Chuan Leekpai

Chuan Leekpai MPCh MVM ThChW
ชวน หลีกภัย
Chuan in 2010
20th Prime Minister of Thailand
In office 9 November 1997 – 9 February 2001
Monarch	Bhumibol Adulyadej
Preceded by	Chavalit Yongchaiyudh
Succeeded by	Thaksin Shinawatra
In office 23 September 1992 – 13 July 1995
Monarch	Bhumibol Adulyadej
Preceded by	Anand Panyarachun
Succeeded by	Banharn Silpa-archa
Speaker of the House of Representatives and President of the National Assembly of Thailand
In office 28 May 2019 – 20 March 2023
Monarch	Vajiralongkorn
Prime Minister	Prayut Chan-o-cha
Preceded by	Pornpetch Wichitcholchai (President of the National Legislative Assembly)
Succeeded by	Wan Muhamad Noor Matha
Speaker of the House of Representatives and Vice President of the National Assembly of Thailand
In office 4 August 1986 – 29 April 1988
Prime Minister	Prem Tinsulanonda
Preceded by	Uthai Pimchaichon
Succeeded by	Panja Kesornthong
Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand
In office 29 December 1988 – 26 August 1989
Prime Minister	Chatichai Choonhavan
Ministerial offices 1976–2001 Minister of Defence In office 14 November 1997 – 5 February 2001 Prime Minister Himself Preceded by Chavalit Yongchaiyudh Succeeded by Chavalit Yongchaiyudh Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives In office 26 August 1990 – 9 December 1990 Prime Minister Chatichai Choonhavan Preceded by Arnat Arpapirom Succeeded by Narong Wongwan Minister of Public Health In office 4 August 1988 – 29 December 1989 Prime Minister Chatichai Choonhavan Preceded by Arnat Arpapirom Succeeded by Narong Wongwan Minister of Commerce In office 11 March 1981 – 19 December 1981 Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda Preceded by Punnami Poonnasri Succeeded by Punnami Poonnasri Minister of Justice In office 3 March 1980 – 5 March 1981 Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda Preceded by Sutham Patrakom Succeeded by Marut Bunnag In office 25 September 1976 – 6 October 1976 Prime Minister Seni Pramoj Preceded by Prasit Kanchanawat Succeeded by Sangad Chaloryu
Leader of the Opposition
In office 11 March 2001 – 3 May 2003
Prime Minister	Thaksin Shinawatra
Preceded by	Chavalit Yongchaiyudh
Succeeded by	Banyat Bantadtan
In office 4 August 1995 – 8 November 1997
Prime Minister	Banharn Silpa-archa Chavalit Yongchaiyudh
Preceded by	Banharn Silpa-archa
Succeeded by	Chavalit Yongchaiyudh
Leader of the Democrat Party
In office 26 January 1991 – 4 May 2003
Preceded by	Bhichai Rattakul
Succeeded by	Banyat Bantadtan
Member of the House of Representatives for the Democrat Party List
Incumbent
Assumed office 6 January 2001
Member of the House of Representatives for Trang 1st District
In office 10 February 1969 – 9 November 2000
Preceded by	Korkieart Sudsen
Succeeded by	Suwan Kusujarit
Personal details
Born	(1938-07-28) 28 July 1938 Mueang Trang, Trang, Siam
Political party	Democrat
Domestic partner	Phakdiporn Sucharitakul (cohabitating wife)
Children	Surabot Leekpai
Alma mater	Thammasat University (LL.B.) The Thai Bar (Barrister)
Profession	Politician barrister
Signature

Chuan Leekpai MPCh MVM ThChW (Thai: ชวน หลีกภัย, RTGS: Chuan Likphai, pronounced [tɕʰūan lìːk.pʰāj]; Chinese: 呂基文; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lū Ki-bûn; born 28 July 1938) is a Thai politician who is the former president of the National Assembly of Thailand as well as the speaker of the Thai House of Representatives from 2019 to 2023. Previously he twice served as the 20th Prime Minister of Thailand, from 20 September 1992 to 19 May 1995 and from 9 November 1997 to 9 February 2001.

As the leader of the Democrat Party, Chuan was elected in September 1992, becoming Thailand's first prime minister to come to power without either aristocratic or military backing. His first administration consisted of a five party coalition of the Democrat, New Aspiration, Palang Dhamma, Social Action, and Social Unity Parties until he was defeated in the 1995 election, but assumed power in late-1997 following the fall of the Chavalit Yongchaiyudh administration, which was held responsible for the economic crisis that beset Thailand that year. Although criticised as a slow actor and allowing numerous corruption scandals, Chuan managed to meet factional demands and extend Thailand's social security system.

Early life

Chuan was born to ethnic Chinese parents on 28 July 1938 in Mueang Thap Thiang, Trang province, Thailand, to a teacher, Niyom Leekpai and Tuan Leekpai, Chuan has nine siblings and is the third child in the family. He would later move to the temple school at Wat Amarintraram in Bangkok where he lived for six years. He went on to study law at Thammasat University, Bangkok and later became a barrister-at-law of the Thai Bar Association. Chuan is ethnic Hokkien, coming from a third-generation Thai Chinese.

First term (1992–1995)

In the aftermath of Bloody May, the Democrat Party won a plurality of seats in the September 1992 elections, with 79 seats, compared to the Chart Thai Party with 77 seats. Chuan formed a coalition government with the New Aspiration Party and Ekkaparb parties. The Phalang Dharma Party joined his cabinet after the New Aspiration Party left in 1994.

Key policies of Chuan's first administration included:

• Engagement with Burma. As with all previous administrations, the Chuan government employed a policy of constructive engagement with the military government of Burma, provoking much criticism.
• Reforestation. A huge five million rai reforestation programme in honour of King Bhumibol's 50th anniversary of accession to the throne (1996) was initiated in 1994. The reforestation programme was officially declared a failure, with less than 40 percent of the target realised. The director-general of the RFD was suspended from his post for alleged corruption.
• Emphasis on national economic stability, decentralisation of the administrative powers to the rural provinces, fostering income, opportunity and economic development distribution to the regions.

The first Chuan administration fell when members of the cabinet were implicated in profiting from Sor Phor Kor 4-01 land project documents distributed in Phuket Province. Fierce public and press criticism and dissolution of parliament were the reasons for his administration's downfall.

Second term (1997–2001)

With United States President Bill Clinton in Wellington, New Zealand at the APEC summit, 1999

Chuan became prime minister for the second time on 9 November 1997, replacing Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, with a shaky line-up of a six party coalition and 12 independent defectors from a seventh party, Prachakorn Thai. The ruling coalition increased its 20-seat majority in October 1998, by including the Chart Pattana Party.

Economic reform

Chuan's second government enacted several economic reforms for which it was severely criticised. Chuan's "bitter medicine" policies brought little economic relief in the years following the 1997 economic crisis, particularly at the grassroots level. Opinions emerged that the Democrats were only helping big financial institutions and making the country more dependent of foreign investors. Nevertheless, many of the reforms recommended by the IMF were in line with the policies of market economies such as Australia and New Zealand. The subsequent government's economic growth was based even more strongly on selling national assets and private organisations abroad such as the Shin Corporation, while most of its economic gains were built on the frugality of the Democrat policy platform. Thai Rak Thai painted the Democrats as having "open contempt" for the plight of the common Thai which set off a revenge vote against the party during the 2001 election, which gave a landslide victory to Thaksin Shinawatra.

Education reform

During Chuan's second administration the National Education Act 1999 was enacted.

Human rights

Chuan's second government came under fire for the violent arrest of 223 villagers protesting the Pak Mun Dam. Historian Nidhi Iawsriwong noted that "the present situation is as worse as that of the May event (the bloody crackdown of anti-government protesters in 1992). We have a tyrannical government that is arrogant and not accountable to the public. This is dangerous because the government still sees itself as legitimate and claims that it is democratic. In fact, it is as brutal as the military government".

Controversy arose in early 1999 when it became known that Chuan nominated Thanom Kittikachorn to the post of honorary royal guard, provoking widespread criticism. The situation was resolved when Thanom resigned. Thanom was one of the "three tyrants" who ruled Thailand from 1963 to 1973 and ordered the massacre of pro-democracy students on 14 October 1973, after which he was ordered to step down and be exiled by King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

In April 2000, the editor in chief of the Chiang Mai daily newspaper Pak Nua was shot and seriously wounded in an attempted murder, but recovered. The editor believed that his repeated critical reporting on the government led to the assault.

Corruption

Chuan Leekpai (right) as President of the National Assembly of Thailand from 2019 to 2023

Although generally regarded as relatively clean and honest when compared to other Thai administrations, Chuan's government found itself plagued with corruption scandals and rumours. Key cases of corruption included:

• Rakkiat Sukhthana, Health Minister, was charged with taking a five million baht (US$125,000) bribe from a drug firm and forcing state hospitals to buy medicine at exorbitant prices. After being found guilty, he jumped bail and went into hiding.
• Suthep Thaugsuban, Minister of Transport and Communications, whose brokering of illegal land deals caused the fall of the Chuan 1 government, was linked to abuse of funds in setting up a co-operative Surat Thani Province.
• The "edible fence" seed scandal, in which massive overpricing of seeds distributed to rural areas happened. The Deputy Minister of Agriculture was forced to resign.
• The Salween logging scandal, where up to 20,000 trees were felled illegally in the Salween forest in Mae Hong Son. Some of them turned up in the compound of the Democrat party's office in Phichit Province.
• Sanan Kajornprasart, Interior Minister, as well as eight other cabinet ministers were found to have understated their declared assets. Sanan was later barred by the Constitutional Court from politics for five years.
• Chuan himself was found by the National Counter-Corruption Commission to have undeclared shareholdings in a rural cooperative.

Chuan stepped down as the Leader of Democrat Party in 2003.

Personal life

Chuan Leekpai has one son, Surabot Leekpai, with Pakdiporn Sujaritkul, his common-law wife. His mother tongue is Southern Thai, but his proficiency in Central Thai is native level. He is able to speak English well.

Awards and decorations

National honours

• Thailand:
  • Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant
  • Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of The Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand
  • Knight Grand Commander (Second Class, higher grade) of the Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao
  • Order of Symbolic Propitiousness Ramkeerati
  • Recipient of the King Rama IX Coronation Medal
  • 25th Buddhist Century Celebration Medal
  • Serving Free Peoples Medal
  • First Class (Gold Medal) of the Red Cross Medal of Appreciation

Foreign decorations

• Philippines:
  • Grand Collar (Raja) of the Order of Sikatuna (1993)
• Peru:
  • Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun (1999)
• Portugal:
  • Grand Cross of the Order of Christ (1999)
• Nicaragua:
  • Grand Cross of the Order of Rubén Dario (2000)
• Romania:
  • Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania (2000)
• Denmark
  • Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog (2001)