Pita Limjaroenrat
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Pita Limjaroenrat ( th, พิธา ลิ้มเจริญรัตน์, , ; born 5 September 1980), nicknamed Tim ( th, ทิม), is a Thai politician and businessman. A member of the
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
, Pita is the leader of the
Move Forward Party The Move Forward Party ( th, พรรคก้าวไกล, ) is a social democratic and progressive political party in Thailand that opposes the remaining influence of the military junta, which ruled the country from 2014 to 2019. It was f ...
, the ''de facto'' successor to the dissolved
Future Forward Party The Future Forward Party (FFP) ( th, พรรคอนาคตใหม่, , ; literally 'New Future Party') was a political party in Thailand founded in March 2018 by Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, former vice president of Thai Summit Group, ...
. Pita led Move Forward to become the largest party in the 2023 general election, winning 151 seats. He hoped to be elected prime minister of Thailand. In the first round of parliamentary voting on 13 July 2023, he was unsuccessful. Later on 19 July, he was suspended from being a MP by the
Constitutional Court A constitutional court is a high court that deals primarily with constitutional law. Its main authority is to rule on whether laws that are challenged are in fact unconstitutional, i.e. whether they conflict with constitutionally established ...
over shares of defunct broadcaster ITV. Pita's second nomination on the same day was blocked by the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...
. The Move Forward Party ultimately joined the opposition following a dispute with their initial collation member the
Pheu Thai party The Pheu Thai Party (PTP; th, พรรคเพื่อไทย, lit=For Thais Party, , ) is the third incarnation of a Thai political party founded by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The Pheu Thai Party was founded on 20 Septemb ...
. Pita remains under suspension, unable to stand for PM.


Early life and education

Pita was born on 5 September 1980, the eldest son of Pongsak Limjaroenrat, a former adviser to the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, and Linda Limjaroenrat. He is the nephew of Padung Limjaroenrat, a former secretary to the Interior Minister and a close aide of then-Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra Thaksin Shinawatra ( th, ทักษิณ ชินวัตร; ; ; Chinese: 丘達新; cnr, Taksin Šinavatra; born 26 July 1949), is a Thai businessman, politician and visiting professor. He served in the Thai Police from 1973 to 1987, ...
. Pita attended the
Bangkok Christian College Bangkok Christian College (BCC)( th, โรงเรียนกรุงเทพคริสเตียนวิทยาลัย) is a private boys' school in the financial district of Si Lom, Bangkok. The school has a longstanding reputation ...
before being sent to
Hamilton, New Zealand Hamilton ( mi, Kirikiriroa) is an inland city in the North Island of New Zealand. Located on the banks of the Waikato River, it is the seat and most populous city of the Waikato region. With a territorial population of , it is the country's ...
, by his father at the age of 11. There he lived with a middle-class host family, doing part-time jobs such as delivering newspapers and milk to earn money. His interest in politics developed while watching the limited amount of television channels in Hamilton, which were either Australian soap operas or parliamentary debates. Due to his dislike of Australian soap operas, he began to listen to speeches given by then-
Prime Minister of New Zealand The prime minister of New Zealand ( mi, Te pirimia o Aotearoa) is the head of government of New Zealand. The prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, leader of the New Zealand Labour Party, took office on 26 October 2017. The prime minister (inform ...
Jim Bolger James Brendan Bolger ( ; born 31 May 1935) is a New Zealand retired politician of the National Party who was the 35th prime minister of New Zealand, serving from 1990 to 1997. Bolger was born to an Irish immigrant family in Ōpunake, Taran ...
. After graduating from secondary school in New Zealand, Pita went back to Thailand and pursued a bachelor's degree in finance from the Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy in
Thammasat University Thammasat University ( Abrv: TU th, มธ.; th, มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์, , ) is a public research university in Thailand with campuses in Tha Phra Chan area of Phra Nakhon District near the Grand Pala ...
where he graduated in 2002 with first-class honors and got a scholarship to study at the
University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,07 ...
. He later received an international student scholarship from
Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
, becoming the first Thai student to do so. He completed a joint
Master of Public Policy The Master of Public Policy (MPP), is one of several public policy degrees. An MPP is a master's-level professional degree that provides training in policy analysis and program evaluation at public policy schools. The MPP program places a focu ...
degree in the
John F. Kennedy School of Government The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), officially the John F. Kennedy School of Government, is the school of public policy and government of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school offers master's degrees in public policy, public ...
of Harvard University and a
Master of Business Administration A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accoun ...
degree in the
Sloan School of Management The MIT Sloan School of Management (MIT Sloan or Sloan) is the business school of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT Sloan offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs, ...
of
Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...
in 2011.


Business career

At the age of 25, Pita returned to Thailand to take over as managing director of CEO Agrifood, a
rice bran oil Rice bran oil is the oil extracted from the hard outer brown layer of rice called bran. It is known for its high smoke point of and mild flavor, making it suitable for high-temperature cooking methods such as stir frying and deep frying. It i ...
business run by his family, after the death of his father. The company was able to regain its foothold two years after and allowed Pita to return to the United States where he finished his master's degree in 2011. He also served as the executive director of Grab Thailand from 2017 to 2018.


Political career


Member of the House of Representatives

Pita initially joined as a member of
Future Forward Party The Future Forward Party (FFP) ( th, พรรคอนาคตใหม่, , ; literally 'New Future Party') was a political party in Thailand founded in March 2018 by Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, former vice president of Thai Summit Group, ...
( th, พรรคอนาคตใหม่, ). Upon the invitation of party leader
Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit ( th, ธนาธร จึงรุ่งเรืองกิจ, , ; ; born 25 November 1978) is a Thai politician who served as the leader of the Future Forward Party until the party dissolved in 2020. From 200 ...
, he accepted the offer to become a candidate in the 2019 Thai general election and won a seat in the
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
as the fourth party-list representative for his party. In July 2019, he delivered a speech in the House of Representatives where he discussed about the "Five-Button Theory" which called on the government to focus on the following agricultural policies: land ownership, farmers' debts, cannabis, agro-tourism, and water resources. Despite belonging to another party, his speech was praised by Interior Minister
Anupong Paochinda Anupong Paochinda ( th, อนุพงษ์ เผ่าจินดา; ; born 10 October 1949) is a Thai politician and retired army officer. He held the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army from 2007 until his retirement on ...
. Two weeks after the dissolution of his party by the
Constitutional Court A constitutional court is a high court that deals primarily with constitutional law. Its main authority is to rule on whether laws that are challenged are in fact unconstitutional, i.e. whether they conflict with constitutionally established ...
on 21 February 2020, he was named as the new leader of the newly formed
Move Forward Party The Move Forward Party ( th, พรรคก้าวไกล, ) is a social democratic and progressive political party in Thailand that opposes the remaining influence of the military junta, which ruled the country from 2014 to 2019. It was f ...
( th, พรรคก้าวไกล, ), where he was joined by 54 other members of parliament (MPs) from the disbanded party, and was formally elected on 14 March 2020.


2023 general election

Pita led the Move Forward Party into the 2023 general election, in which they won the largest number of seats (151). Many observers considered the win to be an upset, as the
Pheu Thai party The Pheu Thai Party (PTP; th, พรรคเพื่อไทย, lit=For Thais Party, , ) is the third incarnation of a Thai political party founded by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The Pheu Thai Party was founded on 20 Septemb ...
was believed to be the frontrunner. On 15 May 2023, he declared that he was ready to become
prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
after his party received the most votes, and invited the
Pheu Thai Party The Pheu Thai Party (PTP; th, พรรคเพื่อไทย, lit=For Thais Party, , ) is the third incarnation of a Thai political party founded by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The Pheu Thai Party was founded on 20 Septemb ...
and a number of smaller parties to form a coalition government. Pita and his coalition partners held a press conference to on 22 May, emphasizing issues such as drafting a new constitution through members of the Constituent Assembly, military reforms, voluntary conscription, same-sex marriage, and the decentralization of the economy among other issues. Pita later stated that he utilized campaign strategies inspired by
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
’s 2008 US presidential election campaign. Despite securing a majority in the House with coalition partners, Pita required the votes of MPs and unelected senators previously appointed by the
military junta A military junta () is a government led by a committee of military leaders. The term ''junta'' means "meeting" or "committee" and originated in the national and local junta organized by the Spanish resistance to Napoleon's invasion of Spain in ...
combined in order to be elected Prime Minister. On 9 June, the Election Commission (EC) threw out three complaints against Pita for his ownership of television broadcaster iTV, a unit of
Shin Corporation Intouch Holdings PCL ( th, บริษัท อินทัช โฮลดิ้งส์ จำกัด (มหาชน); formerly Shin Corporation) is a Thai holding company which focuses on telecommunication industry. It is the parent ...
, formerly owned by exiled former Thai PM
Thaksin Shinawatra Thaksin Shinawatra ( th, ทักษิณ ชินวัตร; ; ; Chinese: 丘達新; cnr, Taksin Šinavatra; born 26 July 1949), is a Thai businessman, politician and visiting professor. He served in the Thai Police from 1973 to 1987, ...
. The
constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these princ ...
forbids a media organisation shareholder from running in a general election. The commission instead began a criminal case into whether Pita ran for office knowing that he was ineligible, a breach of Section 42(3) and Section 151 of the organic law on the election of MPs. According to Pita, he inherited the shares from the estate of his father. iTV ceased broadcasting in 2007, and was delisted from the Stock Exchange of Thailand in 2014. It had not generated media-related income in years, with the exception of small amounts from a subsidiary that rented broadcasting equipment. He was among the 500 MPs endorsed by the EC on 19 June, although the commission's investigation of him continued.


Attempts to form a government

Following the general election and subsequent coalition announcement, the
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
held its first session on 5 July to select a Speaker, Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, founder of the coalition-member party, the Prachachat Party. In the days preceding the premiership vote, Pita and the MFP party held rallies with supporters in Bangkok. Pita appealed to the assembly to support his government, in accordance with the mandate granted by the people in the general election. On 12 July, the Constitutional Court said it had accepted a complaint against Pita and the Move Forward Party by the Election Commission, that said its plan to reform
lèse-majesté Lèse-majesté () or lese-majesty () is an offence against the dignity of a ruling head of state (traditionally a monarch but now more often a president) or the state itself. The English name for this crime is a borrowing from the French, w ...
laws amounted to an attempt to "overthrow the democratic regime of government with the king as a head of state". The Commission referred Pita for disqualification as an MP; Pita called the process unfair, and said he wasn’t allowed to defend himself before the decision. The day before the parliamentary vote, Pita warned assembly members that there would be a “high price” if his premiership was denied. On 13 July the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...
convened to elect a new Prime Minister. Initially nominated by Pheu Thai leader Dr. Chonlanan Srikaew, Pita was the only member of the assembly to be put forward. Despite securing a majority-coalition in the lower house, Pita was unable to win enough votes from the assembly in the first ballot, particularly the 250 members of the Senate, appointed by the
National Council for Peace and Order The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO; th, คณะรักษาความสงบแห่งชาติ; ; abbreviated ( th, คสช.; )) was the military junta that ruled Thailand between its 2014 Thai coup d'état on 22 M ...
in May 2019, to become the country's next prime minister. 324 members of the National Assembly voted to approve Pita’s premiership (311 of which were MPs and 13 of which were junta-appointed senators), 182 disapproved and 199 abstained. Of the 705 votes, Pita fell 51 votes short of a majority, as he required 375 votes in order to be appointed Prime Minister. Subsequent protests occurred in the evening following the vote; the voting system was criticized for being undemocratic, and contradictory to the mandate given by the people. The failure of the National Assembly to produce a Prime Minister led to Thai stocks underperforming. The newspaper Khaosod described the vote as a ‘trap set in advance.’ Despite this, Pita said he would still pursue the role of prime minister, and would not back down on his promise to reform the lèse-majesté law. Protests continued, with many demanding that the senators resign. On July 15, Pita announced his coalition had agreed to put his name forward for the next round of voting, but also said he was ready to allow a member of the Pheu Thai party to be nominated if his second bid were to be unsuccessful, or if he would be unable to gain significantly more votes than the previous ballot. On 19 July the National Assembly convened to elect a new Prime Minister for a second time following the general election. On the same day, the Constitutional Court unamimously voted to accept a case against Pita regarding his inherited shares of the defunct iTV. They also voted 7–2 to suspend him from MP duty until it reached a ruling, but it not preclude him from being nominated for prime minister. During the assembly proceedings, Pita announced he would acknowledge the decision, and left the chamber. In the subsequent debate, the National Assembly voted against considering him for another round of voting for Prime Minister. Pita was nominated by Pheu Thai MP Suthin Klangsaeng, but the proposal was argued to have been against a parliamentary rule prohibiting a repeat motion. In the voting for his renomination, 312 voters supported, 394 rejected—most of which were senators—eight abstained and one (Pita) did not vote.


In opposition

In accordance with the vote in the assembly, Pita cannot stand for
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
until a new session after the next general election. Pita remained under suspension as an MP, but initially signaled his support for a Pheu Thai party PM candidate. On 2 August 2023, Move Forward and Pheu Thai split, as Pheu Thai pulled out of the original coalition to form one of their own. The Pheu Thai party pulled back on their election pledge to not join with pro-junta parties, and the Move Forward party refused to rescind their own election pledge to reform the Lèse-majesté law. On 22 August, Pheu Thai candidate Srettha Thavisin won the 2nd prime ministership election in the
National Assembly of Thailand The National Assembly of Thailand ( Abrv: NAT; th, รัฐสภา, , ) is the bicameral legislative branch of the government of Thailand. It convenes in the Sappaya-Sapasathan, Dusit District, Bangkok. The National Assembly was establishe ...
. All present (149) MFP members voted against Thavisin's bid for
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
. Following Srettha’s election as prime minister, Pita gave him a congratulatory phone call. On 20 August 2023, Pita began campaigning for the Move Forward party in the run-up to the by-election in Constituency 3 of
Rayong Province Rayong province ( th, ระยอง, ) is one of seventy-six provinces (''changwat'') lies in eastern Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from west clockwise) Chonburi, and Chanthaburi. To the south is the Gulf of Thailand. , per capita ea ...
, which will be contested by the Move Forward, Democrat and Nation Building Labour party, following the resignation of the Move Forward MP elected there.


Political positions

Pita has been described as a progressive by the standards of Thai politics. His
Move Forward Party The Move Forward Party ( th, พรรคก้าวไกล, ) is a social democratic and progressive political party in Thailand that opposes the remaining influence of the military junta, which ruled the country from 2014 to 2019. It was f ...
, which he has led since 2020, has been referred to as
center-left Centre-left politics lean to the left on the left–right political spectrum but are closer to the centre than other left-wing politics. Those on the centre-left believe in working within the established systems to improve social justice. The ce ...
and progressive. In an interview with CNA, Pita said he was inspired by
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew (16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), born Harry Lee Kuan Yew, often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean lawyer and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Singapore between 1959 and 1990, and Secretary-General o ...
of
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
, and has compared politics to a marathon rather than a sprint, saying “I have the stamina to run for a long time.” Pita has frequently referred to the years between 2014 and 2023 as “the lost decade” of Thailand, in regards to both economics and democratic backsliding. Pita believes the Thai armed services have too much influence in civilian politics, and has vowed to decrease their influence. Pita also said that Thailand must “demilitarize”. Pita has promised that his party would amend the controversial Royal defamation law, which protects the Thai monarchy from public criticism. On economic policy, Pita believes in the demonopolization, and
decentralization Decentralization or decentralisation is the process by which the activities of an organization, particularly those regarding planning and decision making, are distributed or delegated away from a central, authoritative location or group. Conce ...
of the economy. He has said he would liberalize Thailand's liquor industry. Pita supports the legalization of
same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...
and has attended a pride parade in Bangkok. Pita also believes in voluntary conscription for military service. Pita has centered his foreign policy on his “3Rs”, ‘Revive, Rebalance, and Recalibrate’. He also stated that Thailand should be more assertive on the global stage and open more dialogue with greater powers, and that
democratic values Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation ("direct democracy"), or to choose gove ...
should be the core of Thailand’s foreign policy. Pita has condemned the
Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
calling the Thai government’s response “two-faced”.


Personal life

Pita married actress Chutima Teepanart on 12 December 2012. The couple divorced in March 2019. Chutima publicly alleged that Pita had been controlling and abusing her during their marriage. Women's rights and pro-democracy activists called for Pita to respond to the allegations. Chutima filed a lawsuit against Pita alleging bodily abuse, but it was dismissed as false by the family court. Afterwards, she said, "Violence may not have been an issue, but he did harm me psychologically." She has since downplayed the allegations and expressed support for his political ambitions. They have one daughter. In addition to his native Thai, Pita speaks English. In 2008, he was named as one of '' CLEO Thailand''s "50 Most Eligible Bachelors".


Notes


References


External links


Pita Limjaroenrat
on
National Assembly of Thailand The National Assembly of Thailand ( Abrv: NAT; th, รัฐสภา, , ) is the bicameral legislative branch of the government of Thailand. It convenes in the Sappaya-Sapasathan, Dusit District, Bangkok. The National Assembly was establishe ...
HRIS website {{DEFAULTSORT:Limjaroenrat, Pita Pita Limjaroenrat Pita Limjaroenrat Pita Limjaroenrat Pita Limjaroenrat Pita Limjaroenrat Pita Limjaroenrat Pita Limjaroenrat Harvard Kennedy School alumni MIT Sloan School of Management alumni 1980 births Living people Pita Limjaroenrat Thai expatriates in New Zealand Thai expatriates in the United States