Chavalit Yongchaiyudh

General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh (Thai ชวลิต ยงใจยุทธ, born May 15, 1932 in Nonthaburi) 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.^[1]

Chavalit began his political career in 1988 as Defence Minister, with the rank of Deputy Prime Minister, in the administration of Chatichai Choonhavan. He held that position until 1991. He then served as Minister of Interior from 1992 to 1994, and was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence from 1995 to 1996.

In late 1996, following the Royal Decree of Parliament Closure a general election was held. On November 16, 1996, Chavalit's New Aspiration Party won the most seats. With the support of five coalition parties - Chart Pattana, Social Action, Thai Citizen, Seri Dhamma and Mass Citizen - Chavalit was appointed by royal decree as the 22nd Prime Minister on November 25, 1996. However, he encountered pressure from many political movements, who finally forced him to resign on November 6, 1997, in the midst to the Asian financial crisis.

On 14 May and 15 May 1997, the Thai baht, which was then pegged to the U.S. dollar, was hit by massive speculative attacks. Prime Minister Chavalit announced he would not devalue the baht, but eventually Chavalit's government could not help but had to devalue the currency's value in July 1997. This sparked the Asian financial crisis, since the Thai government failed to defend the baht against the international speculators.

Thailand's booming economy came to a halt amidst massive layoffs in finance, real estate, and construction that resulted in huge numbers of workers returning to their villages in the countryside and 600,000 foreign workers being sent back to their home countries.The baht devalued swiftly and lost more than half of its value. The Thai stock market dropped 75% in 1997. Due to the crisis, in November this year, the premier eventually stepped down.

During the early 1990s, General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh controlled 126 military-run radio stations and two of the country's five television networks. Chavalit agreed to make military stations available for an anti-AIDS campaign. He also agreed to help Meechai Viravaidya spearhead a three-year blitz to halt the spread of the disease.

Return

After holding the position of deputy prime minister in Somchai Wongsawat cabinet in 2008, on October 7, 2008, Chavalit Yongchaiyudh resigned and admitted partial responsibility for violence due to police tear gas clearance of Parliament blockade, causing injuries to 116 protesters, 21, seriously. His resignation letter stated: "Since this action did not achieve what I planned, I want to show my responsibility for this operation."^[2][3][4] But after dispersal, 5,000 demonstrators returned and also blocked all 4 entries to the parliament building.^{[5] [6] [7]}

On October 2, 2009, Chavalit Yongchaiyudh joined the Pheu Thai Party, which comprises Thaksin Shinawatra's loyalists. He insists he will be a regular member until the party's executives consider a future role for him.^[8]

On February 4, 2010, Thai news media reported that Thaksin Shinawatra was forming a "peoples' army" and named Chavalit as the Supreme Commander.^[9]

See also

• New Aspiration Party

References

External links

• 'Nightmare Alliance' looms: Master-schemer Chavalit, power-hungry Thaksin