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Somchai Wongsawat | |
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สมชาย วงศ์สวัสดิ์ | |
![]() Somchai in 2008 | |
26th Prime Minister of Thailand | |
In office 18 September 2008 – 2 December 2008[a] | |
Monarch | Bhumibol Adulyadej |
Preceded by | Samak Sundaravej |
Succeeded by | Chavarat Charnvirakul (acting) |
Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand | |
In office 6 February 2008 – 9 September 2008 | |
Prime Minister | Samak Sundaravej |
Minister of Defence | |
In office 18 September 2008 – 2 December 2008 | |
Prime Minister | himself |
Preceded by | Samak Sundaravej |
Succeeded by | Prawit Wongsuwan |
Minister of Education | |
In office 6 February 2008 – 9 September 2008 | |
Prime Minister | Samak Sundaravej |
Preceded by | Wijit Srisa-arn |
Succeeded by | Srimuang Chareonsiri |
Leader of the People's Power Party Acting | |
In office 30 September 2008 – 2 December 2008 | |
Preceded by | Samak Sundaravej |
Succeeded by | party dissolved |
Personal details | |
Born | Chawang, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Siam (now Chang Klang, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand) | 31 August 1947
Political party | Pheu Thai (until 2024) |
Spouse | Yaowapha Shinawatra |
Children | 3 |
Relatives | Thaksin Shinawatra (brother-in-law) Yingluck Shinawatra (sister-in-law) |
Alma mater | |
Signature | ![]() |
^ a: Acting: 9–18 September 2008 | |
Somchai Wongsawat (Thai: สมชาย วงศ์สวัสดิ์, pronounced [sǒm.tɕʰāːj wōŋ.sā.wàt] ; born 31 August 1947) is a Thai politician who was the prime minister of Thailand in 2008 and a former executive member of the People's Power Party (PPP) whose political rights were disenfranchised by the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) for five years.
Prior to entering electoral politics, he had served civil service and judicial service, having been appointed Permanent Secretary of Justice (the highest non-elected position in the civil service) in 2000 by the government of Chuan Leekpai. Following his retirement from office in 2006 owing to the pensionable age, he entered politics after the 2006 coup unseating the government of his brother-in-law, Thaksin Shinawatra. He joined the PPP which won the December 2007 parliamentary elections, becoming Minister of Education and Senior Deputy Prime Minister. After the premiership of Samak Sundaravej had been terminated by the ConCourt for contravening the conflict of interests law, Somchai was successfully nominated Prime Minister. His government had to deal with the 2008 Thailand political crisis as well as the global financial crisis of 2008, and the PPP was eventually dissolved by the ConCourt and its executive members, including Somchai, were prohibited from politics for five years for vote-buying committed by Yongyuth Tiyapairat.
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