Chalerm Yubamrung

Chalerm Yubamrung (Thai: เฉลิม อยู่บำรุง, RTGS: Chaloem Yubamrung, Thai pronunciation: [ʨʰà.lɤ ̌ːm jùː.bam.ruŋ]) (born 10 June 1947), is a Thai politician. He was a Member of Parliament representing the Pheu Thai Party, and was one of the Deputy Prime Ministers of Yingluck Shinawatra from 2011 to 2013. His past political appointments include floor leader of the Pheu Thai Party, brief terms as Health Minister under Somchai Wongsawat, Interior Minister under Samak Sundaravej, Justice Minister under Banharn Silpa-archa, and Leader of the Opposition from 2009 to 2011.


Chalerm Yubamrung
เฉลิม อยู่บำรุง
Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand
In office
9 August 2011  30 June 2013
Prime MinisterYingluck Shinawatra
Minister of Labour
In office
30 June 2013  7 May 2014
Prime MinisterYingluck Shinawatra
Preceded byPadermchai Sasomsap
Succeeded bySurasak Karnjanarat
Minister of Public Health
In office
24 September 2008  19 December 2008
Prime MinisterSomchai Wongsawat
Preceded byChaovarat Chanweerakul
Succeeded byVittaya Kaewparadai
Minister of Interior
In office
6 February 2008  2 August 2008
Prime MinisterSamak Sundaravej
Preceded bySurayud Chulanont
Succeeded byKowit Wattana
Minister of Justice
In office
13 July 1995  24 November 1996
Prime MinisterBanharn Silpa-archa
Preceded bySawai Pattano
Succeeded bySutat Nguenmeuan
Minister to the Office of the Prime Minister
In office
9 August 1988  22 November 1990
Prime MinisterChatichai Choonhavan
Preceded byPol Rengprasertwit
Succeeded byPrasong Burapong
Leader of the Opposition
In office
12 January 2009  5 August 2011
Prime MinisterAbhisit Vejjajiva
Preceded byAbhisit Vejjajiva
Succeeded byAbhisit Vejjajiva
Personal details
Born (1947-06-10) June 10, 1947
Bang Bon, Bangkok, Siam
NationalityThai
Political partyPheu Thai Party
Spouse(s)Lamnao Yubamrung
Children3
Alma materRamkhamhaeng University (PhD)
ProfessionPolitician, Police officer
Signature
Military service
AllegianceThailand
Branch/serviceRoyal Thai Police
Volunteer Defense Corps
RankPolice captain
VDC Gen.[1]

Family life

Chalerm was born at Bang Bon, Bangkok. He is married to Lamnao Yubamrung (Thai: ลำเนา อยู่บำรุง), an auxiliary judge of Thailand's juvenile court. They have three sons: Artharn, Wanchalerm and Duangchalerm.[2] In 2001 Duangchalerm was arraigned for murder of a police officer. After fleeing to Malaysia, he returned and handed himself in. He was released from jail on bail terms in 2003, and finally acquitted as the court considered the evidence insufficient and the witnesses accounts contradictory.[3][4] Chalerm's younger brother, Nawarat Yubamrung (Thai: นวรัตน์ อยู่บำรุง), is a politician, serving several terms as a member of the Bangkok Metropolitan Council.

Education

Chalerm graduated from the Royal Thai Police Academy. He reached the rank of police captain, before he resigned his commission to go into private business. He later received a doctor's degree in law from the open-admissions Ramkhamhaeng University.

Political career

Chalerm first entered politics as an MP with the Democrat Party. In 1986 he formed his own party, the Mass Party (Thai: พรรคมวลชน). Its power base was in western Bangkok, especially Phasi Charoen and Bang Bon Districts. Chalerm won several consecutive MP election bids, with the exception of the first election of 1992. He served as Minister for Office of the Prime Minister under Chatichai Choonhavan, overseeing the Mass Communications Organization of Thailand. He was accused of press interference and had ongoing conflicts with the military, to the point that he was cited by the coup-makers as one of the reasons for the 1991 military coup d'état. In the wake of the coup Chalerm was among the politicians accused of "unusual wealth", and had 32 million baht in assets seized.[5] He fled Thailand to live in Sweden and Denmark until the political situation cooled down.

After returning to Thailand, Chalerm allied his Mass Party with the Thai Nation Party (Thai: พรรคชาติไทย), which led the opposition during the first Chuan Leekpai government. Chalerm played an important role in the 1995 debates regarding a censure motion against then-Agriculture Minister Suthep Thaugsuban for his role in the Sor Por Kor 4-01 (Thai: สปก.4-01) land reform scandal. These debates resulted in PM Chuan dissolving parliament to avoid a no-confidence vote, and ultimately in the rise of a Thai Nation Party-led government with Banharn Silpa-archa as prime minister. Chalerm was appointed justice minister in this cabinet, serving from 13 July 1995 to 24 November 1996.

In 1997, Chalerm dissolved the Mass Party to combine with the New Aspiration Party (NAP) of Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh. When in 2002, the NAP merged into the Thai Rak Thai Party of the new prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Chalerm did not follow this path, but revived his Mass Party.[6] In 2004 he ran for the office of Governor of Bangkok as an independent, finishing fourth with some 165,000 votes.

In the 2007 general election Chalerm joined the People's Power Party and was again elected MP. On 6 February 2008 he joined the Samak Sundaravej cabinet as Ministry of Interior,[7] serving until Samak's disqualification from politics. He served in the cabinet of the short-lived Somchai Wongsawat government as Minister of Public Health.[8] From 2009 to 2011 he was the floor leader of the Pheu Thai Party in the House of Representatives and, as Pheu Thai was the main opposition at that time, Leader of the Opposition against the government of Abhisit Vejjajiva. After Pheu Thai won the 2011 elections, Chalerm was appointed Deputy Prime Minister under Yingluck Shinawatra, on 9 August 2011. During a cabinet reshuffle in July 2013, he lost the post of deputy prime minister and was appointed minister of labour instead. Chalerm reportedly considered this change as a demotion.[9]

On the night of 22 May 2014, military officers arrested him during the events of the 2014 Thai coup d'état.[10]

References

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