41 Facts About Abhisit Vejjajiva

Abhisit Vejjajiva was the leader of the Democrat Party from 2005 until he resigned following the party's weak performance in the 2019 election.

Abhisit Vejjajiva attended Eton College and earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Oxford.

Abhisit Vejjajiva was elected to the Thai House of Representatives at the age of 27 and served as minister to the Office of the Prime Minister under Chuan Leekpai from 1997 to 2001.

Abhisit Vejjajiva narrowly lost the 2003 Democrat Party leadership election, but unopposedly became the party's chairman two years later following the Democrats' defeat in the 2005 general election.

Abhisit Vejjajiva was appointed prime minister of Thailand on 17 December 2008, after the Constitutional Court of Thailand removed Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat from office.

Abhisit Vejjajiva became premier at a time of global economic turmoil and rising domestic political tensions.

Abhisit Vejjajiva 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 criticised for instances of alleged corruption.

Abhisit Vejjajiva launched a reconciliation plan to investigate the crackdown, but the work of the investigation commission was hampered by military and government agencies.

Abhisit Vejjajiva was re-elected party leader, beating former PDRC leader, Warong Dechgitvigrom, by approximately 10,000 votes.

However, after a poor showing in the 2019 election, Abhisit Vejjajiva resigned as party leader.

Mark Abhisit Vejjajiva was born in Princess Mary Maternity Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom.

Abhisit Vejjajiva attended Chulalongkorn University Demonstration School as a child.

Abhisit Vejjajiva studied in England from the age of eleven, where he attended prep school at Scaitcliffe and then Eton College.

Abhisit Vejjajiva earned a first-class honours bachelor's degree in philosophy, politics and economics, and a master's degree in economics from St John's College, Oxford.

Abhisit Vejjajiva is fluent in both his mother tongue and English having both dual Thai and British citizenship.

Abhisit Vejjajiva is of Chinese descent and a seventh generation overseas Hakka with ancestry in China's Guangdong province.

Abhisit Vejjajiva is married to Pimpen Sakuntabhai, his classmate at the Chulalongkorn University Demonstration elementary school, who is a former dentist and is a lecturer at the Department of Mathematics at Chulalongkorn University.

One of Abhisit's first cousins, Suranand Vejjajiva was a cabinet minister under Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party and served as the Prime Minister's Secretary General under Yingluck Shinawatra.

Suranand's father, Nissai Vejjajiva served as the ambassador to various countries between the 1960s to 1980s and is the older brother of Abhisit's father, Athasit.

The family name Vejjajiva was granted by King Rama VI to Abhisit's grandfather Dr Long, together with Long's father Jinsang, grandfather Peng and great-grandfather Go while Dr Long was serving as an Army Medical Department sub-lieutenant.

The Abhisit Vejjajiva family came to prominence when Dr Long, then styled Phra Bamrad Naradura, rose to public health minister and founded the Bamrad Naradura Hospital in Nonthaburi.

Abhisit Vejjajiva began his political career in the 1992 general elections that followed the coup, becoming a Bangkok MP for the Democrat Party.

Abhisit Vejjajiva was re-elected to the same seat in the 1995 and 1996 general elections.

Abhisit Vejjajiva has served as Democrat Party spokesman, Government spokesman, Prime Minister's Deputy-Secretary General for Political Affairs, Chairman of the House Education Affairs Committee, and Minister to the Prime Minister's Office.

Abhisit Vejjajiva was first nominated for the position of Democrat Party leader in 2003, following the resignation of then-party leader and former-Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai.

Banyat resigned following the elections and Abhisit Vejjajiva was named the new party leader.

Abhisit Vejjajiva voiced his disapproval of the coup just hours before all political activities were banned:.

Abhisit Vejjajiva said the Democrat Party considered the new constitution similar to the 1997 Constitution, but with improvements as well as faults.

Abhisit Vejjajiva said he would seek to amend the Constitution if he was named prime minister.

Abhisit Vejjajiva voiced displeasure at the sieges, but did not stop his deputies from their leadership of the PAD.

Abhisit Vejjajiva promised a "People's Agenda", with education as the main focus.

Abhisit Vejjajiva vowed not to privatise basic utilities such as water and electricity, and to nationalise state enterprises that Thaksin had privatised.

Abhisit Vejjajiva stated that all future Democrat MPs would have to declare their assets and any involvement in private companies.

Abhisit Vejjajiva 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.

On 13 July 2006, Abhisit Vejjajiva promised to deal with escalating violence in the South by putting problems in the southern provinces on the public agenda.

Abhisit Vejjajiva promised many populist policies including providing free education, textbooks, milk, and supplemental foods for nursery school students, and increasing the minimum wage.

Abhisit Vejjajiva became Prime Minister after winning a vote in parliament on 15 December 2008.

Abhisit Vejjajiva was formally endorsed by King Bhumibol Adulyadej as Prime Minister on 17 December 2008.

Key appointments in Abhisit Vejjajiva's government included PAD leader Kasit Piromya as Foreign Minister, construction tycoon Chaovarat Chanweerakul as Interior Minister, and investment banker and former Abhisit Vejjajiva classmate Korn Chatikavanij as Finance Minister.

Abhisit Vejjajiva refused to resign as prime minister after a clash between government troops and anti-government protesters on 10 April 2010 had claimed the lives of at least 23 people and injured hundreds more.

Abhisit Vejjajiva has received the following royal decorations in the Honours System of Thailand:.