Leader of the Opposition (Thailand)
Encyclopedia
The Leader of the Opposition of Thailand ( is the politician in the politics of Thailand
who leads the main minority party in the House of Representatives of Thailand
. Following the Westminster style
parliamentary system, Thailand has had an official Leader of the Opposition since 1975. Under the 2007 Constitution of Thailand
the Leader of the Opposition
was given an official role within the Thai political system. The constitution stipulates that the Leader of the Opposition must be selected after the Prime Minister
and the Cabinet has taken office.
To be nominated as candidate one must be the leader of the largest political party with no member holding any ministerial positions and if his or her party holds more or one-fifth (96 seats) of the seats in the House (480 seats). If no candidate meets this qualification then a leader of a minority party with the largest number of votes from parties with no members holding ministerial positions will be selected. The appointment will then be formalized by the King of Thailand.
The Leader of the Opposition also has other roles apart from leading the Shadow Cabinet of Thailand, he is also an ex-officio member of several selection committees for: Constitutional Court Judges
, Election Commissioners
, Ombudsmen and commissioners of the National Counter Corruption Commission and members of the State Audit Commission.
Brackets indicate number of term
Politics of Thailand
The politics of Thailand are currently conducted within the framework of a constitutional monarchy, whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government and a hereditary monarch is head of state. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislative branches.Thai kingdoms and late...
who leads the main minority party in the House of Representatives of Thailand
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...
. Following the Westminster style
Westminster System
The Westminster system is a democratic parliamentary system of government modelled after the politics of the United Kingdom. This term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
parliamentary system, Thailand has had an official Leader of the Opposition since 1975. Under the 2007 Constitution of Thailand
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...
the Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest party not in government in a Westminster System of parliamentary government...
was given an official role within the Thai political system. The constitution stipulates that the Leader of the Opposition must be selected after the 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....
and the Cabinet has taken office.
To be nominated as candidate one must be the leader of the largest political party with no member holding any ministerial positions and if his or her party holds more or one-fifth (96 seats) of the seats in the House (480 seats). If no candidate meets this qualification then a leader of a minority party with the largest number of votes from parties with no members holding ministerial positions will be selected. The appointment will then be formalized by the King of Thailand.
The Leader of the Opposition also has other roles apart from leading the Shadow Cabinet of Thailand, he is also an ex-officio member of several selection committees for: Constitutional Court Judges
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...
, Election Commissioners
Election Commission (Thailand)
The Election Commission of the Kingdom of Thailand is an independent government agency and the sole Electoral Commission of Thailand tasked with overseeing Senate, House, local and district elections throughout the Kingdom of Thailand. Established by the Constitution, the Election Commission has...
, Ombudsmen and commissioners of the National Counter Corruption Commission and members of the State Audit Commission.
List of Leaders of the Opposition
| No. | Name | Term Start | Term Ends | Political Party |
| 1 | MR Seni Pramoj Seni Pramoj Mom Rajawongse Seni Pramoj was three times the prime minister of Thailand and a politician in the Democrat Party. A member of the Thai royal family, he was a descendant of King Rama II.-Biography:... |
22 March 1975 | 12 January 1976 | 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... |
| 2 (1) |
Praman Adireksan | 24 May 1983 | 1 May 1986 | Thai Nation Party |
| 3 (1) |
Chavalit Yongchaiyudh Chavalit Yongchaiyudh General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh is a Thai politician and retired general. He was Thailand's 22nd Prime Minister from 1996 to 1997. He is of Sino-Thai and ethnic Lao descent.... |
15 May 1992 | 16 June 1992 | New Aspiration Party New Aspiration Party The New Aspiration Party was a political party in Thailand. In the legislative elections, on February 6, 2005, the party won 0.4 % of the popular vote and no seats in the House of Representatives.... |
| 2 (2) |
Praman Adireksan | 30 December 1992 | 7 May 1994 | Thai Nation Party |
| 4 | Banharn Silpa-archa Banharn Silpa-Archa Banharn Silpa-archa was the 21st Prime Minister of Thailand, from 13 July 1995 to 24 November 1996. He has been a veteran Sino-Thai Member of Parliament since 1976 as the elected representative of Suphanburi province... |
27 May 1994 | 19 May 1995 | Thai Nation Party |
| 5 (1,2) |
Chuan Leekpai Chuan 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... |
4 August 1995 | 27 September 1996 | 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... |
| 21 December 1996 | 8 November 1997 | |||
| 3 (2-4) |
Chavalit Yongchaiyudh Chavalit Yongchaiyudh General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh is a Thai politician and retired general. He was Thailand's 22nd Prime Minister from 1996 to 1997. He is of Sino-Thai and ethnic Lao descent.... |
26 November 1997 | 12 January 1998 | New Aspiration Party New Aspiration Party The New Aspiration Party was a political party in Thailand. In the legislative elections, on February 6, 2005, the party won 0.4 % of the popular vote and no seats in the House of Representatives.... |
| 2 September 1998 | 27 April 1999 | |||
| 12 May 1999 | 30 April 2000 | |||
| 5 (3) |
Chuan Leekpai Chuan 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... |
11 March 2001 | 3 May 2003 | 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... |
| 6 | Banyat Bantadtan | 23 May 2003 | 5 January 2005 | 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... |
| 7 (1,2) |
Abhisit Vejjajiva Abhisit Vejjajiva Abhisit Vejjajiva , , ; born Mark Abhisit Vejjajiva; 3 August 1964 in Newcastle upon Tyne) 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... |
23 April 2005 | 19 September 2006 | 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... |
| 27 February 2008 | 17 December 2008 | |||
| - |
Chalerm Ubumrung Chalerm Ubumrung Police Captain Dr. Chalerm Ubumrung , is a Thai politician. He is a Member of Parliament representing the Pheu Thai Party, and currently one of the Deputy Prime Ministers of Yingluck Shinawatra... (De facto) |
12 January 2009 | 10 May 2011 | Pheu Thai Party |
| 7 (3) |
Abhisit Vejjajiva Abhisit Vejjajiva Abhisit Vejjajiva , , ; born Mark Abhisit Vejjajiva; 3 August 1964 in Newcastle upon Tyne) 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... |
6 August 2011 | Present | 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... |
Brackets indicate number of term
See also
- Shadow Cabinet of Thailand
- List of political parties in Thailand
- House of Representatives of ThailandHouse of Representatives of ThailandThe 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...