Chalerm Ubumrung
Encyclopedia
Police Captain Dr. Chalerm Ubumrung ' onMouseout='HidePop("85052")' href="/topics/Royal_Thai_General_System_of_Transcription">RTGS
: Chaloem Yubamrung, ʨʰà.lɤ ̌ːm jùː.bam.ruŋ) (born June 10, 1947), is a Thai
politician. He is a Member of Parliament
representing the Pheu Thai Party, and currently one of the Deputy Prime Ministers of Yingluck Shinawatra
. His past political appointments include chief MP for 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.
, Bangkok
. He is married to Lamnao Ubumrung , an auxiliary judge of Thailand's juvenile court. They have three sons together, Artharn , Wanchalerm and Duangchalerm . Chalerm's younger brother, Nawarat Ubumrung , is also a politician, serving several terms as a member of the Bangkok Metropolitan Council.
. In 1986 he formed his own party, the Mass Party . Mass Party's 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. 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 , 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 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
of then-Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh
.
Thai Nation Party was dissolved in 2007 by the Constitutional Court of Thailand
along with its coalition members People Power Party
and Neutral Democratic Party
, for violation of election laws. 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 Minister of Interior, serving until Samak's disqualification from politics. He went on to serve in the cabinet of the short-lived Somchai Wongsawat
government as Minister of Public Health, and for a time was chief MP
for Pheu Thai Party. After Pheu Thai won the elections, Chalerm was appointed Deputy Prime Minister under Yingluck Shinawatra
, on 9 August 2011.
The most infamous of these cases was the 2001 murder of Pol. Sen. Sgt. Maj. Suwichai Rodwimuti in a pub on Ratchadaphisek Road. Chalerm's youngest son, Duangchalerm, fled the scene and eventually surrendered himself to authorities more than six months after the killing. Chalerm, fiercely protective of his son, threatened the press reporting on the case, resulting in a temporary press boycott of Chalerm. Following this incident Chalerm and his sons published a short-lived magazine criticizing the press for alleged unfair treatment.
The murder case was eventually dismissed by the Criminal Court when witnesses were unable to clearly identify Duangchalerm as the killer. During the investigation Chalerm had given a statement to the police claiming the true killer was Chalermchon Burisamai, or "Ai-Pued", a close friend of his son's. The police have not pursued a case against this man.
Royal Thai General System of Transcription
The Royal Thai General System of Transcription is the official system for rendering Thai language words in the Latin alphabet, published by the Royal Institute of Thailand...
: Chaloem Yubamrung, ʨʰà.lɤ ̌ːm jùː.bam.ruŋ) (born June 10, 1947), is a Thai
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
politician. He is a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
representing the Pheu Thai Party, and currently one of the Deputy Prime Ministers of Yingluck Shinawatra
Yingluck Shinawatra
Yingluck Shinawatra , or nickname Pu , is a Thai businesswoman and politician, member of the Pheu Thai Party, and the 28th Prime Minister of Thailand following the 2011 general election...
. His past political appointments include chief MP for Pheu Thai Party, brief terms as Health Minister under Somchai Wongsawat
Somchai Wongsawat
Somchai Wongsawat is a Thai politician, as well as former executive member of the People's Power Party whose political rights have been disfranchised by the Constitutional Court for five years....
, Interior Minister under Samak Sundaravej
Samak Sundaravej
Samak Sundaravej was a Thai Chinese politician who briefly served as the Prime Minister of Thailand and Minister of Defense in 2008, as well as the leader of the People's Power Party in 2008.-Early life and family:...
, Justice Minister under Banharn Silpa-archa
Banharn Silpa-Archa
Banharn Silpa-archa was the 21st Prime Minister of Thailand, from 13 July 1995 to 24 November 1996. He has been a veteran Sino-Thai Member of Parliament since 1976 as the elected representative of Suphanburi province...
, and Leader of the Opposition from 2009 to 2011.
Family life
Chalerm was born at Bang BonBang Bon
Bang Bon is one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand. Its neighbors, clockwise from north, are Bang Khae, Phasi Charoen, Chom Thong, and Bang Khun Thian districts of Bangkok, Amphoe Mueang and Amphoe Krathum Baen of Samut Sakhon Province, and Nong Khaem of Bangkok.-History:Formerly Bang Bon...
, Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
. He is married to Lamnao Ubumrung , an auxiliary judge of Thailand's juvenile court. They have three sons together, Artharn , Wanchalerm and Duangchalerm . Chalerm's younger brother, Nawarat Ubumrung , is also a politician, serving several terms as a member of the Bangkok Metropolitan Council.
Political career
Chalerm first entered politics as an MP with the Democrat PartyDemocrat Party (Thailand)
The Democrat Party is Thailand's oldest political party and was the main coalition government party of the 23rd House of Representatives of Thailand. The Democrat Party's current leader is Abhisit Vejjajiva, incumbent opposition leader and former Prime Minister. The party upholds a conservative...
. In 1986 he formed his own party, the Mass Party . Mass Party's power base was in western Bangkok, especially Phasi Charoen
Phasi Charoen
Phasi Charoen is one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand. The district is bounded by other Bangkok districts : Taling Chan, Bangkok Noi, Bangkok Yai, Thon Buri, Chom Thong, Bang Bon, and Bang Khae.-History:...
and Bang Bon
Bang Bon
Bang Bon is one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand. Its neighbors, clockwise from north, are Bang Khae, Phasi Charoen, Chom Thong, and Bang Khun Thian districts of Bangkok, Amphoe Mueang and Amphoe Krathum Baen of Samut Sakhon Province, and Nong Khaem of Bangkok.-History:Formerly 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
Chatichai Choonhavan
General Chatichai Choonhavan was the Prime Minister of Thailand from 1988 to 1991. He was the only son of Field Marshal Phin Choonhavan, and is of Thai Chinese descent with ancestry from Chenghai District...
, 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. 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 , which led the Opposition during the first Chuan Leekpai
Chuan Leekpai
Chuan Leekpai was the Prime Minister of Thailand from September 20, 1992 to May 19, 1995 and again from November 9, 1997 to February 9, 2001. A third-generation Thai Chinese, Chuan was born in Trang province in a grass-roofed house. The walls of his family's house were woven from strips of...
government. Chalerm played an important role in the 1995 debates regarding a censure motion against then-Agriculture Minister Suthep Thaugsuban
Suthep Thaugsuban
Suthep Thaugsuban is a Thai politician, and Member of Parliament for Surat Thani province...
for his role in the Sor Por Kor 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
Banharn Silpa-Archa
Banharn Silpa-archa was the 21st Prime Minister of Thailand, from 13 July 1995 to 24 November 1996. He has been a veteran Sino-Thai Member of Parliament since 1976 as the elected representative of Suphanburi province...
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
New Aspiration Party
The New Aspiration Party was a political party in Thailand. In the legislative elections, on February 6, 2005, the party won 0.4 % of the popular vote and no seats in the House of Representatives....
of then-Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh
Chavalit Yongchaiyudh
General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh 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....
.
Thai Nation Party was dissolved in 2007 by the Constitutional Court of Thailand
Constitutional Court of Thailand
The Constitutional Court of Thailand is an independent Thai court originally established under the 1997 Constitution with jurisdiction over the constitutionality of parliamentary acts, royal decrees, draft legislation, as well as the appointment and removal of public officials and issues regarding...
along with its coalition members People Power Party
People Power Party
People Power is a populist political movement in Australia that was Federally registered as a political party in March 2006. The party contested its first election in the Victorian state election, 2006.- Policies :...
and Neutral Democratic Party
Neutral Democratic Party
The Neutral Democratic Party was a Thai political party founded in 2006 by Somsak Thepsuthin, a former Thai Rak Thai party Cabinet Minister...
, for violation of election laws. In the 2007 general election
Thai general election, 2007
The 2007 Thai general elections were held on 23 December. This was the first legislative election after the Council for National Security, a military junta, had overthrown Thailand's elected government and abrogated the constitution on September 19, 2006. The junta had canceled general elections...
Chalerm joined the People's Power Party
People's Power Party (Thailand)
The People's Power Party was a Thai political party founded on November 9, 1998 by Police Lieutenant Colonel Garn Tienkaew. The party leader was Somchai Wongsawat, the Party Secretary General was Surapong Suebwonglee, and the Party Spokesperson was Kuthep Saikrajarng...
and was again elected MP. On 6 February 2008 he joined the Samak Sundaravej
Samak Sundaravej
Samak Sundaravej was a Thai Chinese politician who briefly served as the Prime Minister of Thailand and Minister of Defense in 2008, as well as the leader of the People's Power Party in 2008.-Early life and family:...
cabinet as Minister of Interior, serving until Samak's disqualification from politics. He went on to serve in the cabinet of the short-lived Somchai Wongsawat
Somchai Wongsawat
Somchai Wongsawat is a Thai politician, as well as former executive member of the People's Power Party whose political rights have been disfranchised by the Constitutional Court for five years....
government as Minister of Public Health, and for a time was chief MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Pheu Thai Party. After Pheu Thai won the elections, Chalerm was appointed Deputy Prime Minister under Yingluck Shinawatra
Yingluck Shinawatra
Yingluck Shinawatra , or nickname Pu , is a Thai businesswoman and politician, member of the Pheu Thai Party, and the 28th Prime Minister of Thailand following the 2011 general election...
, on 9 August 2011.
Murder scandal
Chalerm's three sons acquired a public reputation for violence and troublemaking for their repeated involvement in altercations in Bangkok's massage parlors and pubs. The phrase "Do you know whose son I am?" became associated with the three as a mark of derision for their abuse of their father's political influence. They were involved in multiple lawsuits, which were usually settled out of court.The most infamous of these cases was the 2001 murder of Pol. Sen. Sgt. Maj. Suwichai Rodwimuti in a pub on Ratchadaphisek Road. Chalerm's youngest son, Duangchalerm, fled the scene and eventually surrendered himself to authorities more than six months after the killing. Chalerm, fiercely protective of his son, threatened the press reporting on the case, resulting in a temporary press boycott of Chalerm. Following this incident Chalerm and his sons published a short-lived magazine criticizing the press for alleged unfair treatment.
The murder case was eventually dismissed by the Criminal Court when witnesses were unable to clearly identify Duangchalerm as the killer. During the investigation Chalerm had given a statement to the police claiming the true killer was Chalermchon Burisamai, or "Ai-Pued", a close friend of his son's. The police have not pursued a case against this man.