Democrat Party Celebrates 80th Anniversary with Veteran Politicians
The Democrat Party marked its 80th anniversary with a gala at Bangkok’s Athinee Hotel, where senior figures Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, Jatuporn Chaiyasang, and Abhisit Vejjajiva shared reflections on the party’s legacy. Wan Muhamad Noor Matha lauded the party for turning rural youths into national leaders and urged it to keep fighting for democracy, while Jatuporn warned against the easy dissolution of parties and called for stronger, more stable political institutions. Abhisit recalled his early political debut and credited the party for launching his career.
Wan Muhamad Noor Matha praised the Democrat Party as a democratic model that has turned rural youths into capable national leaders, and urged the party to continue defending democracy for the nation. He recalled how his father ran for parliament under the Democrat banner in 1957 with just 5,000 baht in campaign funds, lost the election, and promised himself to win a seat in his father’s place; he later succeeded in 1986 under party leader Chuan Leekpai, receiving 20,000 baht from the party’s legal fund and another 100,000 baht after his second term, learning the ropes of politics from the party’s example. Jatuporn Chaiyasang said his feeling toward the Democrat Party was like that of a student who had been mistreated, noting that after 80 years of Thai politics the party remains a long‑standing institution, having been dissolved once but never barred from using its original name, unlike the Thai Rak Thai Party which could not reuse its name for two decades. He argued that easy dissolution shows Thailand’s democratic development is still weak and called for politicians to strengthen political institutions so that multiple parties can endure and compete. Abhisit Vejjajiva reminisced about his early days as a candidate, remembering the moment he first stepped onto a political stage and how the party helped launch his career.
