Chalerm Ubumrung

Police Captain Dr. Chalerm Ubumrung ร.ต.อ. ดร.เฉลิม อยู่บำรุง MP
Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 August 2011
Prime Minister	Yingluck Shinawatra
Leader of the Opposition
In office 12 January 2009 – 5 August 2011
Monarch	Bhumibol Adulyadej
Preceded by	Abhisit Vejjajiva
Succeeded by	Abhisit Vejjajiva
Personal details
Born	June 10, 1947 (1947-06-10) (age 64) Bang Bon, Bangkok, Thailand
Nationality	Thai
Political party	Pheu Thai
Profession	Politician, Police officer
Religion	Buddhism

Police Captain Dr. Chalerm Ubumrung (Thai: เฉลิม อยู่บำรุง, RTGS: Chaloem Yubamrung, Thai pronunciation: [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.

Family life

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

Education

Chalerm received doctor's degree in Law from 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). 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.^[1] 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 (Thai: พรรคความหวังใหม่) 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,^[2] 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,^[3] 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.

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.

References

1. ^ Thai Nation Party website, History of Thai Politics, 1991 - May 1992.
2. ^ โปรดเกล้าฯแต่งตั้ง ครม.ภายใต้การนำของ "สมัคร สุนทรเวช"
3. ^ โปรดเกล้า ครม.สมชาย1แล้ว จิ๋ว-เฉลิมมาแว้ว

Persondata
Name	Ubumrung, Chalerm
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	June 10, 1947
Place of birth	Bang Bon, Bangkok, Thailand
Date of death
Place of death