Chalerm Yubamrung ( th, เฉลิม อยู่บำรุง, , ) (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 The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...

from 2009 to 2011.

Family life

Chalerm was born at Bang Bon, Bangkok. He is married to Lamnao Yubamrung ( th, ลำเนา อยู่บำรุง), an auxiliary judge of Thailand's juvenile court. They have three sons: Artharn, Wanchalerm and Duangchalerm. Chalerm's younger brother, Nawarat Yubamrung ( th, นวรัตน์ อยู่บำรุง), is a politician, serving several terms as a member of the

Bangkok Metropolitan Council The Bangkok Metropolitan Council, or BMC (Thai: สภากรุงเทพมหานคร; RTGS: ''Sapha Krungthep Mahanakhon'') is the legislative branch of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the government of Bangkok. It is veste ...

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 ( th, พรรคมวลชน). Its power base was in western Bangkok, especially

Phasi Charoen Phasi Charoen ( th, ภาษีเจริญ, ) is one of the 50 districts (''Khet'') of Bangkok, Thailand. The district is bounded by other Bangkok districts (from north clockwise): Taling Chan, Bangkok Noi, Bangkok Yai, Thon Buri, Chom Th ...

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 Chatichai Choonhavan ( th, ชาติชาย ชุณหะวัณ, , ; 5 April 1920 – 6 May 1998) was a Thai army officer, diplomat and politician. From 1986 to 1991, he was the chairman of the Thai Nation Party and served as the Prim ...

, 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 ( th, 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 ( th, 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 The Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT; th, พรรคไทยรักไทย, , ; "Thais Love Thais Party") was a Thai political party founded in 1998. From 2001 to 2006, it was the ruling party under its founder, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawat ...

of the new prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Chalerm did not follow this path, but revived his Mass Party. 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, serving until Samak's disqualification from politics. He served in the cabinet of the short-lived Somchai Wongsawat government as Minister of Public Health. 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,

against the government of Abhisit Vejjajiva. After Pheu Thai won the

2011 elections The following elections occurred in the year 2011. * Local electoral calendar 2011 * National electoral calendar 2011 * 2011 United Nations Security Council election Africa * 2011 Beninese presidential election * 2011 Beninese parliamentary el ...

, 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. On the night of 22 May 2014, military officers arrested him during the events of the

2014 Thai coup d'état On 22 May 2014, the Royal Thai Armed Forces, led by General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Commander of the Royal Thai Army (RTA), launched a coup d'état, the 12th since the country's first coup in 1932, against the caretaker government of Thailand, foll ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yubamrung, Chalerm 1947 births Living people Chalerm Yubamrung Chalerm Yubamrung Chalerm Yubamrung Chalerm Yubamrung Chalerm Yubamrung Chalerm Yubamrung Chalerm Yubamrung Chalerm Yubamrung Chalerm Yubamrung Chalerm Yubamrung Chalerm Yubamrung Chalerm Yubamrung Chalerm Yubamrung Chalerm Yubamrung