Abhisit Vejjajiva

PROFILE

Abhisit Vejjajiva was Thailand’s 27^th Prime Minister at the age of 44. Born in Newcastle, United Kingdom, the Oxford-educated politician had an academic career teaching at Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy before joining politics.

Abhisit held the office of Prime Minister from 2008-2011 with a platform revolving around “Putting People First” and anti-corruption. Among the achievements of Abhisit’s government are free healthcare, higher minimum wage and free education, including textbooks and milk for nursery-school children.

As a former Leader of the Democrat Party, Thailand’s oldest political party, Abhisit is a seasoned politician with 3 decades of experience.

During his term of office, the world was in the middle of an economic turmoil, and there were many domestic political tensions in Thailand at that time. Despite these challenges, the Abhisit Government was credited with effective economic policies and bringing Thailand to a stable and sound financial standing through stimulus packages, that were on track and on time, and investing not just in jobs, but also in increasing the competitiveness of the economy. Moreover, the economy was strengthened through the increasing of the country’s foreign reserves, reducing debt-to-GDP ratio, lowering unemployment rate, and protecting consumers from fluctuating oil prices.

Thailand chaired the regional grouping ASEAN in 2009 amidst the color-coded political conflicts in the country, when Abhisit was Prime Minister. Prime Minister Abhisit has been held in high regard internationally, and he represented ASEAN at the G-20 Leaders’ Summit in Pittsburg, USA in 2009.

Abhisit resigned as Member of Parliament and Democrat Party leader, following the 2019 elections, and remains active in Thai politics, including on the widely supported call for the amendment of the 2017 Constitution.

TOPICS

POWERING A YOUNG WORKFORCE

As Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva prioritized education and workforce development as a means of driving economic growth. He implemented policies to improve education quality and access, particularly for disadvantaged groups. Additionally, he emphasized the importance of developing skills and fostering innovation through research and entrepreneurship to create a more dynamic and competitive economy for young people.

HOW THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC WILL RESHAPE HEALTHCARE, THE ECONOMY, LIFESTYLES AND BEYOND

The Covid-19 pandemic shows what we can expect if we are not prepared to deal with things like globalization, technological disruption or disparity. The pandemic has exposed risks and challenges that come with globalization. Across the world, the novel coronavirus and the measures implemented to stem its spread have hit the poor and the marginalized particularly hard. In Abhisit’s session, he gives a broad picture on its effects on our future and what we can do to help to those affected the most.

THE ECONOMICS OF ARTS AND CULTURE

Abhisit Vejjajiva’s government launched the “Creative Economy” initiative in Thailand in 2009 to promote creative industries, including arts and culture, as a way of driving economic growth and job creation. This initiative included policies to support creative businesses, as well as initiatives to promote cultural festivals, art exhibitions, and creative tourism programs.

Abhisit recognized the crucial role of arts and culture in fostering social cohesion and national identity, highlighting the value of investing in this sector to drive economic growth and promote cultural preservation and understanding.