Banharn Silpa-archa

Banharn Silpa-Archa บรรหาร ศิลปอาชา 馬德祥 ThC PPh MPCh MWM
Prime Minister of Thailand
In office July 13, 1995 – November 24, 1996
Monarch	Bhumibol Adulyadej
Preceded by	Chuan Leekpai
Succeeded by	Chavalit Yongchaiyudh
Leader of the Opposition
In office May 27, 1994 – May 19, 1995
Monarch	Bhumibol Adulyadej
Preceded by	Pramarn Adireksarn
Succeeded by	Chuan Leekpai
Personal details
Born	August 19, 1932 (1932-08-19) Suphanburi Province, Thailand
Nationality	Thai
Political party	Thai Nation Party
Spouse(s)	Jamsai Silpa-Archa
Profession	building contractor, politician
Signature

Banharn Silpa-archa (parts of his name also spelt variously Banhan, Silapa-, Sinlapa-, and -acha; Thai: บรรหาร ศิลปอาชา, RTGS: Banhan Sinlapa-acha, Thai pronunciation: [banhǎːn sǐnláʔpàʔ aːt͡ɕʰaː], born 19 August 1932) is a Thai politician. He was the Prime Minister of Thailand from 1995 to 1996. Banharn, who is of ethnic Chinese decent, made a fortune in the construction business before he became a Member of Parliament representing his home province of Suphanburi. He has held different cabinet posts in several governments. In 1994, he became the leader of the Thai Nation Party. In 2008, the party was dissolved by the Constitutional Court and Banharn has been banned from politics for five years.

Early life, education, and business career

According to his birth certificate, Banharn was born on 19 August 1932 (some sources claim 19 July) in Suphanburi to a Chinese merchant family. He was given the Chinese name Tek Chiang Chaebe (马德祥). He married Jamsai Silpa-archa and they have three children, two of them became politicians, as well.

Banharn Silpa-archa dropped out of high school, when the Second World War came to Thailand. First, he worked together with his older brother, then he founded his own building company. Much later, when he already was a politician, he completed his tertiary education, receiving a Bachelor of Laws degree from the Ramkhamhaeng University (open university) in 1986, and a Master of Laws from the same university.

Banharn's construction business was very successful in the boom years of the 1960s, when large sums were invested into major infrastructure projects, including military facilities. His business empire made Banharn a billionaire.

Political career

Banharn Silpa-archa entered politics in 1976, when he became a Member of Parliament, representing Suphanburi province. He joined the Thai Nation Party, a conservative party dominated by the "Rajakru clan" around Pramarn Adireksarn and Chatichai Choonhavan. His party participated in a coalition government under Prime Minister Seni Pramoj and Banharn was appointed deputy minister of industry. He was elected to the Senate in 1977, but returned to represent his constituency in the House of Representatives the next year. Banharn was re-elected Member of Parliament for Suphanburi in every of the following elections, receiving steadily more than 100,000 votes (60 to 90 per cent of the votes cast), what made him one of the highest vote-getters through-out the country.

He has sponsored the construction of schools, bridges and other infrastructural facilities in his home province, which in turn were named after him. This has led to the common saying that he "owns the province". When his party was a junior partner in the government of Prem Tinsulanonda from 1980 to 1983, Banharn was Minister of Agriculture. In 1981, he became secretary-general of the Thai Nation Party. Banharn, being one of the main financiers of the party, accumulated considerable influence inside the party, although he was not a member of the originally dominant Rajakru clan. The local press has once dubbed him "Mr. (Mobile) ATM" (automated teller machine), due to the suspicion that he had bought the loyalty of political associates in exchange for money.

In 1986, Prime Minister Prem again called him up to the government, this time naming him Minister of Transport. After his party had won the elections in 1988 and Thai Nation leader Chatichai Choonhavan had become Prime Minister, Banharn was appointed Minister of Industry. In January 1990, he switched offices with Pramarn Adireksarn and became interior minister. In December of the same year, Chatichai made him Minister of Finance. The Chatichai government was deposed by a military coup d'état in 1991. Banharn returned to the cabinet as early as April 1992, when he once again became Minister of Transport in the short-lived government of General Suchinda Kraprayoon. His party went into opposition after early elections in September 1992. Banharn took over the leadership of the Thai Nation Party from Pramarn Adireksarn in 1994 and also became official leader of the opposition.

Premiership

Under the leadership of Banharn, the Thai Nation Party won the parliamentary election in 1995, and he became the 21st Prime Minister of Thailand, leading a seven-party coalition. Banharn has been involved in numerous corruption scandals one of which diminished the concordance in his administration and caused him to resign. His short-lived yet highly inept administration is also believed to have paved the way for the economic crisis of 1997.

During a state visit by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom in October 1996 he mistakenly referred to her as "Queen Elizabeth Taylor", receiving many ridicules and criticisms as a result.

After premiership

On 21 January 2008, Banharn announced that his Thai Nation Party would join a coalition with the People's Power Party, successor to the Thai Rak Thai Party of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Because he had earlier vowed before the Emerald Buddha never to rejoin Thaksin because of the corruption scandals, this move has reinforced Banharn's image as a "Slippery Eel."

Upon the dissolution of his Thai Nation Party by the Constitutional Court on 2 December 2008, Banharn Silpa-archa was banned from politics for five years. Non-executive members of the Thai Nation Party immediately founded the Chartthaipattana Party (Thai National Development), which is chaired by Banharn's younger brother, Chumpol Silpa-archa. Chumphol was Minister of Tourism and Sports in the cabinet of Abhisit Vejjajiva. His son Warawut was deputy transport minister, and his daughter Kanchana was deputy education minister.

Royal decorations

Banharn has received the following royal decorations in the Honours System of Thailand:

• Knight Commander (Second Class, lower grade) of The Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao
• Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn
• Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant
• Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of The Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand
• Red Cross Medal of Appreciation (First Class)
• Border Service Medal

External links

• Opening Statement - to the Fifth ASEAN Summit
• 'In search of good publicity' - Bangkok Post article

Preceded by Chuan Leekpai

Prime Minister of Thailand 1995-1996

Succeeded by Chavalit Yongchaiyudh