ABHISIT Wechachiwa, Prime Minister of Thailand

Abhisit Vejjajiva (Thai: ????????? ?????????, RTGS: Aphisit Wetchachiwa, IPA: [à?p?í?sìt wê?t.t????.t????.wá?], born 3 August 1964) is the incumbent Prime Minister of Thailand. He has been the leader of the Democrat Party since February 2005, first serving as opposition leader in the House of Representatives of Thailand, which on 15 December 2008, elected him the 27th Prime Minister of Thailand. Vejjajiva was formally endorsed by King Bhumibol Adulyadej as Prime Minister on 17 December 2008.

Abhisit was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England to a family of Thai physicians. He was educated at Eton and Oxford and successfully ran for MP of Bangkok under the Democrat Party following the 1991 NPKC military coup. He quickly rose through party ranks before failing in a bid to become party leader in 2001. He was appointed party leader after the Democrat Party's overwhelming defeat in the 2005 elections.

During the 2005-2006 Thai political crisis, Abhisit called for King Bhumibol to find a replacement for then Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Under Abhisit's leadership, senior Democrat Party members accused Thaksin of what they called the Finland Plot, a supposed plan by Thaksin to overthrow Bhumibol. Abhisit boycotted the 2006 elections and by-elections, claiming that the elections were just a means to "divert public attention" from the Shin Corp scandal. Abhisit voiced displeasure at the 2006 coup that overthrew Thaksin, but otherwise did not protest it or the military junta that ruled Thailand for over a year. A fact-finding panel at the Attorney-General's Office found that the Democrat Party bribed other parties to boycott the 2006 elections to force a constitutional crisis, and voted to dissolve the party. A junta tribunal acquitted Abhisit and the Democrats of the vote fraud charges, while banning Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party for similar charges. Abhisit supported the junta's 2007 Constitution, calling it an improvement on the 1997 Constitution. He promised to amend any constitutional deficiencies if he won junta-administered elections in December 2007. However, despite a new populist policy platform, the Democrat Party lost the 2007 election to the People's Power Party. In the crisis that followed, several senior members of the Democrat Party became leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy, which seized Government House, Don Muang Airport, and Suvarnabhumi Airport, while engaging in violent clashes with police and anti-PAD protesters. Abhisit voiced displeasure at sieges, but did not stop his Democrat Party deputies from their roles in the PAD. At the height of the airport sieges, the PAD openly said that the only person they would accept as Premier was Abhisit. The sieges ended when the Constitutional Court banned the People's Power Party. Several members of the PPP defected to the Democrat Party, allowing Abhisit to form a government and become Prime Minister of Thailand. Army commander and co-leader of the 2006 coup, General Anupong Paochinda, was widely reported to have encouraged or coerced MPs to defect. PAD leader Khamnoon Sitthisamarn and junta-appointed Senator called Abhisit's premiership a "genuine PAD victory" and a "Anupong-style coup d'etat."The circumstances of his ascent to power closely linked Abhisit to the Bangkok elite, the Army and the Royal Palace

Mr. Somchai Wongsawat, Former Prime Minister of Thailand

Date of Birth August 31, 1947
Marital Status Married
Address 100/159 Soi 23/2 Chonlada Village, Bangkruay - Sainoi Rd.,
Bangbuathong, Nonthaburi

Educational Background
2002 Master of Public Administration (Public and Private Management
(MPPM)), National Institute of Development Administration
1996 National Defense College of Thailand
1973 Barrister-at-Law, the Thai Bar
1970 Bachelor of Laws, Thammasat University

Work Experience
February 6, 2008 - Present Minister of Education
2008 Committee Member of the Thai Bar under the patronage of His Majesty
the King
2007 Member of the House of Representatives (Party List)
2007 Deputy Leader of People Power Party
March, 8-September, 2006 Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour
November 11, 1999 – March, 2006 Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice
1998-1999 Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice
1997 Chief Justice, Court of Appeal Region II
1993 Justice, Court of Appeal Region III
1990 Chief Justice, Thonburi Criminal Court
1989 Chief Justice, Nonthaburi Court
1988 Chief Justice, Chonburi Court
1987 Chief Justice, Rayong Juvenile Court
1986 Chief Justice, Pang-nga Court
1983 Judge, Chiangrai Court
1977 Judge, Chiangmai Court
1976 Judge, Chiangmai-Kwaeng Court
1975 Judge, Ministry of Justice
1974 Assistant Judge, Ministry of Justice



Other experience
1999-2006
Chairman of Committee (Laws field), National Research Council of Thailand
Member of Board, Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand
Member of Board, Electricity Generating Public Company Limited
Member of Board, Krung Thai Bank Public Company Limited
Member of Board, PTT Public Company Limited
Member of Board, Airport of Thailand Company Limited
Member of Board, Thai Oil Public Company Limited
Member of Committee, Office of the Narcotics Control Board
Member of Committee, Anti Money Laundering Board
Member of Committee, the Council of State
Member of Committee, Board of Royal Thai Police
Member of Committee, the Civil Service Commission
Member of Committee, Attorney Commission
Member of Committee, Judiciary Commission
Member of Committee, the Government Lottery Office

Decorations
1999 Chakrabarti Mala Medal
1997 Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White
Elephant
1992 Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown
of Thailand
1989 Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White
Elephant
1986 Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of
Thailand
1984 Knight Commander (Second Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White
Elephant
1980 Knight Commander (Second Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of
Thailand

Surayut Chulanon, Former Prime Minister of Thailand

Date of Birth          

Marital Status 

Education