Democrat Party Holds Annual General Assembly; Abhisit Orders Preparations to Advance and Establish Party Foundation

Navigating the expensive fuel crisis, the Democrat Party held its annual general assembly in a hybrid online-offline format. Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva thanked members for their support in the recent election and instructed the party to prepare and move forward with establishing a solid foundation. James Jiraphol called on all members to participate in all 35 standing committees. On April 25, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. at Democrat Party headquarters, the party's 2025 annual general assembly took place with party executives and members fully represented. Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, Secretary-General Chaiwut Banwatana, Korn Chatikvaniich, Kardi Liowpirojn, Vice-leaders Mekhint Ieamsaad, MPs, and other party members attended, while others participated through an online system for those unable to travel, reflecting the current fuel crisis situation.

The assembly complied with political party law and party regulations requiring at least one ordinary meeting annually during April. The assembly met quorum requirements with 299 total participants—51 in-person and 248 online.

The meeting reviewed the party's annual performance report and approved the 2024 financial statements under the Political Party Act B.E. 2560. However, no new deputy party leader was appointed to replace Wirapong Prapa, who resigned to serve as Thailand's trade representative in the Anutin Charnvirakul government.

Abhisit stated his gratitude for everyone's cooperation in the recent election despite numerous constraints, particularly time limitations that may have affected administrative readiness and candidate selection processes. Regarding election results, he noted that the party list system results were not far from targets, with list vote proportions slightly higher than in 2019, providing a foundation for future growth.

However, he acknowledged that performance in constituency elections fell short of expectations, citing various conditions in different regions that hindered success. "All this has led us to adjust our operational plans, and we are confident that for the next election, we will have time to prepare since this one ended, and we've already begun laying multiple foundations," Abhisit said.

Abhisit added that despite the party's opposition role with only 21 MPs, their voice remains sufficiently strong. All MPs are committed to utilizing every parliamentary opportunity through motions, questions, and legislative proposals coupled with debates. Their participation in government policy debates demonstrated their effectiveness as a strong oversight body, bringing reasoned, prepared, creative, and constructive proposals while articulating the party's vision on social, economic, and political issues.

The Democrat Party leader stated that parliamentary work alone is insufficient, but the party is now planning more systematic work both inside and outside parliament, with concrete results expected during the parliamentary recess in July.