page_title: Democrat Party (Thailand)
section_title: Chuan Leekpai
hierarchical_section_title: Democrat Party (Thailand) / History / The Democrat Party in the 1990s / Chuan Leekpai
caption_attribution_description: English: Prime Minister Chuan Likphai (center) hosts a dinner welcoming Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen (left) to the Kingdom of Thailand on Sept. 18, 2000. U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Richard Hecklinger (right) joined Likphai and Cohen as they discussed issues of interest to both nations. DoD photograph by Helene C. Stikkel. (Released).
context_page_description: The Democrat Party is a Thai political party. The oldest party in Thailand, it was founded as a royalist party, and now upholds a conservative and classically liberal pro-market position.
  The Democrat Party made its best showings in parliament in 1948, 1976, and 1996. It has never won an outright parliamentary majority. The party's electoral support bases are southern Thailand and Bangkok, although election results in Bangkok have fluctuated widely. Since 2004, Democrat candidates won three elections for the governorship of Bangkok. From 2005 to 2019, the Democrat Party was led by Abhisit Vejjajiva, former prime minister.
context_section_description: The party's voter base is traditionally concentrated in southern Thailand and in Bangkok, where the party relies on the support from the capital's aristocratic, meritocratic, and educated middle and upper classes. In the 1990s, under the leadership of Chuan Leekpai, a native of Trang Province, the Democrats quickly became the dominant party in southern Thailand. The influences of provincial politicians from the south into the party created considerable tension with the party's Bangkok establishment. Chuan's "Mr. Clean" image, however, made him personally popular with Democrat Party supporters throughout Thailand, and so the party managed to stay cohesive under his leadership. The first Chuan government (1992–1995) fell when members of the cabinet were implicated in profiting from the Sor Phor Kor 4-01 land project documents distributed in Phuket Province. Chuan was again premier from 1997 to 2001, in the midst of the 1997 Asian financial crisis and its aftermath. The party lost a landslide election victory to Thaksin Shinawatra's populist Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party, winning 128 seats compared to the TRT's 248 in the 2001 general election.
  After the election in 2001,Thaksin Shinawatra the leader of Thai Rak Thai Party, became prime minister. New Aspiration Party has joined the government. Shortly thereafter. The New Aspiration Party was merged with the Thai Rak Thai Party. Mostly to join Thai Rak Thai party (the governing party) with Gen. Chavalit Yongchaiyudh except Lieutenant Colonel Thita Rangsitpol Manitkul, WRTA Member of the Parliament and Deputy Secretary of the party. Offset to the Democrat Party (Thailand) (Opposition Party) remains the only MPs moving from the opposition party government. During her tenure as a member of the House of Representatives.
caption: Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai hosts a dinner welcoming Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen
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