Thai Nation Party
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Thai Nation Party
พรรคชาติไทย Chart Thai Party |
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|---|---|
| Leader |
Pramarn Adireksarn (1974-1986; 1992-1994) Chatichai Choonhavan (1986-1991) Banharn Silpa-archa (1994-2008) |
| Founded | November 19, 1974 |
| Dissolved | December 2, 2008 |
| Succeeded by |
Chartthaipattana Party (de facto) |
| Ideology | Conservatism |
| Political position | Right-wing |
Thai Nation Party, or Chart Thai Party (Thai: พรรคชาติไทย, rtgs: Phak Chat Thai) was a conservative political party in Thailand. It was dissolved by the Constitutional Court of Thailand on December 2, 2008, along with the People's Power Party and the Matchima party, for having violated electoral laws in the Thai general election, 2007. Thereafter, most MPs founded the Chartthaipattana Party (Thai Nation Development Party), which became the Thai Nation Party's successor.
The Thai Nation Party was founded in 1974 by Chatichai Choonhavan, son of Field Marshal Phin Choonhavan, and his in-laws Pramarn Adireksarn and Siri Siriyothin, who were at the time major-generals like him. The three belonged to the "Rajakru clan", a military, economic and political interest group established by Field Marshal Phin. The party represented the rightist and pro-military wing of Thai politics during the relatively liberal and democratic years from 1973 to 1976. During the campaign for the election in April 1976, the party called for “the Right to kill the Left”, and party chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Pramarn declared in a cabinet meeting on October 6, 1976 that it was the right moment to destroy the student movement, which was eventually executed in the Thammasat University massacre. In the subsequent elections 1976, 1979, 1983 and 1986, the party consistently was the second-strongest party. During the 1980s, the party deideologized itself. It was a "government party" that tried to be part of the ruling coalition at any rate. Only between 1983 and 1986 it was the main parliamentary opposition. According to then-secretary general Banharn Silpa-archa, "for a politician, being in opposition is like starving yourself to death."
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