Chavarat Charnvirakul (born 7 June 1936) was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2 to 17 December 2008, succeeding Somchai Wongsawat and preceding Abhisit Vejjajiva. He was a member of the People's Power Party during his premiership before joining the Bhumjaithai Party a year later.
Biography[]
Chavarat Charnvirakul was born in Bangkok, Thailand in 1936, and he served as Deputy Minister of Finance from 1994 to 1997 before becoming Minister of Public Health and Deputy Prime Minister under PM Somchai Wongsawat in 2008. When Somchai was removed along with several other cabinet members, Chavarat became acting Prime Minister, serving for a month. He was forced to step down due to a rule that only MPs could serve as Prime Minister, and he went on to serve as Interior Minister from 2008 to 2011. From 2009 to 2012, he was the leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, and his son Anutin Charnvirakul succeeded him.