Democrat Party (Thailand)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Democrat Party () is a conservative Thai political party. The party is the oldest active political party in Thailand, it was founded in 1946 as a
royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gove ...
party; it now upholds a
liberal-conservative Liberal conservatism is a political ideology combining conservative policies with liberal stances, especially on economic issues but also on social and ethical matters, representing a brand of political conservatism strongly influenced by libe ...
and pro-market position. The Democrat Party made its best showings in parliament in 1948, 1976, and 1996. It has never won an outright parliamentary majority. The party's electoral support bases are southern Thailand and Bangkok, although the party's strength in Bangkok has declined rapidly since the 2019 general election. Since
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
, Democrat candidates won three elections for the governorship of
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
. From 2005 to 2019, the Democrat Party was led by
Abhisit Vejjajiva Abhisit Vejjajiva (; , , ; born 3 August 1964) is a Thai politician who was the 27th prime minister of Thailand from 2008 to 2011. He was the leader of the Democrat Party from 2005 until he resigned following the party's weak performance in t ...
, former
prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
.


Names

The Thai name of the party, ''Prachathipat'' (ประชาธิปัตย์), is derived from the word ''prachathipatai'' (ประชาธิปไตย) which means 'democracy', 'democratic' or 'democrat'. The party said it wanted the term to mean the people in whom democracy is vested.


History


Party founding

The Democrat Party was founded by
Khuang Aphaiwong Khuang Aphaiwong (also spelled Kuang, Abhaiwong and Abhaiwongse; , ; 17 May 1902 – 15 March 1968), also known by his noble title Luang Kowit-aphaiwong (, ), was the founder of the Democrat Party and three times the prime minister of Thaila ...
on 5 April 1946, but the party considers 6 April as the party's founding day, to coincide with Chakri Memorial Day, as a
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
and
royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gove ...
party, following the January 1946 elections. Early members included royalists opposed to
Pridi Phanomyong Pridi Banomyong (, , ; 11 May 1900 – 2 May 1983), also known by his noble title Thai_nobility#Noble_titles, Luang Praditmanutham (), was a Thai lawyer, professor, activist, politician, and senior statesman. He served in multiple ministerial p ...
and former Seri Thai underground resistance members. The party competed against the parties affiliated with
Pridi Phanomyong Pridi Banomyong (, , ; 11 May 1900 – 2 May 1983), also known by his noble title Thai_nobility#Noble_titles, Luang Praditmanutham (), was a Thai lawyer, professor, activist, politician, and senior statesman. He served in multiple ministerial p ...
and the Progressive Party of brothers Seni and Kukrit Pramoj. In the January 1946 elections, the Pridi-led coalition had won a majority in parliament. However, Pridi declined the nomination as prime minister and the parliament appointed Khuang as premier. Khuang resigned in March 1946, after being defeated on a bill, and was replaced by Pridi. The smaller Progress Party later merged with the Democrat Party.


Accusation against Pridi Phanomyong

After the
death Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...
of King Ananda Mahidol in 1946, the Democrat Party accused Pridi of having been the mastermind behind the king's death and spread this propaganda throughout the capital. Seni Pramoj's wife told the US
chargé d'affaires A (), plural ''chargés d'affaires'', often shortened to ''chargé'' (French) and sometimes in colloquial English to ''charge-D'', is a diplomat who serves as an embassy's chief of mission in the absence of the ambassador. The term is Frenc ...
that Pridi had the king assassinated, and Democrat Party members spread the same rumor to the British Embassy. A few days after the king's death, a Democrat MP yelled out, "Pridi killed the King!" in the middle of a crowded theater.


November 1947 coup and the 1949 Constitution

By the time of the elections of August 1946, the Democrat Party was backed by royalists like Prince Upalisarn Jubala, Srivisarn Vacha, Sridhamadibes, Borirak Vejjakarn, and Srisena Sombatsiri. Except for Prince Upalisarn Jubala, all of these figures would become Privy Councilors to King
Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej (5 December 192713 October 2016), titled Rama IX, was King of Thailand from 1946 until Death and funeral of Bhumibol Adulyadej, his death in 2016. His reign of 70 years and 126 days is the longest of any List of Thai mo ...
. Parties affiliated with Pridi continued to win a majority of seats in parliament. Pridi was appointed premier, but later conceded to Luang Thamrong Navasavat. A military coup led by Marshal
Plaek Phibunsongkhram Plaek Phibunsongkhram; 14 July 1897 – 11 June 1964) was a Thai military officer and politician who served as the third prime minister of Thailand from 1938 to 1944 and again from 1948 to 1957. He rose to power as a leading member of the Kh ...
later overthrew the Thamrong government. The palace persuaded Marshal Plaek to appoint Khuang Aphaiwong as figurehead civilian prime minister. In subsequent elections on 29 January 1948, the Democrats won a majority for the first time, and reappointed Khuang as premier. Khuang packed his cabinet with palace allies, much to the consternation of the military. The military later, claiming that they were supporters of
constitutional monarchy Constitutional monarchy, also known as limited monarchy, parliamentary monarchy or democratic monarchy, is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in making decisions. ...
, demanded that Khuang resign. Marshal Plaek replaced Khuang as prime minister. Although having no representatives in the cabinet, the Democrats had key representatives in the
constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...
drafting committee. Headed by Seni Pramoj and dominated by royalists under the direction of Prince Rangsit and Prince Dhani, the 1949 Constitution elevated the throne to its most powerful position since the 1932 overthrow of the absolute monarchy.Paul M. Handley, " The King Never Smiles" Yale University Press: 2006, Among its features was a senate whose members were to be appointed directly by the king. The constitution triggered protests among much of the public. It was attacked as contrary to the purpose of the 1932 revolution. Critics were branded republicans and communists. Subsequent elections saw military-backed parties winning the majority in the House; however the Senate was still dominated by Democrats and other royalists. As Marshal Plaek was still premier, tensions between the military and the Democrat/palace-alliance steadily increased. On 29 November 1951, the military and the police seized power, just as King Bhumibol's ship was returning to Thai waters. Although the military's 1952 constitution, which was similar to the 1932 Constitution, called for elections, the Democrats had been practically barred from government for the following 23 years for their anti-military stance, denying them chances to serve the people.


Sarit Dhanarajata's government

Sarit Dhanarajata seized power from Marshal Plaek in 1957. Unlike Marshal Plaek, Sarit deified the throne, thus removing any advantage that the Democrats, who had previously been dominated by royalists, may have had. The junta did not immediately abrogate the 1952 constitution, but instead appointed Pote Sarasin as figurehead civilian premier. Elections were held on 15 December 1957, resulting in the Democrats losing to military-backed parties. Sarit's ally, General Thanom Kittikachorn, was appointed premier. Sarit later went to the US to seek treatment for
liver cirrhosis Cirrhosis, also known as liver cirrhosis or hepatic cirrhosis, chronic liver failure or chronic hepatic failure and end-stage liver disease, is a chronic condition of the liver in which the normal functioning tissue, or parenchyma, is replaced ...
. Eight months later, he recovered, returned and led another coup while dissolving parliament, abrogating the constitution, and ruling by revolutionary council. For the next nine years, there were no elections in Thailand, and the Democrat Party was dormant.


Thanom Kittikachorn's rule through military power

Thanom Kittikachorn, who had succeeded Sarit after his death, was pressured to promulgate a democratic constitution on 20 June 1968, and hold elections in February 1969. Parties affiliated with Thanom won the election, and the Democrats joined the opposition due to their anti-dictatorship stance. Thanom, his son Narong, and his brother-in-law
Praphas Charusathien Praphas Charusathien (, , ; 25 November 1912 – 18 August 1997) was a Thai military officer and politician. He was a Field Marshal (Thailand), field marshal of the Royal Thai Army and minister of interior in the governments of military rulers Sa ...
became known as the "three tyrants". They later executed a coup against their own government on 17 November 1971, abrogating the constitution and running the kingdom through a National Executive Council. Beginning in 1972, popular demands for democratic freedoms began to grow. In response to the demands, the National Executive Council drafted a new charter in December 1972, which established a wholly appointed 299-member National Legislative Assembly.


Shift to an unstable civilian government

Opposition to the three tyrants culminated on 14 October 1973, when 400,000 persons protested at the Democracy Monument. A violent crackdown and subsequent intervention by the king led to the appointment of Privy Councilor Sanya Dhammasakdi as premier. The three tyrants left the kingdom. Sanya established a constitution drafting committee, consisting of Kukrit Pramoj (who by this time had established and defected to the Social Action Party) and many academics. The new constitution was promulgated on 7 October 1974. Legislative elections were held in January 1975, resulting in none of the 22 parties coming close to winning a majority. The Democrats, led by Seni Pramoj, formed a coalition government in February 1974. Seni was appointed premier, but the coalition was unstable, and was replaced in less than a month by a Social Action Party-led coalition which appointed Social Action Party leader Kukrit Pramoj as premier.


Seni Pramoj and the 6 October 1976 massacre

The kingdom descended into political chaos, with anti-leftist groups growing increasingly violent. In January 1976, the military pressured Kukrit to dissolve parliament. Elections were scheduled on 14 April. The months leading up to the election were particularly eventful: The head of the Socialist Party was assassinated, the Red Gaur attempted to bomb the headquarters of the New Force Party (a leftist party), and the Chart Thai Party was established with the slogan "Right Kills Left". Seni Pramoj's Democrats won the most seats in the election, and formed an unstable coalition government. Seni's government came under great pressure. A bill to extend elections to local levels was passed by parliament 149-19, but the king refused to sign the bill or return it to parliament, effectively vetoing it. As anti-leftist sentiments mounted,
Praphas Charusathien Praphas Charusathien (, , ; 25 November 1912 – 18 August 1997) was a Thai military officer and politician. He was a Field Marshal (Thailand), field marshal of the Royal Thai Army and minister of interior in the governments of military rulers Sa ...
returned shortly from exile and met the king. Students protesting Praphas' return were attacked by Red Gaur paramilitary units. On 19 September 1976, Thanom also returned from exile and was immediately ordained as a monk at Wat Bovornives. Massive protests erupted. The king and queen returned from a trip to the south and visited monk Thanom, leading Seni to resign from the premiership in protest. His resignation was refused by parliament, but initial attempts to reshuffle his cabinet were vetoed by the king. The political tension finally culminated in the
6 October 1976 massacre The 6 October 1976 massacre, also known as the 6 October event ( ) in Thailand, was a violent crackdown by Thai police and lynching by right-wing paramilitaries and bystanders against leftist protesters who had occupied Bangkok's Thammasat Un ...
, when Village Scouts and Red Gaur joined with some military and police to massacre at least 46 students protesting at
Thammasat University Thammasat University (TU; ; , ) is a public university, public research university in Thailand with campuses in the Tha Phra Chan area of Bangkok, Rangsit, Pattaya and Lampang Province. , Thammasat University has over 39,000 students enrolled in ...
. That evening, the military seized power and installed hard-line royalist Tanin Kraivixien as premier. The military coup to restore order was endorsed by the king, who declared it was "a manifestation of what the people clearly wanted." The new constitution did not express any obligation for the government to have a cabinet or elections, and gave the premier near-absolute powers.


The Democrat Party in the 1990s

The Democrat Party, being led by Bhichai Rattakul, became an outspoken opponent of
military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...
rule in
Thai politics The politics of Thailand are conducted within the framework of a constitutional monarchy, whereby the Prime Minister of Thailand, prime minister is the head of government and a Hereditary monarchy, hereditary monarch is head of state. The judic ...
during the 1990s. The Democrat Party was the key member of the "People Power" movement in
1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...
.


Chuan Leekpai

The party's voter base is traditionally concentrated in
southern Thailand Southern Thailand (formerly Southern Siam and Tambralinga) is the southernmost cultural region of Thailand, separated from Central Thailand by the Kra Isthmus. Geography Southern Thailand is on the Malay Peninsula, with an area of around , bo ...
and in
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
, where the party relies on the support from the capital's
aristocratic Aristocracy (; ) is a form of government that places power in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. Across Europe, the aristocracy exercised immense economic, political, and social influence. In Western Christian co ...
,
meritocratic Meritocracy (''merit'', from Latin , and ''-cracy'', from Ancient Greek 'strength, power') is the notion of a political system in which economic goods or political power are vested in individual people based on ability and talent, rather than ...
, and educated middle and
upper class Upper class in modern societies is the social class composed of people who hold the highest social status. Usually, these are the wealthiest members of class society, and wield the greatest political power. According to this view, the upper cla ...
es. In the 1990s, under the leadership of
Chuan Leekpai Chuan Leekpai MPCh MVM ThChW (, , ; ; born 28 July 1938) is a Thai politician who served two terms as the prime minister of Thailand, from 1992 to 1995, and from 1997 to 2001. He is also the former president of the National Assembly of Tha ...
, a native of
Trang Province Trang (, ; ), also called ''Mueang Thap Thiang'', is one of the southern Provinces of Thailand, provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand, on the west side of the Malay Peninsula facing the Strait of Malacca. Neighboring provinces are (from north clo ...
, the Democrats quickly became the dominant party in
southern Thailand Southern Thailand (formerly Southern Siam and Tambralinga) is the southernmost cultural region of Thailand, separated from Central Thailand by the Kra Isthmus. Geography Southern Thailand is on the Malay Peninsula, with an area of around , bo ...
. The influences of provincial politicians from the south into the party created considerable tension with the party's
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
establishment. Chuan's "Mr. Clean" image, however, made him personally popular with Democrat Party supporters throughout Thailand, and so the party managed to stay cohesive under his leadership. The first Chuan government (1992–1995) fell when members of the cabinet were implicated in profiting from the Sor Phor Kor 4-01 land project documents distributed in Phuket Province. Chuan was again premier from 1997 to 2001, in the midst of the
1997 Asian financial crisis The 1997 Asian financial crisis gripped much of East Asia, East and Southeast Asia during the late 1990s. The crisis began in Thailand in July 1997 before spreading to several other countries with a ripple effect, raising fears of a worldwide eco ...
and its aftermath. The party lost a landslide election victory to
Thaksin Shinawatra Thaksin Shinawatra (, ; born 26 July 1949) is a Thai businessman and politician who was the 23rd prime minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006. Since 2009 he has also been a citizen of Montenegro. Thaksin founded the mobile phone operator A ...
's
populist Populism is a contested concept used to refer to a variety of political stances that emphasize the idea of the " common people" and often position this group in opposition to a perceived elite. It is frequently associated with anti-establis ...
Thai Rak Thai The Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT; , , ; "Thais Love Thais Party") was a list of political parties in Thailand, Thai political party founded in 1998. From 2001 to 2006, it was the ruling party under its founder, Prime Minister of Thailand, Prime Mini ...
(TRT) party, winning 128 seats compared to the TRT's 248 in the 2001 general election. After the election in 2001, Thaksin Shinawatra the leader of Thai Rak Thai Party, became prime minister. New Aspiration Party has joined the government. Shortly thereafter. The New Aspiration Party was merged with the Thai Rak Thai Party. Mostly to join Thai Rak Thai party (the governing party) with Gen. Chavalit Yongchaiyudh except Lieutenant Colonel Thita Rangsitpol Manitkul, WRTA Member of the Parliament and Deputy Secretary of the party. Offset to the Democrat Party (Thailand) (Opposition Party) remains the only MPs moving from the opposition party government. During her tenure as a member of the House of Representatives.


The Democrat Party in the 2000s


Banyat Bantadtan

In 2003, Chuan retired from his position as party leader. Banyat Bantadtan, a southerner and a close aide to Chuan, succeeded him after a closely fought leadership contest with Abhisit Vejjajiva. Democrat Party's candidate Apirak Kosayothin won the 2004 Bangkok gubernatorial election; the TRT Party did not submit a candidate. The Democrat Party lost further ground to Thai Rak Thai in the 2005 general election. In the election campaign, the Democrats had a populist platform, promoting job creation, universal education and health care, and law and order against crime and corruption.Aurel Croissant and Daniel J. Pojar, Jr.
Quo Vadis Thailand? Thai Politics after the 2005 Parliamentary Election
, Strategic Insights, Volume IV, Issue 6 (June 2005)
The party aimed to gain 201 seats, enough to launch a vote of a no confidence debate against the premier. They won 96 of 500 seats and 18.3 percent of the popular vote. The party's leader, Banyat Bantadtan, resigned after the election. On 6 March 2005, Abhisit Vejjajiva was elected new party leader. Upon succeeding the party's leadership from Banyat, Abhisit noted, "It will take a long time to revive the party because we need to look four years ahead and consider how to stay in the hearts of the people."


Abhisit Vejjajiva and the Thai Rak Thai government

The popularity of the
populist Populism is a contested concept used to refer to a variety of political stances that emphasize the idea of the " common people" and often position this group in opposition to a perceived elite. It is frequently associated with anti-establis ...
Thai Rak Thai The Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT; , , ; "Thais Love Thais Party") was a list of political parties in Thailand, Thai political party founded in 1998. From 2001 to 2006, it was the ruling party under its founder, Prime Minister of Thailand, Prime Mini ...
Party in Thai politics from 2001 to 2006 presented new challenges to the Democrat Party. The TRT championed populist policies with its focus on providing affordable and quality health care for all citizens, village-managed
microcredit Microcredit is the extension of very small loans (microloans) to impoverished borrowers who typically do not have access to traditional banking services due to a lack of collateral (finance), collateral, steady employment, and a verifiable credi ...
development funds, the government-sponsored One Tambon One Product program, and others. The populist policies earned the TRT enormous support from rural constituencies, unprecedented in Thailand's history. Opposition to the TRT government rose in Bangkok after Thaksin's family announced their tax-free sale of their 49.6 percent stake in Shin Corp to Temasek for almost 73.3 billion baht on 23 January 2006. The
People's Alliance for Democracy The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD; ; commonly known as "Yellow Shirts") was a Thai reactionary, monarchist political movement and pressure group. It was originally a coalition of protesters against Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime M ...
began a series of anti-government protests. Several Democrat Party leaders also joined the PAD, which accused Thaksin of disloyalty to the throne and asked King Bhumibol to appoint a replacement prime minister. Thaksin Shinawatra dissolved the
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...
on 24 February 2006 and called for an election. On 24 March 2006, Abhisit Vejjajiva publicly backed the
People's Alliance for Democracy The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD; ; commonly known as "Yellow Shirts") was a Thai reactionary, monarchist political movement and pressure group. It was originally a coalition of protesters against Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime M ...
's call for a royally-appointed government. Bhumibol, in a speech on 26 April 2006, responded, "Asking for a royally-appointed prime minister is undemocratic. It is, pardon me, a mess. It is irrational". Abhisit and his opposition parties allies boycotted the April 2006 elections, claiming it "diverted public attention" from Thaksin's corruption charges and his sale of Shin Corp. The boycott caused a constitutional crisis, prompting Thaksin to call another round of elections in October 2006, which the Democrats did not boycott. The army seized power on 19 September and cancelled the upcoming election.


2006 coup and military government

Abhisit voiced displeasure at the 2006 coup that overthrew Thaksin, but otherwise did not protest it or the
military junta A military junta () is a system of government led by a committee of military leaders. The term ''Junta (governing body), junta'' means "meeting" or "committee" and originated in the Junta (Peninsular War), national and local junta organized by t ...
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 April 2006 parliamentary election, which forced a
constitutional crisis In political science, a constitutional crisis is a problem or conflict in the function of a government that the constitution, political constitution or other fundamental governing law is perceived to be unable to resolve. There are several variat ...
, and voted to dissolve the party. It also found that Thaksin's
Thai Rak Thai The Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT; , , ; "Thais Love Thais Party") was a list of political parties in Thailand, Thai political party founded in 1998. From 2001 to 2006, it was the ruling party under its founder, Prime Minister of Thailand, Prime Mini ...
party bribed other parties to contest the election. A junta tribunal acquitted Abhisit and the Democrats of the vote fraud charges, but convicted and banned the Thai Rak Thai party and its entire executive team. Abhisit supported the junta's 2007 Constitution, calling it an improvement on the 1997 constitution.''The Nation''
Draft gets Democrats' vote
, 9 July 2007
The military junta organized general elections for 23 December 2007. Despite being banned from politics for five years,
Thaksin Shinawatra Thaksin Shinawatra (, ; born 26 July 1949) is a Thai businessman and politician who was the 23rd prime minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006. Since 2009 he has also been a citizen of Montenegro. Thaksin founded the mobile phone operator A ...
was popular in his former support bases in the central, north, and northeastern regions and attempted to maintain an active role in Thai politics by supporting the People's Power Party, which had become the successor party of the banned TRT. Abhisit promoted populist policies in his party's campaign as the Democrat Party's platform in the 2007 parliamentary election. He claimed that while his platform was categorically considered to be populist, it sought to curb inflation while maintaining fiscal soundness, to apply the village-based
microcredit Microcredit is the extension of very small loans (microloans) to impoverished borrowers who typically do not have access to traditional banking services due to a lack of collateral (finance), collateral, steady employment, and a verifiable credi ...
development funds used in the Thaksin-led government, but do it as part of promoting royalist sufficiency economy policies in rural areas, and to strengthen the country's long-term competitiveness through universal education through high school. In the junta-administered 2007 parliamentary election, the People's Power Party won the largest share of the vote and formed a six-party coalition government. The Democrats' populist platform was poorly received in the central, north, and northeastern regions. The Democrat Party became the opposition party as it was the second-largest party in the House of Representatives.


People's Alliance for Democracy and the 2008 political crisis

The People's Alliance for Democracy resurfaced to destabilize the People's Power government, after having gone dormant following the 2006 coup. Several Democrat Party leaders allied themselves with PAD in the subsequent 2008–2010 Thai political crisis. PAD organized extended street protests and later led a months-long seizure of Government House, the seat of Thai government. In November 2008, PAD supporters seized and occupied Don Muang Airport and Suvarnabhumi Airport. PAD declared that the only person they would accept as premier was Abhisit of the Democrat Party. Abhisit disapproved of the sieges, but did not stop his deputies from their PAD involvement.


2008–2011 coalition government

The sieges ended when the constitutional court banned the People's Power Party and two of its coalition allies. During the critical period that followed the rulings, it is alleged that army commander and co-leader of the 2006 coup, General Anupong Paochinda, coerced former PPP MPs, mainly those of the Friends of Newin Group, to endorse a Democrat Party-led coalition, which secured enough parliamentary votes to allow Abhisit to be elected prime minister. These MPs, along with MPs of four other former PPP-coalition parties, crossed the aisle to endorse a Democrat-led coalition government. In a December 2008 parliamentary session, the Democrat-led coalition government was voted upon, with 235 to 198 votes in favor of Democrat Party leader and candidate for PM Abhisit Vejjajiva.''The Nation''
“สนธิ” เปิดใจครั้งแรก เบื้องลึกปมลอบยิง โยงทหารฮั้วการเมืองเก่า
, 1 May 2009
''The Telegraph''

18 December 2008
During Songkran (Thai New Year), anti-government UDD protesters disrupted the Fourth East Asia Summit. Violent protests then erupted in Bangkok, leading Abhisit to declare a
state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state before, during, o ...
for three days, censoring the media, and using military force to end the protests. Soon afterward, PAD leader Sondhi Limthongkul was the target of an unsuccessful assassination attempt. Both Sondhi's son and Thaksin claimed that factions within the Democrat government were behind the assassination. Abhisit's foreign minister counter-claimed that Thaksin was behind it.''The Nation''
Sondhi's son alleges "Gestapo" behind his father's assassination attempt


2011 general election

Abhisit dissolved parliament in early-2011 and scheduled general elections for 3 July 2011. 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 A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. List of countries by minimum wage, Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation b ...
by 25 percent if the Democrat Party won the election. At the general election on 3 July 2011, the Democrats were only able to defend 159 seats in the House of Representatives, while rivaling Pheu Thai Party led by Yingluck Shinawatra won an outright majority. The next day, Abhisit stepped down as the party leader. However, on 6 August, he was re-elected as the leader of the Democrat Party with the support of 96 percent of those eligible to vote at the party's assembly—some 330 people including local branch leaders and MPs.


2019 general election

In 2018, the Democrats held a contest for party leader in preparation for the upcoming election. Abhisit was re-elected party leader, beating former PDRC leader, Warong Dechgitvigrom, by approximately 10,000 votes. Abhisit said that the Democrats would not form a government with Phalang Pracharat, the most prominent pro-junta party. Additionally, he said the Democrats would not support Prayut Chan-o-cha for Prime Minister. These statements was met with skepticism from both the junta and the media. In April, Prayut responded by saying that he expected the Democrats to change their stance and work with the junta after the election. Additionally, many commentators predicted Democrats would form a government coalition with Phalang Pracharat. The 2019 election proved to be a major upset to the party, which came in fourth place and won no seats in its traditional stronghold of Bangkok, leading to Abhisit resigning as party leader, having stated previously that he would do so if the party won fewer than 100 seats. Jurin Laksanawisit was elected to succeed him on 15 May. The Democrats then formed a pact with the
Bhumjaithai Party Bhumjaithai Party (BJT; , ) is a major conservative populist political party in Thailand. It was founded on 5 November 2008, in anticipation of the 2 December 2008 Constitutional Court ruling that dissolved its ''de facto'' predecessor, the Ne ...
, intending to use their combined 103 MPs as leverage for negotiations with other parties. At the first meeting of the new parliament, Democrat ex-prime minister Chuan was nominated speaker of the House of Representatives by PPRP deputy leader Nataphol Teepsuwan and was elected to that office. This move was seen by commentators as a signal that a deal had been reached and a coalition with the Phalang Pracharat party was imminent. The coalition was finally made official on 4 June, one day before the National Assembly was scheduled to vote for the prime minister, following a vote by party MPs and executives. Following this, Abhisit resigned as MP, stating that he could not break his previous stance on not supporting Phalang Pracharat.


2022 sexual scandal

Prinn Panitchpakdi, deputy leader of the Democrat Party was accused of many sexual misconduct cases, including rape. Senior executives such as Kanok Wongtra-ngan and Mallika Boonmeetrakul Mahasuk left the party for a moral responsibility.


2023 general election

The 2023 election proved another setback to the party, which slipped further down to sixth place with only 25 MPs, prompting the resignation of party leader Jurin. The Democrats once again won no seats in its traditional stronghold of Bangkok and received only 2.68% of the party-list vote in the capital. This is likely due to conservatives voting for the military-backed United Thai Nation while the educated middle class (once the Democrats’ core voter base) moved to the progressive Move Forward Party. Furthermore, the party lost ground in the historically Democrat southern provinces to other conservative parties. During the 2nd prime ministership election, 16 out of 25 Democrat MPs voted for the Pheu Thai candidate
Srettha Thavisin Srettha Thavisin (, , ; born 15 February 1962) is a Thai businessman and former politician who served as the 30th Prime Minister of Thailand from 2023
despite agreeing to abstain. This caused a divide between the “New Democrat” MPs (who are more open to working with Pheu Thai) and the “Old Guard” MPs (who still view Pheu Thai as their historical rival.) On 9 December 2023, a meeting was held to choose the party's new leader with four candidates running for leadership — former prime minister
Abhisit Vejjajiva Abhisit Vejjajiva (; , , ; born 3 August 1964) is a Thai politician who was the 27th prime minister of Thailand from 2008 to 2011. He was the leader of the Democrat Party from 2005 until he resigned following the party's weak performance in t ...
, the party's acting leader Chalermchai Sri-on, former Democrat MP Lt-Colonel Thita Rangsitpol Manitkul former MP and businesswoman Watanya “Madame Dear” Bunnag. Before the actual leadership vote was held, Watanya was forced out of the race due to not meeting the requirements which led to her immediately leaving the meeting in tears. After a brief chat between Abhisit and Chalermchai, Abhisit announced his decision to withdraw his candidacy and leave the party altogether. The meeting resulted in Chalermchai Sri-on being elected as the Democrat Party's new leader.


Democrat Prime Ministers


Election results


General elections


Bangkok Metropolitan Administration elections


Bangkok gubernatorial elections


Bangkok Metropolitan Council elections


District Council elections


See also

*
Khuang Aphaiwong Khuang Aphaiwong (also spelled Kuang, Abhaiwong and Abhaiwongse; , ; 17 May 1902 – 15 March 1968), also known by his noble title Luang Kowit-aphaiwong (, ), was the founder of the Democrat Party and three times the prime minister of Thaila ...
* Seni Pramoj * Kukrit Pramoj *
Abhisit Vejjajiva Abhisit Vejjajiva (; , , ; born 3 August 1964) is a Thai politician who was the 27th prime minister of Thailand from 2008 to 2011. He was the leader of the Democrat Party from 2005 until he resigned following the party's weak performance in t ...
* List of political parties in Thailand


Notes


References


External links

* {{Thai political parties
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
Political parties in Thailand Political parties established in 1946 1946 establishments in Thailand Centrist parties in Asia Centre-right parties in Asia Conservative liberal parties Classical liberal parties Conservative parties in Thailand Monarchist parties in Thailand