minister.
Abhisit's first act as Prime Minister was to send SMS texts to tens of millions of Thai mobile phone users. The message, signed "Your PM," asked people to help him solve the country's crisis. Interested phone users were asked to send back their postal codes, at a cost of three baht. Abhisit was criticized for violating privacy regulations in the mass SMS. The National Telecommunication Commission says that mobile phone service providers may not exploit client information, including phone numbers, without their consent. However, it did not seek actions against Abhisit.
According to a survey by Assumption University's Abac Poll in May 2009, Abhisit received a 70 percent approval rating, the highest within the Cabinet. The government's overall approval rating was 59 percent "rather much or much" satisfied and 9.4 percent "very much" satisfied. Overall the government was rated 6.5 out of 10 by a majority of respondents. In a nationwide survey conducted 24–25 December 2010, by Bangkok University, the government's two years in power were rated 4.61 out of 10, with the PM's performance at 5.17.
Government debt
Abhisit borrowed heavily to finance his various populist policies and stimulus packages. The government borrowed a record-breaking 1.49 trillion baht from 2009 to early 2011, compared to the previous 26 Prime Ministers who had combined borrowings of only 870 billion baht. Thailand’s national debt at the end of February 2011 was 3.59 trillion baht, or 40% of GDP. By April 2011, the Governor of the Bank of ThailandBank of Thailand
- History :The Bank of Thailand was first set up as the Thai National Banking Bureau. The Bank of Thailand Act was promulgated on 28 April 1942 vesting upon the Bank of Thailand the responsibility for all central banking functions...
, Thailand's central bank, warned that implementing Abhisit's populist policies might cause public debt to surge past the legal debt ceiling of no more than 50% of GDP. The government countered the BoT's warning by claiming it was just expression of opinion in a technical manner. Abhisit noted that several countries had experienced debt crises – but not Thailand.
Economic recession and stimulus
The global economic crisis had a major impact on Thailand, with unemployment increasing by 63 percent—to 880,000 people nationwide—between December 2008 and January 2009, and analysts predicting the country's economy could contract by as much as 5% on the year.Abhisit responded to the crisis with two economic stimulus packages. The government announced the first, 117-billion-baht stimulus package in January 2009. The package included a one-time issuance of 2,000 Baht (approximately 75 USD) checks to people making less than 15,000 Baht (approximately $500) a month. A training program, dubbed "Ton Kla A-cheep" was initiated for up to 500,000 new graduates and unemployed people. Free government education was expanded to up to 15 years, as written in the constitution, saving approximately 2,000 baht per term per student. A pension of 500 baht a month was provided to those aged 60 and above. Price guarantees were instituted to subsidize rice, corn, and tapioca farmers. The government provided funds to villages nationwide to carry out projects based on King Bhumibol's sufficiency economy philosophy.
The cabinet approved the second, 1.4-trillion-baht package in May. The plan was called "Strong Thailand" (Thai Khem Khaeg), with the majority of the money dedicated to infrastructure improvements. In addition, a program was initiated to provide resolve land-title issues for squatters living on state land. The government attempted to transfer private loans from loan sharks to state-owned banks, protecting debtors from unreasonably high interest rate demanded by the loan sharks and helping them finance their families again.
By the end of 2009, Thailand's economy had only contracted by 2.3% – buoyed by 5.8% economic growth in the fourth quarter of the year.
Public health
Abhisit continued the SurayudSurayud Chulanont
General Surayud Chulanont is a Thai political figure. He was the Prime Minister of Thailand and head of Thailand's Interim Government between 2006 and 2008...
junta's policy of compulsory licensing of pharmaceuticals, saying that it complied with the World Trade Organisation's agreement on intellectual property. As of March 2009, he warned that there would be societal pressure to expand compulsory licensing if the U.S. downgraded Thailand's trade status.
Despite opposition, Abhisit continued to support public health protection and refused to drop the Medical Malpractice Victim Protection Bill in the on-going legislative process. Furthermore, he set up a national-level committee to improve the draft before sending the final copy to the parliament. "We need to push ahead with the legislation. For some contentious points in this bill, all sides just need to talk and cooperate," Abhisit said after a meeting with representatives from the Network for People's Medical Protection and the Federation of Medical Workers, where both sides sought to have a national committee set-up to improve the bill.
In 2009, Abhisit said that it was his government's goal to reduce the number of new HIV cases in the country by 50% by 2011. He noted that new cases among married women increased by 30% to 40% and promised to be involved in a campaign to promote fidelity among married couples. In 2010, he became a presenter in his government's "honest husband" campaign and vowed to become a role model of fidelity for all married men.
Energy
The Abhisit government subsidized the price of diesel, LPG cooking gas, and household electricity. He maintained a retail price of diesel of no more than 30 baht/liter by reducing fuel taxes and spending from the government's Oil Fund. 8.5 billion baht per month in government tax revenue was forgone due to the cuts in excise tax. By mid-April, the Oil Fund had 34 billion baht in cash and 29 billion baht in debt, leaving it with 4.5 billion baht in net funds. The Fund was expected to be completely depleted by the end of April. Abhisit extended temporary government subsidies which provided free electricity to about 30 million Thai households that used less than 90 units a month. In April 2011, he made the free-electricity policy permanent, although industrial and commercial electricity users (rather than the government) were now burdened with paying for the 12 billion baht per year subsidy.Bus and train subsidies
The Abhisit government repeatedly extended temporary subsidies that provided free bus and train rides. Abhisit also proposed making the free rides permanent.
BTS
Under the guidance of Abhisit's administration, the BTS sky train, which is a rail-based mass transit system in Bangkok, launched a new 2.2-kilometre extension linking the Saphan Taksin Bridge Station to Krung Thonburi Station and Wong Wian Yai Station on the Thonburi side of Bangkok. The new service linked Sathorn Road, one of Bangkok’s prime business districts, to Thonburi on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. Under the "Thai Khem Khang Project", BTS is in the process of constructing the 6.7-kilometre extension from Onnuj station to Sukhumvit 107. This is expected to be ready within two years. Another section of 12.8-km to connect to Bang Pu district in Samut Prakan province has also been planned for a later stage. Additionally, a 4.5-kilometre route from Taksin Bridge to Nong Khaem district is also expected to begin service within two years.
High-Speed Train Route
Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva emphasized his government's plans for new logistical and infrastructure projects that the high-speed trains will not only facilitate the rapid movement of goods and people, but will provide even more benefits to Thailand once ASEAN becomes a single market and Thailand becomes a stronger production base for the Economic Community. As Asian economies look more towards regional rather than Western trade for future growth, it's a forward-looking plan with the potential to position Thailand as a highly efficient regional hub connecting China to Southeast Asia.
The project will have two phases: from Nong Khai in the Northeast to Bangkok, from Bangkok to Rayong and from Bangkok to Padang Besar, on the border with Malaysia. The transnational line will start from Kunming in China's southwestern Yunnan province and run south to Thailand through Laos and Vietnam.
The entire project, from Nong Khai to Bangkok and Rayong, and from Bangkok to Padang Besar, will cost almost Bt350 billion. The railway tracks will be built in parallel with existing tracks, but with a wider gauge of 1.4 metres, instead of the current gauge of 1 metre. The Nong Khai-Bangkok route says it will cover a total distance of 615 kilometres. The track will run through a tunnel of about 10 km and will be elevated over a distance of 59 km. The high-speed train will travel at no less than 200 kilometres per hour. It will be electrically powered, and studies have shown that existing power supplies will be sufficient.
Once this project has been completed, travelling by train from Bangkok to Kunming will take around 5 hours, 3 hours from Bangkok to Vientiane, and less than 5 hours from Bangkok to Padang Basar.
Airport Link
Abhisit's administration completed the Air Port Link project that was delayed by the previous government due to several factors. Suvarnabhumi Airport's Link, which connects downtown Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi airport, began commercial services on 23 August 2010. The Airport Link's City Line will run every 15 minutes and the Express Line every 30 minutes. Both lines operate from 6 am to midnight. The trains have a maximum speed of 160 kilometres per hour. The City Line will make eight stops across the capital, starting at Phaya Thai, before heading to the airport. The trains take 30 minutes from Phaya Thai to Suvarnabhumi.
Information and communications technology
Abhisit's information and communications technology (ICT) policy included censorship of Internet sites the government considered offensive to the monarchy. Abhisit's ICT minister, Ranongruk Suwunchwee, met with officials of TOT and CAT (both state-owned telecommunications firms) in 2009 to inform them of the policy. Ranongruk said 45 million baht was spent on a war room where government staff worked around the clock to block access to certain Web sites in Thailand. By September 2009, more than 17,000 "offensive" Web sites were blocked.An auction for 3G
3G
3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union...
2.1 gigahertz spectrum licenses organized by the National Telecommunications Commission was cancelled after state-owned firms CAT Telecom
CAT Telecom
CAT Telecom Public Company Limited is the state-owned company that runs Thailand’s international telecommunications infrastructure, including its international gateways, satellite, and submarine cable networks connections. As of February 2008, it had 5,562 employees.-Services:Until recently, CAT...
and TOT
TOT
TOT may refer to:* TOT , a telecommunications company* Tater Tots, a fried potato dish* Terms of trade, a concept in economics* Theatre of Tragedy, a musical group* Theology on Tap, a program of Christian talks and fellowship...
successfully filed an injunction which claimed that the NTC lacked the authority to organize the auction. They also argued that the auction would cause the state agencies to lose revenue. The regulator originally planned to hold the auctions prior to the 2006 military coup. Five days after the injunction, the government approved a 19.9 billion budget for TOT to expand its existing 3G network.
Within mass communication, it is difficult to delineate between objective and biased information. On one hand, the media can be used to provide useful information; on the other hand, it can be used to increase the popularity of the government. And this is why there arises the debate about whether the government is justified to use mass communication, and to what extent.
Defense
Abhisit's government approved military budgets of 170 billion baht in 2011 and 154 billion baht in 2010. In the 2011 appropriation, 19.5 billion baht was allocated for the purchase of six JAS 39 GripenJAS 39 Gripen
The Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a lightweight single-engine multirole fighter manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. It was designed to replace the Saab 35 Draken and 37 Viggen in the Swedish Air Force...
fighter planes, in addition to the six aircraft purchased by the military junta of Surayud Chulanont
Surayud Chulanont
General Surayud Chulanont is a Thai political figure. He was the Prime Minister of Thailand and head of Thailand's Interim Government between 2006 and 2008...
. Army Commander Anupong noted that the military's budget would be increased to 2% of GDP, from about 1% of GDP prior to the 2006 coup.
Rising levels of violence
In July 2009, Abhisit claimed that violence in Southern Thailand decreased since his government took over, thanks to a focus on economic development. His claim was contradicted by Deep South Watch, an academic think-tank at the Prince of Songkhla University in Pattani
Pattani
Pattani may refer to* Pattani Province, in southern Thailand* Pattani , in southern Thailand* Pattani , which includes the above province** Pattani Kingdom, a former semi-independent kingdom...
province, which showed that violence actually increased since the beginning of the 2009.
In February 2010, the government said that it was capable of eliminating insurgency violence by the end of the year. Foreign Minister Kasit claimed a "sense of optimism" in the region. By the end of 2010, insurgency-related violence had increased, confounding the government's optimism.
Torture allegations
The Abhisit government was condemned by several international human rights groups for the routine and systematic torture of suspected insurgents. In just a two month period in 2010, Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
received eight reports of torture. "The security forces continue to use torture even though senior commanders claim to have prohibited it," found Brussels-based International Crisis Group
International Crisis Group
The International Crisis Group is an international, non-profit, non-governmental organization whose mission is to prevent and resolve deadly conflicts around the world through field-based analyses and high-level advocacy.-History:...
. Common methods of torture allegedly used by the Army, many of which occurred at the Ingkhayutthabariharn Reconciliation Promotion Center, included severe beatings, suffocation with plastic bags
Waterboarding
Waterboarding is a form of torture in which water is poured over the face of an immobilized captive, thus causing the individual to experience the sensation of drowning...
, electric shocks, forced nudity, exposure to extreme cold or heat, needles inserted into open wounds, and holding detainees' family members hostage – including, in one case, a 6-year-old boy.
Abhisit personally denied the torture allegations and questioned the accuracy of Amnesty International's claims.
The army repeatedly denied the allegations. "We have never committed torture," said regional commander Lieut. General Udomchai Thamsarorat.
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
criticized the government for failing to curb torture and abuses by security forces in the South. It noted that no member of the security forces had ever been prosecuted for human rights abuses in the region. It found that insurgents used these state-sponsored abuses and to recruit new insurgents and justify their campaign of violence.
Immigration
Abhisit enacted measures that required approximately 1.5 million migrants to register with the government under a new, time-consuming system that involved verifying the migrants' identities with their home governments, or be arrested and deported. The deadline for compliance, initially 28 February 2010, was extended to 2 March after several hundred thousand migrants failed to appear. Although migrant labor from Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and elsewhere make up 5%–10% of Thailand's work force, migrants are critical in keeping Thailand's wages competitive with China. Human-rights groups noted that migrants have plenty of reasons to fear declaring themselves, including a history of past mistreatment, including bribery, rape, and arbitrary arrest, by Thai authorities. Other migrant workers worry that information about their activities will be shared with their home governments, exposing them or their families to harassment.Lèse majesté
In 2009, the Abhisit administration established a special task-force to step up lèse majesté enforcement, and set up a Web site where individuals could report violations to the Thai authorities. The same year, Abhisit acknowledged that the country's lese majeste laws had been abused in the past, and said he would attempt to address the problem. He established an advisory committee on the fair application of lese majeste laws in January 2010.In 2010, Privy councilor
Privy Council (Thailand)
The Privy Council of Thailand is a body of appointed advisors to the Monarch of Thailand: King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. The Council, as the Constitution of Thailand stipulates, must be composed of no more than eighteen members...
Air Chief Marshal Kamthon Sindhavananda said the Abhisit government had been slow to respond to perceived threats against the monarchy. In response, Abhisit said protecting the monarchy was the government's top priority, and pledged to "improve mechanisms to safeguard the royal institution."
During Abhisit's tenure, the arrest of Prachatai
Prachatai
Prachatai is a non-profit online newspaper in Thailand. Focusing on news from and commentary on NGOs, social movements, and human rights issues, the website became an alternative source for social and political news. Its current editor-in-chief is Chuwat Rerksirisuk, with Chiranuch Premchaiporn...
editor Chiranuch Premchaiporn also became a cause celebre
Cause célèbre
A is an issue or incident arousing widespread controversy, outside campaigning and heated public debate. The term is particularly used in connection with celebrated legal cases. It is a French phrase in common English use...
. Chiranuch was charged under the Computer Crimes Act for not quickly deleting online comments posted to her news Web site that were allegedly insulting to the monarchy. Chiranuch faced up to 50 years in prison on the initial charges. She was arrested again on separate charges after attending "Internet at Liberty 2010," an international conference on media freedom. Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, the Committee to Protect Journalists
Committee to Protect Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent nonprofit organisation based in New York City that promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists.-History:A group of U.S...
, and Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders is a France-based international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press. It was founded in 1985, by Robert Ménard, Rony Brauman and the journalist Jean-Claude Guillebaud. Jean-François Julliard has served as Secretary General since 2008...
all criticized the arrest.
Thaksin Shinawatra
Abhisit was highly critical of Thaksin throughout his time in power. Through his spokesperson, Panithan Wattanayakorn, he accused Thaksin of funding the red-shirt UDD movement from abroad. When UDD leaders and Thaksin denied the accusation and demanded proof for the government's accusations, Deputy Premier Suthep noted that it still did not have any confirmation as to any transfers.Abhisit has also denied the legitimacy of Thaksin’s leadership of the UDD and has refused to deal directly with Thaksin. Abhisit argued that Thaksin’s wealth and corrupt background were at odds with the UDD’s largely agrarian and working-class membership and ideologies, and that this hypocrisy undermined the red shirts’ demands for fairer politics led by a less elite government.
In the days before the verdict of the Supreme Court's seizure of Thaksin's assets was announced, Abhisit announced that he would possibly forgive Thaksin if Thaksin showed remorse.
On 11 November 2009, Sivarak Chutipong was arrested by Cambodian police for passing the confidential flight plans of Thaksin and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to Kamrob Palawatwichai, First Secretary of the Royal Thai Embassy in Cambodia. Sivarak was sentenced to seven years in jail, but later pardoned after Thaksin made a personal appeal on his behalf to the Cambodian government. Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban later accused Sivarak of staging his own arrest in order to discredit the Abhisit government.
2010 Floods
From 10 October to 19 November 2010, major floods hit North and Northeast, Central, and then Southern Thailand. More than 230 people were killed and more than 7 million people in 25,00 villages were affected by the flooding. Abhisit faced criticism early on for failing to respond promptly to help flood victims in the North and Northeast and for insufficient coordination of relief efforts, but was praised for flying promptly down to Hat YaiHat Yai
Hat Yai is a city in southern Thailand near the Malaysian border. Located at , it has a population of 157,359 in the city itself and about 800,000 in the greater Hat Yai area. Hat Yai is the largest city of Songkhla Province, the largest metropolitan area in Southern, and third largest...
to tour the newly flooded city. Abhisit initially assigned flood management primary responsibility to former Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, although Suthep later resigned to take part in a by-election campaign. Then on 24 October, Abhisit appointed PM's Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey and advisor Apirak Kosayothin to lead a committee to deal with the floods. Rice farmers in flooded areas were offered hand-outs of up to 55% of their production cost. Starting 2 November, the government handed out 5,000 baht in cash to some 632,000 households. Recipients had to live in a house that flooded for more than 7 days. Further housing, education and public health assistance was expected to be implemented in 3 months, with expedited assistance for districts where the flooding had ceased. The Stock Exchange of Thailand was unaffected, but prices of rice and rubber saw their largest gains in two decades.
2011 Floods
The 2011 rainy season, which started at the end of the Abhisit-government, brought the worst flooding that Thailand had seen in 50 years. Hundreds died, and Bangkok was flooded. Meteorological Department deputy director-general Somchai Baimoung blamed his department's inability to predict rainfall on the Abhisit government's unwillingness in 2009 and 2010 to provide a requested 4 billion baht overhaul of its radar and modeling systems. It was reported that from October 20-23 2011, as flood-waters entered Bangkok, Abhisit took a holiday with his family to the Maldives. These reports were initially denied by the Democrat Party, with both Democrat Spokesperson Chawanan Intharakoman and Shadow ICT Minister Sirichok Sopha claiming that he was in Bangkok planning flood relief operations. On 25 October, Democrat Spokesperson Chawanan Intharakoman retracted his earlier denial, claiming that the trip had been planned long in advance and that Abhisit also took the opportunity to meet the President of the MaldivesPresident of the Maldives
The President of the Maldives is the Head of State and Head of Government and first citizen of the Republic of Maldives and the Supreme Commander of the Maldivian armed forces.The current President of the Republic of Maldives is Mohamed Nasheed....
to discuss the floods.
Foreign relations
Myanmar
Abhisit officially visited MyanmarMyanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
in October 2010 to strengthen the relationship between the two countries. Abhisit met with Senior-General Than Shwe
Than Shwe
Senior General Than Shwe is a Burmese military leader and politician who was chairman of the State Peace and Development Council from 1992 to 2011. During the period, he held key positions of power including commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces and head of Union Solidarity and...
to promote cordial ties and bilateral development between the neighboring countries. The meeting covered subjects on rule of law, stability and development in the two countries' border areas, economy and technology cooperation, boosting bilateral trade and investment, promoting tourism sector and building a deep-sea port in Dawei, Myanmar workers in Thailand and internal affairs of both countries.
Traders said that adding new border trade zones since 2009 has encouraged cross-border trade and maintain border stability. The opening of new borders will lower illegal trade and boost tourism.
In addition, Abhisit hopes that the Myawaddy-Mae Sot will reopen soon after the Myanmar had closed the checkpoint due to internal security problems.
Deep Sea Port
After a bilateral meeting between Abhisit and Prime Minister Thein Sein, the two premiers agreed to jointly develop a deep-sea port at Dawei, Myanmar's Andaman Sea coast. Abhisit said the port will be linked to a new economic zone in the region.
Experts said the port will remove trade barriers and significantly shorten the distance that ships from Europe, the Middle East and Africa have to travel to reach China, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. Ships now travel up to an additional 2,316 kilometers in the region because they have to pass through Singapore.
The agreement signed during Abhisit’s visit to Myanmar also includes the construction of 100 miles (approximately 160 kilometers) of road and rail between Kanchanaburi province in Thailand and the Dawei port in Myanmar.
Italian-Thai Development Pcl Ltd is expected to sign a contract to construct the port with the Myanmar Port Authority by the end of November. The construction is estimated to cost 400 billion baht (approximately $13 billion), which includes a railway, roads, industrial estates, a refinery and a steel mill.
Japan
Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada affirmed strong ties between Japan and Thailand, showing that he still had confidence in the Thai economy. The meeting covered the exchange of ideas on different matters, including relationships in trade and investment between the two countries.China
Hu Jintao, Chinese leader praised Abhisit’s ability in maintain strong relationship that has been established for 35 years. After the first official visit of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to China, President Hu declared that both of the of governments would support each other in diplomatic relation in the region and economics especially international trading and investment. Abhisit also noted that the transportation system that links the northern part of Thailand and China would be developed within a few years in order to strengthen relationship between Thai and Chinese.Thailand-China high-speed train
Thailand and China have agreed to proceed with rail connections that will connect the two countries through neighboring Laos. The plan also calls for high-speed routes connecting Nong Khai to Bangkok and then eastwards to the industrially driven Thai Eastern Seaboard, with a third line linking the capital to the country's southern region near the Malaysian border at Padang Basar. The planned links aim to enhance rising trade flows sparked by the new China-Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) free-trade agreement and facilitate with modern infrastructure the region’s move towards a common ASEAN market.
On China's part, it will build a standard railway from Kunming to Vientiane, covering a distance of 420 km. This line will then link with Thailand across the mekong River to Nong Khai before continuing to Bangkok and Rayong. China says it is willing to provide support in manpower, training and technology transfer to the State Railway of Thailand.
China has said it would promote Thailand as a tourist destination among Chinese. It will as well consider buying more rice from Thailand, while adding the rail link development will provide convenience of people in the region to travel and enhance a better logistics and transport system.
Preah Vihear and border conflict
On 8 July 2008, the UN World Heritage Committee
World Heritage Committee
The World Heritage Committee establishes the sites to be listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties...
added Prasat
Prasat
Prasat is a Thai and Cambodian term meaning palace or temple, derived from the Pali and Sanskrit . In Thai, a "prasat" can mean a castle or a temple, not a palace...
Preah Vihear to the World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
list. The People's Alliance for Democracy claimed that this gave Cambodia de facto sovereignty over the disputed temple, and used this claim to launch large nationalist protests against the government of Somchai Wongsawat.
After Abhisit rose to power, he appointed Kasit Piromya as Foreign Minister. Prior to his appointment, the former diplomat led the PAD's anti-Cambodia protests. During the PAD's siege and occupation of Suvarnabhumi Airport, Kasit reportedly said "I will use Hun Sen‘s blood to wash my feet," recalling the historic incident where King Naresuan
Naresuan
Somdet Phra Naresuan Maharat or Somdet Phra Sanphet II was the King of the Ayutthaya kingdom from 1590 until his death in 1605. Naresuan was one of Siam's most revered monarchs as he was known for his campaigns to free Siam from Burmese rule...
of Siam did the same to King Lovek
Lovek
Longvek was a city in ancient Cambodia, the capital city of the country after the sacking of Angkor by the Siamese in 1431. Little more than a village today in Kampong Chhnang Province, it lies just north of Oudong....
of Cambodia. In a 2008 television interview, he called Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen
Hun Sen
Hun Sen is the current Prime Minister of Cambodia.He has been the sole leader of the Cambodian People's Party , which has governed Cambodia since the Vietnamese-backed overthrow of the Khmer Rouge in 1979...
"crazy", a "slave", and a "nak leng" (commonly translated as "gangster"). After his appointment, he later wrote to Hun Sen, saying it was all a misunderstanding, and that "nak leng" actually meant "a person who is lionhearted, a courageous and magnanimous gentleman."
In April 2009, large-scale fighting erupted between Thai and Cambodian troops near Preah Vihear. At least two Thai soldiers and two Cambodian soldiers were killed. The Cambodian government claimed its army had killed at least four Thai soldiers and captured 10 more, but the Thai government denied that any Thai soldiers were killed or injured. Both armies blamed the other for firing first and denied entering the other's territory.
Fighting escalated in early February 2011, when Thai forces allegedly used banned cluster munitions against Cambodian villages. Three Thais and eight Cambodians were killed and dozens of people wounded in the bloodiest border fighting in nearly two decades. As part of a ASEAN-brokered ceasefire deal, Thailand and Cambodia agreed on 22 February to allow unarmed military observers from Indonesia to be posted along their border. The Thai government later reneged on the agreement, refusing to allow foreigners into border areas. "There's a [bilateral] mechanism in place, so there's no need to run crying to ASEAN or the international community," Foreign Minister Kasit proclaimed.
Fighting further escalated in 22 April 2011, leaving at least five dead near Ta Moan and Ta Krabey temples, about 150 kilometers southwest of Preah Vihear. Both sides claimed the other side fired first. Cambodia accused the Thai military of again firing cluster munitions into villages, this time up to 20 kilometers inside the Cambodian border. Cambodia also accused the Thais of using chemical weapons. The accusations were rejected by the Thai military. Cambodian Defence Ministry spokesman Chhum Socheat claimed that Thai artillery landed more than 20 kilometers inside Cambodian territory. Over 25,000 Thais and over 23,000 Cambodians were evacuated. Fighting continued and by 26 April had expanded into the area around Preah Vihear temple. Army Chief Prayuth Chan-ocha revealed that Cabinet discussions were underway on whether to declare war with Cambodia. Plans for ministerial-level talks on 27 April were cancelled by Thailand on the evening of the 26th.
On 25 June, Thailand withdrew from the World Heritage Convention. Suwit Khunkitti, head of the Thai delegation to UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, claimed that following the withdrawal, the World Heritage Committee could no longer force Thailand to compile to its decisions. The withdrawal occurred after five days of negotiations between Thailand, Cambodia, and the World Heritage Committee, during which the Thai delegation staged a walkout. After the walkout, the Committee reaffirmed the need to ensure the protection and conservation of the temple site from any damage and further encouraged Thailand and Cambodia to use the Convention as a tool to support conservation, sustainable development and dialogue. Thailand's withdrawal occurred immediately afterwards.
Recall of ambassadors
In November 2009, Cambodia announced that Thaksin Shinawatra had been appointed a special advisor to the Cambodian government and to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Thaksin had been residing in exile in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, and continued to live there after the appointment. On 5 November 2009, Abhisit recalled Thailand's ambassador from Cambodia in protest. Abhisit said Cambodia was interfering in Thailand's internal affairs and as a result all bi-lateral co-operation agreements would be reviewed. In retaliation, Cambodia announced it was withdrawing its ambassador from Thailand. Sok An
Sok An
Sok An is a Cambodian politician. He belongs to the Cambodian People's Party and was elected to represent Takeo Province in the National Assembly of Cambodia in 2003.Sok An is Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia...
, a member of the Council of Ministers
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
and Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia, said Thaksin's appointment is a decision internal to Cambodia. "We are looking forward to learning from Thaksin's great economic experience and we are convinced that his experience will contribute to our country's economic development," said a Cambodia government spokesman. The mutual withdrawal of ambassadors was the most severe diplomatic action to have occurred between the two countries since the Franco-Thai war of 1940–41 during which Thailand regained Preah Vihear.
The increase in tensions between Cambodia and Thailand caused Abhisit's popularity to skyrocket, with support tripling according to one poll after diplomatic ties were downgraded. However, his rise in popularity was short-lived, and soon fell dramatically. When the crisis flared up again in February 2011, The People's Alliance for Democracy demanded for Abhisit to step down.
In August 2010, Thaksin resigned as an economic advisor to the Cambodian government. Abhisit normalized relations with Cambodia. Both countries sent back their ambassadors.
Use of cluster munitions
In February border clashes with Cambodian security forces, the Thai army was accused by the Cluster Munition Coalition
Cluster Munition Coalition
The Cluster Munition Coalition is an international civil society movement campaigning against the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions. Cluster munitions are a type of explosive weapon widely stockpiled by more than 80 states...
of firing cluster munitions into a Cambodian village. According to the Coalition, this was the first confirmed use of cluster munitions anywhere in the world since the Convention on Cluster Munitions
Convention on Cluster Munitions
The Convention on Cluster Munitions is an international treaty that prohibits the use, transfer and stockpile of cluster bombs, a type of explosive weapon which scatters submunitions over an area. The convention was adopted on 2008 in Dublin, and was opened for signature on 2008 in Oslo...
banning the weapons became international law. The government later admitted to using Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munition
Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munition
A Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions is an artillery or surface-to-surface missile warhead designed to burst into sub-munitions at an optimum altitude and distance from the desired target for dense area coverage. The sub-munitions are designed for both antiarmor and antipersonnel attack...
(DPICM), but denied that they were actually cluster munitions. However, the CMC claimed that DPICMs were a classic example of cluster munitions under the Convention. Abhisit's government repeatedly denied that the military had cluster munitions in its arsenals, although it admitted that it had weapons with similar features to cluster munitions. Abhisit's spokesman claimed that the Thai government had the right to categorise weapons differently from militaries in other countries. The CMC's investigation found that a Thai cluster bomb had killed two Cambodian policemen during the February clashes and warned that thousands of people remained at risk from unexploded bomblets in several villages along the border.
The governments of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and the UK condemned the Thai government for its use of cluster munitions. "We condemn in the strongest terms the use of cluster munitions that causes unacceptable harm to the civilian population," said the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
in a statement. "These weapons kill and maim civilians and have unacceptable humanitarian consequences long after they are used," said Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre
Jonas Gahr Støre
Jonas Gahr Støre is the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, having been appointed to Jens Stoltenberg's second cabinet on 17 October 2005. He represents the Norwegian Labour Party.-Personal life:...
.
Vietnam
Abhisit and the Prime Minister of VietnamPrime Minister of Vietnam
-Office:The Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is the head of the executive branch of the Vietnamese government. The Prime Minister presides over the Vietnamese cabinet, and is responsible for appointing and supervising ministers...
met on 10 July 2009, to discuss how to address the global economic crisis. Abhisit arrived in Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
for a one-day visit with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyễn Tấn Dũng. The two reviewed an honor guard before heading for an hour-and-half talks behind closed doors. "Your visit will contribute to expanding and deepening the friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and Thailand," Dung told his guest during the five-minute photo opportunity.
In a regular press conference on 9 July, Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Dung told reporters that the two prime ministers were expected to discuss how each is dealing with the financial crisis, discuss the rice trade, tourism, transport links and protection of the Mekong
Mekong
The Mekong is a river that runs through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annually....
River. Thailand is the world's leading exporter of the grain while Vietnam is ranked second. Thailand and Vietnam are important trading partners, and their bilateral trade reached $6.5 billion in 2008. Thailand also ranked ninth among foreign investors in Vietnam, having poured nearly $6 billion into the country. Vietnam, which has recorded average economic growth of 7 percent over the past decade, saw its economy expand only 3.9 percent in the first half of 2009.
Saudi Arabia
In August 2008, the Department of Special Investigation announced that it had found a suspect for the murder of several Saudi Arabian diplomats. The "sensitive" case, which had been stalled for 20 years due to concerns that some powerful Thais would be implicated in a public investigation, had caused a severe strain on Thai-Saudi relations. "Abu Ali" (meaning "Father of Ali"), which might or might not be the suspect's real name, was described as an Arab. His whereabouts are unknown. An arrest warrant was issued and the DSI sought the aid of InterpolInterpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
in apprehending the suspect. The DSI also claimed that it had no evidence that the "blue diamond" ever existed in the first place. The blue diamond was at the center of the gems theft case that is presumed to have caused the murders.
In August 2010, Abhisit promoted Lieutenant-General Somkid Boonthanom from chief of the Chiang Mai region to assistant national police chief. Somkid had earlier been indicted for the murder of Mohammad al-Ruwaili, a Saudi assigned to investigate the blue diamond theft. The Saudi embassy said in a statement:
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said he would send a letter to the Saudis which would clarify the matter. Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya met Saudi chargé d'affaires Nabil Ashri and announced he had explained everything and no letter was necessary. Abhisit then said the Foreign Ministry would provide a written explanation that but that the letter had to be painstakingly translated to prevent any misinterpretation. However, Abhisit then met with the chargé d'affaires Ashri and gave an interview to the press calling the Saudis misinformed. In an official statement, the Saudi's blasted Abhisit's rhetoric:
Somkid then announced that he would not accept Abhisit's promotion. Suthep praised Somkid for his sacrifice and said that “His decision will make it easy to solve the problem between Thailand and Saudi Arabia.”
Political protests
During Abhisit’s tenure as Prime Minister, the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), a group formed to protest the 2006 military coup, staged several protests calling for Abhisit to dissolve the government and hold new elections. The largest gatherings occurred in April 2009April 2009 Thai political unrest
A series of political demonstrations and following unrest occurred in Thailand from 26 March to 14 April 2009 in Bangkok and Pattaya against the government of Abhisit Vejjajiva and the military crackdown that followed...
and from March to May 2010
2010 Thai political protests
A prolonged series of political protests occurred in Bangkok, Thailand in 2010 from March to May against the Democrat Party-led government. The protests were organized by the National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship...
– ultimately escalating into violent clashes between protestors and the military that left 91 people dead and more than 2,000 injured.
April 2009 protests
In early April, the UDD staged a mass protest in Bangkok after former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said via video broadcast that members of the Privy council masterminded the 2006 military coup, and conspired with the military to ensure that Abhisit became Prime Minister. As the week-long Songkran (Thai New Year) holiday began, protests escalated in Bangkok. Fighting erupted between anti-government protesters, government supporters, and the general population. Abhisit declared a state of emergency for Bangkok and surrounding areas due to heightened escalation of tension and denounced the anti-government protesters as "national enemies." Abhisit also issued a decree that empowered the government to censor television broadcasts. A television journalist reported that he was ordered not to show images damaging to the military or government. Thaksin appeared on a D-Station television broadcast to appeal to the King Bhumibol to intervene and end the violence. Legislation authorizing the use of emergency decrees was originally pushed through Parliament in 2005 by the Thaksin government, provoking charges of authoritarianism at the time by the Democrat Party. Under the state of emergency, gatherings of more than five people were prohibited and the press was not permitted to present news which could incite worry.On 12 April, protesters surrounded Abhisit's limousine at the Interior Ministry in Bangkok and hurling objects at his windows. Abhisit made it out safely while one of his deputies was wounded by the protesters. Government spokesman Panitan Wattanayakorn said that Abhisit's inner circle viewed the attack as a well-coordinated assassination attempt, claiming that security footage of the incident showed men with masks and guns were positioned on the perimeter of the attack, apparently waiting for protesters to break through the car's bulletproof windows.
In the pre-dawn of Monday 13 April, Army soldiers cleared protesters blocking the main roads from the Din Daeng
Din Daeng
Din Daeng is one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand. Its neighbor, clockwise from north, are Chatuchak, Huai Khwang, Ratchathewi and Phaya Thai.-History:...
intersection near Victory Monument in central Bangkok. At least 70 people were injured.
The same day, the government ordered the blocking of D Station, satellite news station that was broadcasting the clashes, claiming that the station was calling for protesters to gather in Bangkok. Several community radio stations were shut down and searched upon suspicion of supporting the UDD. Violent clashes at numerous locations in Bangkok continued while arrest warrants were issued for Thaksin and 13 protest leaders. Some protest leaders voluntarily gave themselves in to police on 14 April 2009. Afterward, the Thai government revoked Thaksin's ordinary passport.
According to government figures, more than 120 people were injured in the unrest, most of them UDD demonstrators although some military personnel, pro-government supporters, and members of the general public were also injured. At least one UDD protester died from gunshot wounds sustained during the military's attack in Din Daeng, although the Army claimed the wound was not caused by their standard firearm. The UDD later claimed that at least six demonstrators were killed in the unrest and their bodies hauled away by the military; however, they had no evidence for their claim. The dead bodies of two UDD protesters were found floating in the Chao Phraya river
Chao Phraya River
The Chao Phraya is a major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It runs through Bangkok, the capital city, and then empties into the Gulf of Thailand.-Etymology:...
, their hands tied behind their backs and their bodies badly beaten, although police had yet to conclude whether their murders were politically motivated. Abhisit aide Satit Wongnontaey claimed that two government supporters were shot dead by red shirted protesters in clashes in Din Daeng, although he had no evidence for his claim. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration estimated that it had incurred 10 million Baht (approximately 300,000 USD) in property damages, including 31 damaged and burned buses. Standard & Poor's lowered Thailand's local currency rating to "A-" from "A", although Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij claimed this would increase the government's borrowing cost minimally.
Background
In February, the UDD announced plans to hold protests calling for elections. In early February, Abhisit established 38 security centers with over 20,000 security personnel in the North and Northeast to prevent the protests. Abhisit also escalated efforts to monitor and censor community radio stations, which were often used by rural residents to voice their discontent and by activists to organize protests.
On 7 February 2010, Abhisit's spokesperson compared UDD leaders to "dogs" and vowed to use the National Telecommunications Commission to crack down on red shirt community radio stations. He noted that if the current law for the NTC cannot enforce the crackdown, the government would try to pass a special law that would make such a crackdown. The NTC acting Secretary-General was also a member of the government-appointed Situation Monitoring Committee in the run up to Thaksin's February court verdict. The government claimed to foreign diplomats and foreign chambers of commerce that the UDD would "spark violence" and "intensify its agitation and step up protests in Bangkok and around the country in order to disrupt the work of the government and the judiciary." The UDD announced that it would rally against the government on 14 March.
Abhisit informed the Democrat Party-led Bangkok Metropolitan Administration that he had intelligence of planned bomb attacks in at least two locations and grenade attacks in 30–40 locations in Bangkok. When questioned about the matter, Army spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the Army had no such intelligence.
On 9 March, Abhisit imposed the Internal Security Act from 11–23 March and relocated his Cabinet to an Army base. A 50,000-strong security force was deployed on Bangkok.
The 14 March protests were the largest in Thai history, and were peaceful. However, Thailand's free-to-air TV channels, all controlled by the government or military, claimed that there were only 25,000 protesters. The protesters remained at the Rajadamnoen protest site and later started a satellite site at Rajaprasong intersection. There were dozens of bombings in Bangkok over the weeks, far from the protest areas, with nobody claiming responsibility and no arrests made. A Porsche was rammed into protester motorcycles at Rajprasong intersection, injuring several. In a separate incident, a woman rammed her car into a crowd of protesters, but drove away before she could be arrested.
Negotiations between the protesters and the government failed to result in an election date. Abhisit declared a state of emergency on the evening of 8 April.
Crackdown at Rajadamnoen
On 10 April, government troops unsuccessfully tried to take back control of Phan Fah Bridge near Rajadamnoen, killing 24 protesters, including one Japanese journalist. More than 800 people were injured. The military noted that uniformed soldiers died from cerebral edema
Cerebral edema
Cerebral edema or cerebral œdema is an excess accumulation of water in the intracellular or extracellular spaces of the brain.-Vasogenic:Due to a breakdown of tight endothelial junctions which make up the blood-brain barrier...
(a swelling of the brain) after being hit on the head by a rock.
On 16 April, security forces raided a hotel attempting to arrest protest leaders who Suthep Thaugsuban called "terrorists." The protest leaders escaped before they could be captured. That same day, Abhisit relieved Suthep from his security responsibilities and replaced him with the Commander of the Royal Thai Army General Anupong Paochinda
Anupong Paochinda
General Anupong Paochinda is a former Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Army. He held the position from 2007 until his retirement on 30 September 2010....
. Tensions continued to grow, as pro-government rallies started to appear alongside the anti-government ones. On 22 April, a series of explosions in Bangkok killed at least one person and injured more than 85 others, including four foreigners. At least some of the explosions were caused by grenades, which the government claimed were fired from the Red Shirt encampment.
Crackdown at Rajaprasong
The main protest area at Ratchaprasong intersection was surrounded with armoured vehicles and snipers in early May. The protest site was declared a "live-fire zones" and troops were ordered to shoot to kill
Deadly force
Deadly force, as defined by the United States Armed Forces, is the force which a person uses, causing—or that a person knows, or should know, would create a substantial risk of causing—death or serious bodily harm...
. From 13 to 18 May, 41 civilians were killed, including one Italian journalist, and over 2,100 were injured. One military death occurred due to accidental friendly fire. Abhisit claimed that all civilians killed were either armed terrorists or civilians shot by terrorists, and noted that some civilians were shot by terrorists disguised in Army uniforms. Protest leaders handed themselves in to police and were jailed without bail. Red Shirt media was censored and dozens of prominent Red Shirts were arrested for lese majeste.
Official government investigations into the crackdowns exonerated the military and blamed the protesters and "Black Shirts" for the killings. Not a single Black Shirt was identified or charged.
Relationship with PAD and UDD
On 21 April 2009, Abhisit's government launched a media war to dispute claims made by the UDD during the April protests. He also announced the public distribution of millions of VCDsVideo CD
Before the advent of DVD and Blu-ray, the Video CD became the first format for distributing films on standard 120 mm optical discs. The format is a standard digital format for storing video on a Compact Disc...
documenting the government's views on the unrest. At the time, the government's emergency and censorship decrees were still in place.
Abhisit was accused of applying disparate standards in the treatment of UDD and PAD protestors. For instance, the government was quick to issue warrants for UDD members after the outbreak of violence, even though they had yet to issue warrants for PAD protestors involved in the airport seizures that took place months earlier. In an interview with the Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
, Abhisit said "I can understand [the UDD] feeling the cases against PAD have been slow. The problem is that PAD action didn't take place during my administration and the process that began to investigate." When the interviewer noted that the airport sieges ended just two weeks before Abhisit came to power, he claimed that "I have summoned the police chief and expressed my concern that the case is ruling slowly and they have made some progress."
Abhisit was Democrat Party leader during the PAD protests. After Samak Sundaravej
Samak Sundaravej
Samak Sundaravej was a Thai Chinese politician who briefly served as the Prime Minister of Thailand and Minister of Defense in 2008, as well as the leader of the People's Power Party in 2008.-Early life and family:...
was replaced by Somchai Wongsawat
Somchai Wongsawat
Somchai Wongsawat is a Thai politician, as well as former executive member of the People's Power Party whose political rights have been disfranchised by the Constitutional Court for five years....
, the People’s Alliance for Democracy refused to stop their protests, claiming that Somchai was a proxy for Thaksin Shinawatra.
After he was named Prime Minister, Abhisit proposed five-point roadmap to national reconciliation.
When Abhisit was voted by House of Parliament 235 to 198 after Somchai Wongsawat
Somchai Wongsawat
Somchai Wongsawat is a Thai politician, as well as former executive member of the People's Power Party whose political rights have been disfranchised by the Constitutional Court for five years....
was relieved from premiership for buying votes. Abhisit said his priority was the people, focusing mainly on the interests of the people and lower class citizens through the “People’s Agenda
People’s Agenda
People’s Agenda or commonly known in Thailand as “วาระ ประชาชน” .Is a policy under the Democrat party to direct the national development to a new direction with the idea of “policy for the people by the people” which marks the idea that “People must come first”...
” policy platform, and saying the government must be “honest and truly democratic government” without any conflict of interest.
Leading to PAD’s development of new political party “Thien Hang Dhama” which is later changed to “New Political Party” to drive their new “ideology” overlapping each other's political base. Claiming that Democrat party only protects their own interest and ineffectively solving the country’s problem.
By-elections and local elections
In the first round of by-elections after Abhisit Vejjajiva appointment as the Prime Minister, the Democrat-led coalition won 20 seats out of 29 contested seats. June by-elections in Sakon NakhonSakon Nakhon
Sakon Nakhon is a town in Thailand within the Isan region, and capital city of the Sakon Nakhon Province, with a population of approximately 76,000. It has a regional airport in the north, Sakon Nakhon Airport. During World War II, the town became a haven for Free Thais, and a base for Communist...
were expected to be a shoo-in for the government-member Bhum Jai Thai Party due to its control over the powerful Ministry of Interior. However, Bhum Jai Thai was roundly defeated by the Thaksin-affiliated Puea Thai Party.
Elections were held for Councillors and District Councillors in August 2010 for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, a jurisdiction where the Democrat Party traditionally dominated. The Democrat Party won receiving 45 seats for Bangkok Metropolitan Councillors, followed by Puea Thai Party with 15 Seats, and Independent Party with 1 seat. For District Councillors, Democrat Party won 210 seats, followed by Puea Thai Party with 39 Seats and Independent Party with 7 seats.
3 July general election
On 6 May 2011, after months of speculation, Abhisit submitted royal decreeDecree
A decree is a rule of law issued by a head of state , according to certain procedures . It has the force of law...
to King Bhumibol to dissolve Parliament. Election for the House of Representatives
House of Representatives of Thailand
The House of Representatives of the Kingdom of Thailand is the lower house of the National Assembly of Thailand, the legislative branch of the Thai Government. The system of government of Thailand is that of a Constitutional Monarchy and a Parliamentary Democracy. The system of the Thai...
was set for 3 July. Election-related violence began immediately after the election date was set. Pracha Prasopdee, ex-MP for Samut Prakan Province
Samut Prakan Province
Samut Prakan is one of the central provinces of Thailand. It is part of the Bangkok Metropolitan Region. Neighboring provinces are Bangkok, to the north and west, and Chachoengsao to the east....
who had won all five of the previous elections, was shot in the back on the night of 10 May. Bail was immediately revoked for opposition
Opposition (parliamentary)
Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. Note that this article uses the term government as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning the administration or the cabinet rather than the state...
leaders Jatuporn Prompan
Jatuporn Prompan
Jatuporn Prompan is a Thai politician and activist. He is a Member of Parliament of the Pheu Thai Party and one of the core leaders of the National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship , also known as the "Red Shirts"....
and Nisit Sinthuprai for allegedly violating national security and insulting King Bhumibol after they were released from jail. The opposition leaders were originally jailed for months as part of the 2010 Thai military crackdown
2010 Thai military crackdown
On 10 April and 13–19 May 2010, the Thai military cracked down on the National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship protests in central Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. The crackdown was the culmination of months of protests that called for the Democrat Party-led government of Abhisit...
on protesters and had been released on bail. They lost their parliamentary immunity
Parliamentary immunity
Parliamentary immunity, also known as legislative immunity, is a system in which members of the parliament or legislature are granted partial immunity from prosecution. Before prosecuting, it is necessary that the immunity be removed, usually by a superior court of justice or by the parliament itself...
after Parliament was dissolved.
Abhisit unveiled a slate of candidates highlighted by 30 celebrities and heirs of political families, including Chitpas Bhirombhakdi, heiress of the Singha Beer fortune and former staff member of Abhisit's secretariat office. Abhisit promised to increase the minimum wage
Minimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers. Equivalently, it is the lowest wage at which workers may sell their labour. Although minimum wage laws are in effect in a great many jurisdictions, there are differences of opinion about...
by 25% if the Democrat Party won the election.
Nearly all polls conducted in the months prior to the election showed that the Democrat Party would gain fewer parliamentary seats than the Pheu Thai Party, and even Democrat Party Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij admitted that, "we're doing terribly in the polls" and that, "it was obvious from the beginning" that they would not win a majority. Newin Chidchob, de-facto leader of coalition partner Bhum Jai Thai Party, predicted that the Democrat Party would win only 160 out of 500 seats. Abhisit dismissed the polls, and days before the election exuded confidence that the Democrat Party would certainly win the election and form the next government. He promised to "evaluate his own performance" if the Democrat Party won fewer than 170 seats.
In his last campaign rally, Abhisit claimed that the Democrat Party was the only way that Thais would live, "under the same sky" and that a victory for Puea Thai would result in "mob rule." Abhisit positioned the election as a referendum on Thaksin. "If you want the country get rid of the poison that is Thaksin, then you should vote for us and vote for us to get more than 250 seats!”
The Democrats were defeated in the elections, winning only 159 seats compared to the 265 seats won by the Pheu Thai Party led by political novice Yingluck Shinawatra
Yingluck Shinawatra
Yingluck Shinawatra , or nickname Pu , is a Thai businesswoman and politician, member of the Pheu Thai Party, and the 28th Prime Minister of Thailand following the 2011 general election...
. Abhisit conceded the defeat and, on 4 July, resigned as the leader of the Democrat Party. However, on 6 August, he was re-elected as the leader of the Democrat Party with the support of 96% of those eligible to vote at the party's assembly - some 330 people including local branch leaders and MPs. Abhisit insisted that when he announced his resignation he had no plans to return to the party leadership, but pressure and support from within the party convinced him otherwise. He has also said he wants to "expand the party" and hopes to win 88 more seats at the next election.
Corruption
The Abhisit government was charged in several cases of corruption, particularly related to spending under the Thai Khem Khaeng economic stimulus program. After much public pressure, Abhisit appointed Banlu Siripanich head of an investigative committee to investigate allegations within the Ministry of Public Health. Banlu's committee's findings included: bribery by a supplier of ambulances; irregularities in the purchase of UV fans; overspending on construction of building; inflated prices for machines and equipment. Public Health Minister and Democrat MP Witthaya Kaewparadai, Deputy Minister from Bhumjaithai Party Manit Nop-amornbodi (who was in charge of the projects) resigned due to the scandal.Abhisit's Social Development and Human Security Minister also resigned due to a corruption scandal. In addition, Apirak Kosayodhin, the Democrat Party Governor of Bangkok, were indicted by the National Counter Corruption Commission on 11 November 2008 for corruption in the purchase of 6.6 billion baht in fire-fighting equipment. Apirak resigned from his office on 13 November.
Flood victims in Phatthalung
Phatthalung
Phatthalung is a town in southern Thailand, capital of the Phatthalung Province.The town covers the whole tambon Khuhu Sawan, and small parts of the tambon Khao Chiak, Tha Mi Ram, Prang Mu, Lampam, Tamnan and Khuan Maphrao, all in Mueang Phatthalung district. As of 2005 it has a population of...
province became nauseous after eating canned fish products which were donated through the Social Development and Human Security Ministry. Opposition party spokesman, Prompong Nopparit accused Democrat Minister Vitoon Nambutr of corruption in the procurement of the fish. Democrat Minister Vitoon Nambutr insisted there was no irregularities and that the ministry did not procure them for distribution. However, he later resigned to take responsibility for this situation.
Abhisit's government came under accusations that the 26 billion baht Sufficiency Economy Community project was tainted with corruption. Abhisit replied to the accusations by suggesting that the "alleged malpractice might have originated during the period when the office was in charge of managing small, medium, and large (SML) enterprises…. The SML project was created by the Thaksin Shinawatra government."
Democrat MPs saw their personal net worth increase by 4.3 billion baht while Abhisit was Prime Minister. Democrat financier Kalaya Sophonphanit's personal wealth increased by 422 million baht, while the wealth of MPs Wilat Chanpitak and Chalermlak Kebsap increased by 303 and 302 million baht respectively. 10 out of 10 MPs whose wealth increased the most during Abhisit's premiership were all Democrat MPs.
TPI illegal donation scandal
In early 2009, the Democrat Party was accused by the Opposition of receiving 258 million baht in illegal donations from businessman-turned-politician Prachai Leophairatana. Prachai was the founder of failed petrochemical firm TPI PoleneTPI Polene
TPI Polene Public Company Limited is Thailand's third largest cement manufacturer.It also manufactures petrochemicals, including low-density polyethylene and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer ....
(which was under rehabilitation under the Financial Institutions Development Fund) as well as advertising shell companies Messiah Business and Creation. In the lead-up to the 2005 general election, while Abhisit was Deputy Party Leader, TPI Polene allegedly transferred the funds to Messiah Business and Creation, which then transferred the funds to senior Democrat Party leaders and their relatives in batches of less than 2 million baht each to over 70 separate bank accounts (2 million baht is the maximum that banks can transfer without reporting to the Anti-Money Laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
Office). The opposition claimed that the Democrats never reported the donation, which was far in excess to legal limits, to the Election Commission. Abhisit denied the allegations, claiming that his party's accounts had been checked by auditors. Other Democrat Party leaders claimed that "the alleged donation never took place" and that the "party never obtained it." Receiving and using an unlawful donation could result in the dissolution of the Democrat Party and the banning of its executives from political office for violating the Political Party Act.
The Opposition raised the issue in a debate of no-confidence, and accused Abhisit of approving false account reports for 2004 and 2005 to the EC and filing false information. The government won the vote, despite the Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
The Bangkok Post is a broadsheet, English-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok, Thailand. The first issue was sold on August 1, 1946. It had four pages and cost 1 baht, a considerable amount at the time....
calling the evidence against the Democrats "overwhelming" and even the pro-Democrat Nation called the Opposition's presentation "clear-cut." However, the scandal was subsequently investigated by the Department of Special Investigation. The DSI prepared a 7,000 page report which it submitted to the Election Commission in early 2010. The EC claimed that the DSI report contained many holes.
Rohingya refugees
In January 2009, CNNCNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
investigations revealed that up to 1,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
had been captured by the Thai Navy, beaten, then towed out to sea without engines or navigational aids and with little food and water. Abhisit's initial response was to claim that the media reports were "exaggerated" and that the refugees would "sail on boats without engines or sink their ships so that authorities help them to get onshore." Army Commander Anupong Paojinda denied the reports of abuse.
On 20 January, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) requested that the Thai government provide them access to the 126 surviving boat people in their custody. Abhisit said he was "glad to work with international organisations" but that such organizations would have to work on a cooperative basis with proper Thai government procedures. The military said it had "no clear information" about refugees in its custody.
Further media investigations revealed that refugees had very recently been cleared from a detention center but were nowhere to be found. A Thai Navy officer
was interviewed, saying that "We have to take the engines off the boats or they will come back. The wind will carry them to India or somewhere." Abhisit then promised a thorough military-led investigation. The investigation was led by the Internal Security Operations Command
Internal Security Operations Command
The Internal Security Operations Command is a unit of the Thai military devoted to national security issues. It was responsible for suppression of leftist groups during the 1970s and 1980s during which it was implicated in numerous atrocities against activists and civilians. The modern ISOC was...
(ISOC), the same unit in charge of refugee arrivals.
The ISOC investigation cleared all the government officials involved. Consequently, ISOC continued to be in charge of refugee arrivals.
Abhisit's deputy, Suthep Thaugsuban
Suthep Thaugsuban
Suthep Thaugsuban is a Thai politician, and Member of Parliament for Surat Thani province...
, suggested the entire situation was cooked up to besmirch Thailand's image. Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said that the CNN reports were incorrect and called for people not to "believe what the world says about Rohingya."
UNHCR goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie is an American actress. She has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards, and was named Hollywood's highest-paid actress by Forbes in 2009 and 2011. Jolie is noted for promoting humanitarian causes as a Goodwill Ambassador for the...
criticised the Thai government of ignoring the plight of Rohinyas and suggested that Thai government should take better care of the Burmese ethnics. The Foreign Ministry reprimanded the UNHCR, noting that the UNHCR had "no mandate" and saying that the matter should not be mentioned by it and its "guests." Abhisit was criticized by both Thai and international commentators for defending the military at the expense of protecting the human rights of the refugees. "We are not going to see the Abhisit government going after the military because it was instrumental in his assumption of office," said political scientist Thitinan Pongsudhirak.
Popularity
At a parliamentary session of the House of Representatives, Abhisit claimed that he had a higher approval ratingApproval rating
In the United States, presidential job approval ratings were introduced by George Gallup in the late 1930s to gauge public support for the President of the United States during his term. An approval rating is a percentage determined by a polling which indicates the percentage of respondents to an...
than his popular predecessor Thaksin Shinawatra.
Wealth
Upon his appointment as Prime Minister in 2008, Abhisit's officially declared personal assets worth 51.8 million baht (nearly $2 million). This increased to 54.4 million upon leaving office. Given that Abhisit has never worked in the private sector, the vast majority his wealth was either inherited or gifted to him.Royal decorations
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1999 Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White ElephantOrder of the White ElephantThe Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant is the most awarded order of Thailand. It was established in 1861 by King Rama IV of the Kingdom of Siam.The Order consists of eight classes:... -
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1998 Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand -
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Silver Jubilee Medal of B.E. 2514 (AD 1971) -
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Commemorative Medal of HRH Prince VajiralongkornMaha VajiralongkornSomdet Phra Boromma-orasathirat Chao Fa Maha Vajiralongkorn Sayammakutratchakuman is the only son of Bhumibol Adulyadej, the King of Thailand, and Queen Sirikit...
's Investiture as Crown Prince -
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Commemorative Medal on the Occasion of the Elevation of HRH Princess Sirindhorn to the title of "Princess Maha Chakri" - Commemorative Medal on the Occasion of the 72nd Birthday Anniversary of HM Queen Sirikit
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Commemorative Medal on the Occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the Accession to the Throne of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej
External links
- http://www.pm.go.th – The Official Website of The Prime Minister of Thailand
- http://www.abhisit.org – The Personal Website of Abhisit Vejjajiva – (in Thai only)
- In-depth interview from the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
- "Abhisit's Fame Taken in Vain," The Nation (Bangkok), 7 October 2005
- Abhisit Vejjajiva short bio