British-born Abhisit Vejjajiva May Be Named New Thai Prime Minister

[Boater]

(AP)

Abhisit Vejjajiva, known to British friends as "Mark Vejj", is part of the Thai elite that opposed Thaksin Shinawatra, the ousted prime minister

Richard Lloyd Parry, Asia Editor

With his Eton and Oxford education, his dark good looks, and his quiet upper-class enunciation, he might be a thrusting young London barrister, or a member of David Cameron's Shadow Cabinet. But despite his impeccably British patrician upbringing, he is about to be plunged into the politics of South-East Asia's most chaotic country.

If all goes as expected, then Abhisit Vejjajiva, will tomorrow be elected Thailand's latest prime minister, inheriting a country bitterly divided between the poor and the affluent, the rural and the urban, the mass and the elite. But the man in charge of healing these bitter wounds is better remembered in Britain as "Mark Vejj", a bright, charming, posh overseas student with an unpronounceable full name.

His Thai supporters insist that only he can bring to an end the three years of conflict that culminated in the hijacking of Bangkok international airport by anti-government protesters. His opponents hold that he is a callow politician, the stooge of vested interests, who has consistently failed to win power through fair electoral means, and whose privileged foreign upbringing leaves him wholly unequipped to understand the problems of Thailand's rural poor.

Mr Abhisit's election tomorrow is not guaranteed but, as leader of the Democrat Party, he appears to have a better chance than anyone else when an emergency session of parliament meets to choose a new prime minister. It has come about because of a ruling by the Thai Constitutional Court disbanding the ruling People Power Party (PPP) that won a general election last December.

Dismissal of the Government was the principal demand of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), whose supporters took over Suvarnabhumi Airport, . After the court dissolved the PP because of electoral bribery by one of its members, the PAD withdrew from Suvarnabhumi and called off months of demonstrations and illegal occupations of government buildings.

It is this combination of illegal protest and judicial diktat – not political popularity and elections – that has given the Democrat Party its chance at government. The Democrats won barely a third of seats in 2007, even less than that in 2001 and 2005, and boycotted the snap 2006 election altogether.

"Abhisit has proved he can't win elections," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Professor of Political Science at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. "On paper, he's qualified, bicultural, bilingual. But he's being hoisted into office by the powers that be, above the heads of the rural majority of Thailand."

Politically, it is difficult to say what exactly Mr Abhisit, 44, and his party stand for. Born in Newcastle to Thai parents who were medical professors, he presents himself as a liberal in the European mould. In practice, he appears motivated principally by opposition to Thaksin Shinawatra, the deposed and exiled prime minister who transformed Thai politics.

Before he came to office, governments had been controlled by parties of the urban elite, older versions of Mr Abhisit with cosmopolitan educations, strong connections to the Thai military and monarchy, but little concern with or experience of the needs of poor Thais.

Mr Thaksin was held widely to be corrupt (he was convicted of a multimillion-pound property fraud this year), but he did genuinely improve life in the countryside with cheap health care, micro-credit and a murderous crackdown on narcotics dealers which eased the drug problem in Thai villages.

The Thai elite, including Mr Abhisit, accused him of using his vast personal wealth to corrode the country's democratic institutions. But the elections were fair enough to show that the poor were electing him over and over again. In 2006, the army stepped in, deposed Mr Thaksin in a coup, and changed the constitution to improve the chances of the Democrat Party. They lost again to the PPP, an unapologetic vehicle for supporters of Mr Thaksin.

As a self-styled liberal and democrat, Mr Abhisit expressed mild discomfort at the coup, but never repudiated it; and he and his party have supported the illegal and sometimes violent campaign of the PAD.

Edited December 9, 2008 by Boater

[phaethon]

Hmmm...This pic does not bode well for his economic affiliations:

[churchill]

I think he is the best of the worst options and wish him luck if he gets a chance to try and make a middle path between the other two .

I can also see Barclays and Adidas on his shirt so 2 out of 3 not so bad .

Edited December 9, 2008 by churchill

[ray08]

The democrats are getting in on default with the help of the Army ,Judges PAD ,Friends of Newin ,and who knows what other people behind the scenes

So this new PM ,owes a lot of favours to a lot of people ,this will make it very hard to govern ,and with a weak coalition ,I don,t see him doing much for Thailand, really the only answer is fresh elections,

[quiksilva]

Democrats getting into power by default is par for the course in Thailand, good to see things resuming to what is considered 'normal' by Thai standards.

Yes Ray agreed (we seem to be doing that alot lately), the only way to heal the rift will be to take a leaf out of Obama's book and select a bipartisan cabinet, but doing so will probably ensure that his hands are tied, unless the unthinkable can happen and the politicians actually start to work for the country!

[Kharzi]

The " Democrats ", a misnomer if ever there was one, are simply a vehicle for the same old association of elitist families which will enjoy the tacit support of the army provided their rice bowls are replenished appropriately.

Abhisit has the credentials to lend this parasitic group a certain gloss making it acceptable to the international community which will no doubt embrace the appearance of a functioning democracy even if none exists.

Stability is the name of the game provided no one person gains ascendancy over the other to the extent that Thaksin did. Nothing must threaten the applecart of the cosy elitists and their leader. Any aspiration to durability is of course quite incidental and Abhisit is probably well aware that his role will be token. The real broker of any enduring deals has yet to be identified but doubtless we will see in due course.

[Bangyai]

Does he have any other scouser traits or is supporting Newcastle his only error ?

[dudemeister]

Mmmmm British born Prime Minister.........wasnt His Majesty born in the US?

[phaethon]

Does he have any other scouser traits or is supporting Newcastle his only error ?

Yes, the world's only US-born monarch (statement of fact, no diuscussion... )

[britmaveric]

Won't last long - once elections are called back to the legitimate government.

[Moonrakers]

Does he have any other scouser traits or is supporting Newcastle his only error ?

Apologies for the pedantry but Scouser's don't support Newcastle, Geordie's do.

[JetsetBkk]

...Abhisit has the credentials to lend this parasitic group a certain gloss making it acceptable to the international community ...

He's also very pretty - the Tony Blair effect?

[ThaiPauly]

I hope they give him a chance..as of now..he SHOULD have been named PM...but so far he has not

More twists to come?

[jasreeve17]

The " Democrats ", a misnomer if ever there was one, are simply a vehicle for the same old association of elitist families which will enjoy the tacit support of the army provided their rice bowls are replenished appropriately.

Abhisit has the credentials to lend this parasitic group a certain gloss making it acceptable to the international community which will no doubt embrace the appearance of a functioning democracy even if none exists.

Stability is the name of the game provided no one person gains ascendancy over the other to the extent that Thaksin did. Nothing must threaten the applecart of the cosy elitists and their leader. Any aspiration to durability is of course quite incidental and Abhisit is probably well aware that his role will be token. The real broker of any enduring deals has yet to be identified but doubtless we will see in due course.

A very decent post, with the exception of the last line; we do know, and it's sad, pathetic and non-sustainable.

[geriatrickid]

The gentleman's academic pedigree is excellent and superior to many politicians in the west. More importantly, he may come from a wealthy family, but his family earned it through profesional excellence. His parents and his siblings were/are academics and medical professionals. Even his wife works and had her own professional career as a dentist befoe she switched to teaching applied sciences at the uni. Less likely to see a guy with a mathematics professor wife, trying to promote inflated real estate deals for her benefit. I don't think his sister the psychiatrist is going to be pestering him about getting a handout, than she would be about providing mental health care access to the poor. He might be from the elite, but I have a hunch he understands the concept of noblesse oblige.

He just might be the pragmatist needed to bring peace and order for a year or two until the dust settles. I hope he is given a chance, because he might just shock alot of people on both sides of the political equation.

[Gary A]

At the least it will be business as usual in Thailand. The rich will continue to get richer on the backs of the poor and the elite will be firmly in control.

All will go as normal until the next election.

[Bangyai]

Does he have any other scouser traits or is supporting Newcastle his only error ?

Apologies for the pedantry but Scouser's don't support Newcastle, Geordie's do.

No apologies necessary, and not pedantic. What a terrible gaff ! My apologies to all Liverpudlians. Actually, even as I typed I was thinking ... " Hmmm, that doesn't look right " but I was too lazy to check. Som nam nah dtoa eng !

As for Geordies, my sympathies for having Abhisit associated with your team.

[MSingh]

Does he have any other scouser traits or is supporting Newcastle his only error ?

Apologies for the pedantry but Scouser's don't support Newcastle, Geordie's do.

No apologies necessary, and not pedantic. What a terrible gaff ! My apologies to all Liverpudlians. Actually, even as I typed I was thinking ... " Hmmm, that doesn't look right " but I was too lazy to check. Som nam nah dtoa eng !

As for Geordies, my sympathies for having Abhisit associated with your team.

I'd say more apologies were in order for Geordies personally..

[Pierrot]

Even his wife works and had her own professional career as a dentist ...

A dentist ...??? say no more !

[Maigo6]

Less likely to see a guy with a mathematics professor wife, trying to promote inflated real estate deals for her benefit.

I dunno, seems to happen to a lot of the Members of this forum whos wives are University professors and the ilk......

Edited December 10, 2008 by Maigo6

[permanent_disorder]

Even his wife works and had her own professional career as a dentist ...

A dentist ...??? say no more !

Marathon Man revisited. the grumpy old expat car chase scene:

Edited December 10, 2008 by permanent_disorder

[ray08]

Democrats getting into power by default is par for the course in Thailand, good to see things resuming to what is considered 'normal' by Thai standards.

Yes Ray agreed (we seem to be doing that alot lately), the only way to heal the rift will be to take a leaf out of Obama's book and select a bipartisan cabinet, but doing so will probably ensure that his hands are tied, unless the unthinkable can happen and the politicians actually start to work for the country!

Good to see great minds think alike Politicians actually working for the country ,If politicians put as much effort running the country as they put in to being elected

the world would be a much better place ,

[mrtoad]

Democrats getting into power by default is par for the course in Thailand, good to see things resuming to what is considered 'normal' by Thai standards.

Yes Ray agreed (we seem to be doing that alot lately), the only way to heal the rift will be to take a leaf out of Obama's book and select a bipartisan cabinet, but doing so will probably ensure that his hands are tied, unless the unthinkable can happen and the politicians actually start to work for the country!

Good to see great minds think alike Politicians actually working for the country ,If politicians put as much effort running the country as they put in to being elected

the world would be a much better place ,

Couldn't agree more.

[WeeGB]

Good luck to the chap - I'm sure he'll need it.

Some people are seriously expecting a Geordie to calm troubled waters ?

It may be worth pointing out that Tony Blair was also a devotee of the black & whites.

For our American friends, he's the chap that used to chase sticks thrown around the White House garden by "Dubya".

Edited December 10, 2008 by WeeGB

[Moonrakers]

I think that geriatrickid may have hit the nail on the head with the word: "pragmatist"

Thailand is greatly in need of a pragmatic person right now, as opposed to his recent predecessors.

I have no doubt that he will understand the importance of unifying the nation again, from North to South (Yes the south, likely he will not have forgotten about those people either). And that he will try to adopt a sensible approach to problems (E.G. Apirak resigning immediately after being indicted).

He comes across as a good man, and a very bright man. My main concern is that he may not be a strong enough man to cope with the mahoosive job that he has ahead of him.

[Maizefarmer]

Genuine nice guy - but I have never been able to put a finger on his politics: who is he (in the political sense), what does he stand for ect ect .... all things that most Thai PM's come with bags full (for good or bad!!) .

Nope - can't see any well developed/cast iron/ set policy in him.

Can someone sum him up politicaly?

As for what it means for UK ex-pats?

He has little time [ultra] nationalistic policies of the far right - so that puts an end to Thakin's silly comments the other day to a Mid-East journalist in Dubai or Abu Dahbi (vis-a-vis his "threat/insinuation" against the UK and how it would come to regret withdrawing his visa so suddenly while he was out the country) - and he doesn't subscribe to the right's isolationist policies in respect of dealing with Western businesses and governments.

I'd see it more in European terms than just in UK terms - Europe will have in Thailand a PM who can identify with the West far better than most (if not all) his predecessors. That has to be a good thing all round (for business, for visa/immigration, foreign.... and other policy decisions that impact on relations betwen Thailand and European countries, including the UK).

Can only be a good thing.

Edited December 10, 2008 by Maizefarmer

[Gertrude]

Mmmmm British born Prime Minister.........wasnt His Majesty born in the US?

Yes he was, in Cambridge Mass.

Educated in Zurich.

[MiG16]

^ and lets leave that there.

as per forum rules.

now back to Abisit please.

[Ricardo]

I would not expect him to treat UK-expats any differently, to other farangs, although I'm not so confident about Thaksin, who has a proven record of taking action against those who don't support him by voting his way. He sounded pretty peeved about the cancellation of his visa, as it clashes with his view, of himself as the wrongly-deposed CEO.

I hope that any new government will be more outward-looking, international-events will be having a growing impact on Thailand over the next year or two, and there is more to foreign-relations than border-disputes & barter-deals of frozen-chicken for new airplanes or submarines !

[Mosha]

Does he have a work permit?