Pita Limjaroenrat | |
|---|---|
พิธา ลิ้มเจริญรัตน์ | |
 Pita in 2023 | |
| Member of the House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office 24 March 2019[note 1] | |
| Constituency | Party-list |
| Advisory Chairman of Move Forward Party | |
| Assumed office 23 September 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Leader of the Move Forward Party | |
| In office 14 March 2020 – 23 September 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit (as Leader of the Future Forward Party) |
| Succeeded by | Chaithawat Tulathon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 September 1980 Bangkok, Thailand |
| Political party | Move Forward (since 2020) |
| Other political affiliations | Future Forward (2018–2020) |
| Spouse |
Chutima Teepanart
(m. 2012; div. 2019) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | |
| Website | Campaign website |
| Nickname | Tim (ทิม)[1] |
Pita Limjaroenrat (Thai: พิธา ลิ้มเจริญรัตน์, RTGS: Phitha Limcharoenrat, pronounced [pʰí(ʔ).tʰāː lím.tɕā.rɤ̄ːn.rát] ⓘ; born 5 September 1980), nicknamed Tim (Thai: ทิม), is a Thai businessman and politician. A member of the House of Representatives, He previously served as Leader of the Move Forward Party, the de facto successor to the dissolved Future Forward Party, from 2020 to 2023.
Educated in New Zealand, Pita studied finance in Thailand. He further studied politics and business in the United States, having received various scholarships. Upon his return to Thailand in 2005, he took over his family’s rice bran oil company and helped it gain its foothold. After obtaining a master’s degree in the US, he continued his work in business. In 2019, Pita was approached by the pro-democracy Future Forward Party to be a party-list candidate for the 2019 general elections. He accepted and ultimately won a seat in the House of Representatives. Upon the dissolution of Future Forward in 2020, Pita was selected to lead the newly formed Move Forward Party.
Pita led Move Forward to become the largest party in the 2023 general election, winning 151 seats. Forming a coalition with fellow pro-democracy parties, he announced plans to be elected prime minister of Thailand. In the first round of parliamentary voting on 13 July 2023, he was not elected by the National Assembly, as he lacked the votes from the Senate. Later, on 19 July, he was suspended as an MP by the Constitutional Court over shares in the defunct broadcaster ITV. Pita's second nomination on the same day was blocked by the National Assembly. Move Forward ultimately joined the opposition following a dispute with their initial coalition partner, Pheu Thai. Pita resigned as leader of Move Forward in September 2023. He was succeeded by Chaithawat Tulathon, but continues to be active in the party. On 24 January, the Constitutional Court cleared him of wrongdoing, securing his status as a Member of the House of Representatives.
Pita was born on 5 September 1980.[1][2] He is the eldest son of Pongsak Limjaroenrat, who previously served as an adviser to the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, and Linda Limjaroenrat. His uncle, Padung Limjaroenrat, was a former secretary to the Interior Minister and closely associated with then-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.[3][4]
Pita's education began at Bangkok Christian College. At the age of 11, he moved to Hamilton, New Zealand,[5] where he stayed with a middle-class host family. During his time in New Zealand, he took on part-time jobs, including delivering newspapers and milk, to support himself. His interest in politics was sparked in an unexpected way: due to the limited television options, which were mostly Australian soap operas or parliamentary debates, he found himself drawn to the political discussions. This exposure, particularly to speeches by Jim Bolger, then the Prime Minister of New Zealand, played a significant role in developing his political interests.[6]
After completing his secondary education in New Zealand, Pita returned to Thailand and enrolled in Thammasat University, where he pursued a bachelor's degree in finance at the Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy. He graduated in 2002 with first-class honors and received a scholarship to st udy at the University of Texas at Austin.[7] During his time in Austin, the 2000 U.S. presidential election unfolded, which Pita notes had a significant impact on his political views.[8] He then earned an international student scholarship to Harvard University, making him the first Thai student to achieve this distinction.[9][10][11] Pita has expressed that his experiences at Harvard greatly influenced his political beliefs and future policy goals.[12]
Pita's engagement in political circles extended to his involvement with economic advisor Somkid Jatusripitak. This included accompanying then-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to New York City for a United Nations General Assembly meeting in September 2006. However, Thaksin, who had written Pita's recommendation letter for Harvard,[13] was unable to deliver his speech due to a military coup on 19 September, leading to his departure for London.
Following the coup, upon his return to Thailand, Pita faced a brief detention, which caused him to miss part of his father's funeral.[14] He continued his academic journey by completing a joint Master in Public Administration degree at the John F. Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University and a Master of Business Administration degree at the Sloan School of Management of the [[Massachusetts[4]
At the age of 25, Pita returned to Thailand to take over as managing director of CEO Agrifood, a rice bran oil business run by his family, after the death of his father.[15][16] 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.[5]
He also served as the executive director of Grab Thailand from 2017 to 2018.[17][5]
Pita initially joined as a member of Future Forward Party (Thai: พรรคอนาคตใหม่, RTGS: Phak Anakhot Mai). Upon the invitation of party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, he accepted the offer to become a candidate in the 2019 Thai general election[18] and won a seat in the House of Representatives as the fourth party-list representative for his party.[a]
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.[20][21]
Two weeks after the dissolution of his party by the Constitutional Court on 21 February 2020, he was named as the new leader of the newly formed Move Forward Party (Thai: พรรคก้าวไกล, RTGS: Phak Kao Klai), where he was joined by 54 other members of parliament (MPs) from the disbanded party,[22][23][24][25] and was formally elected on 14 March 2020.[26][27]
Pita led the Move Forward Party into the 2023 general election, in which they won the largest number of seats (151).[28] Many observers considered the win to be an upset, as the Pheu Thai party was believed to be the frontrunner.[29] On 15 May 2023, he declared that he was ready to become prime minister after his party received the most votes, and invited the Pheu Thai Party and a number of smaller parties to form a coalition government.[30] 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.[31][32] Pita later stated that he utilized campaign strategies inspired by Barack Obama's 2008 US presidential election campaign.[33] 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 combined in order to be elected Prime Minister.[34]
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, formerly owned by exiled former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra.[35] The constitution forbids a media organisation shareholder from running in a general election.[36] 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.[36][37] 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.[36] He was among the 500 MPs endorsed by the EC on 19 June, although the commission's investigation of him continued.[38] On 27 June, Pita said he had "enough" support from the military-appointed Senate to be elected Prime Minister.[39]
Following the general election and subsequent coalition announcement, the House of Representatives held its first session on 5 July to select a Speaker, Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, founder of the coalition-member party, the Prachachat Party.[40] In the days preceding the premiership vote, Pita and the MFP party held rallies with supporters in Bangkok.[41] Pita appealed to the assembly to support his government, in accordance with the mandate granted by the people in the general election.[42]
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 laws amounted to an attempt to "overthrow the democratic regime of government with the king as a head of state".[43] 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.[44] The day before the parliamentary vote, Pita warned assembly members that there would be a "high price" if his premiership was denied.[45]
On 13 July the National Assembly 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.[46] 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 in May 2019, to become the country's next prime minister.[47][48] 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.[49][50] 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.[51][52] The failure of the National Assembly to produce a Prime Minister led to Thai stocks underperforming.[53] The newspaper Khaosod described the vote as a 'trap set in advance.'[54] 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.[55][56]
Protests continued, with many demanding that the senators resign.[57] 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.[58] On 19 July the National Assembly convened to elect a new Prime Minister for a second time following the general election.[59] 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.[60][61][62] During the assembly proceedings, Pita announced he would acknowledge the decision, and left the chamber.[63] In the subsequent debate, the National Assembly voted against considering him for another round of voting for Prime Minister.[64] Pita was nominated by Pheu Thai MP Suthin Klangsaeng,[65] but the proposal was argued to have been against a parliamentary rule prohibiting a repeat motion.[66][67][68][64] In the voting for his renomination, 312 voters supported, 394 rejected—most of which were senators—eight abstained and one (Pita) did not vote.[67][69][70]
In accordance with the vote in the assembly, Pita could not stand for Prime Minister until a new session after the next general election.[71] Despite being the largest party in the opposition Pita stated he did not have intentions to assume the role as leader of the opposition. Pita’s reasoning was that he intended to become prime minister and that the PM position was simply a role to expand Thai democracy.[72] Pita remained under suspension as an MP, but initially signaled his support for a Pheu Thai party PM candidate.[73][74] 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.[75] 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.[76]
"When people ask me 'How do you feel that you have failed?' and I would respond back to them that I won, I formed, and I got blocked. I didn't fail."
- Pita Limjaroenrat[77]
On 22 August, Pheu Thai candidate Srettha Thavisin won the 2nd prime ministership election in the National Assembly of Thailand.[78] All present (149) MFP members voted against Thavisin's bid for Prime Minister.[79] Following Srettha's election as prime minister, Pita gave him a congratulatory phone call.[80]
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,[81] which was contested by the Move Forward, Democrat and Nation Building Labour party, following the resignation of the Move Forward MP elected there.[82] MFP's candidate, Pongsathorn Sornpetnarin, won the election on 10 September.[83]
On 15 September 2023, Pita announced his resignation as Leader of the Move Forward Party.[84][85] He cited his inability to perform duties in the House, pending a ruling regarding his suspension status as an MP in the Constitutional Court, hindering his ability to become the Leader of the Opposition.[86] In his announcement, Pita stressed the importance of the position of Leader of the Opposition, and said it must provide "checks and balance" to the government.[87] He reiterated he would remain active in Thai politics and the party, regardless of his role.[88] Pita said that Move Forward would select a new leader to replace him on 23 September, who would lead the party and the opposition in the House of Representatives.[89][90] He was replaced by Secretary-General Chaithawat Tulathon as party leader.[91] Chaithawat said his leadership was part of "temporary restructure", and said he would be "willing to step down once Pita resumes the position as an MP in the parliament again".[92]
During his suspension, Pita criticized the system of government in Thailand, considering his inability to become Prime Minister un-democratic.[93] Pita embarked on a visit to the United States in October 2023 to discuss the political situation in Thailand.[94] He spoke at various universities, and met with government officials from Australia, New Zealand, and the US.[95][96][97] Most notably, he returned to the Harvard Kennedy School, and spoke with students interested in politics about his experience. He cited his work at Harvard partially for his ability to win the election, but criticized the political establishment for blocking him from power.[98] He also received an honorary master's degree and lectured about Thailand and ASEAN at the Harvard Asia Center.[99] He also spoke at MIT.[100] Earlier he met with the Thai diaspora and was honored at the TIME 100 Next gala in New York City.[101] Pita criticized the Srettha government's digital wallet scheme, calling it “old fashioned”.[102] On Srettha’s premiership, Pita argued his administration should be given more time to prove its ability to lead, while also recommending adjustments in policy.[103]
By December, a date was set for 24 January for the verdict in Pita’s iTV case. The Constitutional Court extended the original deadline for the case, with Pita permitted to prepare his defense by 12 December, and the hearings beginning by 20 December.[104] He was accused by the Election Commission of holding stocks in a media company and therefore violating Thailand’s election laws; the argument being that Pita knowingly applied to run for office in 2019 and 2024 while holding stake in a media company.[105] The defunct iTV 42,000 media shares in questions were inherited from his father after he died, and the company had been defunct since before the election in 2007.[106] The shares had since been transferred to his relatives. Pita welcomed the opportunity to present evidence to the court, and said he was not worried.[105] After preparing a statement on 15 December, he arrived at the Constitutional Court to answer questions and deliver his final testimony relating to the case on 20 December, and expressed confidence in the justice system, believing he “will receive justice”.[103] That same day, the court announced it would deliver its verdict at 2:00 PM on 24 January 2024.[106] On the day of the verdict, the court was surrounded by Pita and MFP supporters, warranting increased security. Pita arrived at the court at 12:45 PM on 24 January, along with Chaithawat.[107] After more than 30 minutes of reading the verdict, the Constitutional Court cleared Pita of any wrongdoing, allowing him to return to Parliament.[108] While addressing the press outside the court, Pita said he hoped to return to the legislature “as soon as possible”.[109]
Silmutaleosunly, Pita and the entire Move Forward Party were involved in another court case, in which they were accused via a petition of attempting to overthrow the monarchy of Thailand.[110] The Constitutional Court considered a petition which argued that the party’s attempt to reform the lese-majeste law amounted to an attempt to overthrow the monarchy.[111] If found guilty, the party may be dissolved, although in late December, when summoned to the court, Pita rejected that possibility.[112] Additionally, MFP leader Chaithawat Tulathon believed that their proposal to amend Section 112 of the Criminal Code was not a breach of the law or Section 49 of the Constitution. The original petitioner stated he was attempting to block a “violation” of the royal institution, and was not intending for his case to dissolve the Move Forward party.[113] The court will deliver a verdict on 31 January, again at 2:00 PM.[114]
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Pita has been described as a progressive by the standards of Thai politics.[115][116][117] His Move Forward Party, which he has led since 2020, has been referred to as center-left, reformist, pro-democractic, and progressive.[118][93]
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.[119][120] 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".[121] Pita has promised that his party would amend the controversial Royal defamation law, which protects the Thai monarchy from public criticism.[122] He has maintained that the Thai royal family should be above politics as "a vital institution of national unity."[13] On economic policy, Pita believes in the demonopolization, and decentralization of the economy.[123] Pita thinks aspects of a welfare state are needed in Thailand.[124] He has said he would liberalize Thailand's liquor industry.[125][126]
Pita supports the legalization of same-sex marriage and has attended a pride parade in Bangkok.[127] Pita also believes in voluntary conscription for military service.[128]
Pita has centered his foreign policy on his "3Rs", 'Revive, Rebalance, and Recalibrate'.[129] He also stated that Thailand should be more assertive on the global stage and open more dialogue with greater powers, and that democratic values should be the core of Thailand's foreign policy.[130] Pita believes in “rules based world order” when approaching diplomacy, and said the 2014 coup may have isolated Thailand's Western allies, such as the United States.[131] Celebrating the 190 anniversary of American-Thai relations, Pita stated he “trusts the US - Thai alliance.”[132] Pita has condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine calling the Thai government's response "two-faced".[133][134] Pita celebrated Taiwan's National Day at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in October 2023, despite the lack of government representatives.[135]
In an interview with CNA, Pita said he was inspired by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, and has compared politics to a marathon rather than a sprint, saying "I have the stamina to run for a long time."[136] He has also cited U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders as another one of his political role models and owns a copy of the Senator's book "It's OK To Be Angry About Capitalism."[137][138] He also included Uruguayan President José Mujica as one of his political inspirations.[139]
Pita married actress Chutima Teepanart on 12 December 2012.[140][141] The couple divorced in March 2019.[142] Chutima publicly alleged that Pita had been controlling and abusing her during their marriage.[143] Women's rights and pro-democracy activists called for Pita to respond to the allegations.[144][143] Chutima filed a lawsuit against Pita alleging bodily abuse, but it was dismissed as false by the family court.[145][146] Afterwards, she said, "Violence may not have been an issue, but he did harm me psychologically."[147] She has since downplayed the allegations and expressed support for his political ambitions.[145][146] They have one daughter.[147][148]
Pita is known for his optimistic attitude and his taste for fuchsia ties and brisk suits.[149][93] Pita enjoys rock music, particularly bands such as Coldplay, Metallica, and Radiohead among others.[13]
In addition to his native Thai, Pita speaks English.[150][151]
In 2008, he was named as one of CLEO Thailand's "50 Most Eligible Bachelors".[4][152][153] In the aftermath of the 2023 Thai general elections, Pita was named as "TIME100 NEXT" by Time magazine. He was the only Thai who had been selected on the list in 2023.[154] He attended the TIME 100 Next gala night in New York on 24 October.[155]
According to results from a National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) poll survey, published at the end of 2023, Pita remained the most popular politician in Thailand, trumping Srettha Thavisin as the preferred prime minister.[156] Poll respondents stated he possesses good leadership qualities, is accessible to the new generation, and has a good personality.[157] Additionally, Move Forward remained the most popular party in Thailand, with opinion souring on Pheu Thai after their collaboration with military-aligned parties in the parliament.[158]
