Banharn Silpa-Archa

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Banharn Silpa-Archa
บรรหาร ศิลปอาชา

In office
July 13, 1995 – November 24, 1996
Preceded by Chuan Leekpai
Succeeded by Chavalit Yongchaiyudh

Born August 19, 1932 (1932-08-19) (age 75)
Suphanburi Province, Thailand
Nationality Thai
Political party Chart Thai Party
Spouse Jamsai Silpa-Archa

Banharn Silpa-Archa (Thai: บรรหาร ศิลปอาชา, Chinese: 馬德祥; born 19 August 1932) was the 21st Prime Minister of Thailand, from 13 July 1995 until 24 November 1996. He has been a veteran Sino-Thai Member of Parliament since 1976 from the agrarian province of Suphanburi. He has enjoyed unchallenged domination in Suphanburi; in every election he has contested, he has won by a landslide, receiving 60–90 per cent of the votes cast. Since 1994, he has been the leader of the Chart Thai Party, one of the oldest parties in Thailand. Between 1995 and 1996, he even served as Prime Minister. Throughout this seemingly distinguished career, however, Banharn has been implicated in numerous corruption scandals. Accordingly, Thais in general call him all sorts of pejorative names, such as ‘Mr ATM’, portraying him as a politician who dispenses dirty money under the table to anyone who needs it. His short-lived yet highly inept administration is also believed to have paved the way for the economic crisis of 1997.

Born in Suphanburi Province, he is a Thai Chinese,[1] with ancestry from Chaoyang.[2] His first name, Archa is the translation of Chinese surname Ma (馬). As of 19 January 2008, Banharn was reported to hold a 21 January press conference where he was to officially announce the joining of his Chart Thai party with TRT nominee party PPP. Because he had earlier vowed before the Emerald Buddha never to rejoin Thaksin because of the latter's alleged corruption, Banharn has been given a new nickname - "Slippery Eel."

[edit] References

  1. ^ Carl Parkes [1999]. Moon Handbooks: Thailand. Avalon Travel Publishing. ISBN 1566911737. 
  2. ^ 泰國客家社團鄉情報告

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Chuan Leekpai
Prime Minister of Thailand
1995-1996
Succeeded by
Chavalit Yongchaiyudh