Suwat has big plans for Chart Pattana Kla's victory in Korat

The largest Northeast province Nakhon Ratchasima is his stronghold and his medium-sized party is usually included in coalition governments. He has also always won a Cabinet seat, and his party has rarely been on the cold opposition bench.

Though he was among the 111 Thai Rak Thai Party executives to be banned from politics for five years in 2007, Suwat began running the show from behind the scenes. He also sent his youngest brother, Tewan Liptapanlop, to the forefront.

This year, Suwat has returned to the frontline as Chart Pattana Kla Party’s No 1 PM candidate.

The party announced its list of three PM candidates on Tuesday, with the second and third being party leader Korn Chatikavanij and party secretary-general Tewan, respectively.

A veteran politician, Suwat has built a strong political base in Korat, where Tewan is also contesting as Constituency 1 MP.

On February 25, Suwat boldly announced that his party would win most House seats in the Northeast province, saying: “To win the election we must convince people that we can take power and tackle their bread-and-butter issues. We are focusing on this. We will do it for Korat people. Korat people love us and we’re confident we will be champions in Korat.”

Strong roots

Suwat was born on February 9, 1955, and completed his secondary education at Saint Gabriel’s School. He then did a bachelor’s in engineering from Kasetsart University before completing his master’s in engineering at Purdue University in Indiana.

Suwat’s family has had strong influence in Korat mainly because its construction firm has been behind the Northeast province’s infrastructure, especially hospitals.

His father was an associate of late Army chief General Arthit Kamlang-ek and his family’s company often won military construction contracts, mostly in Korat.

Suwat made his political debut in Korat during the July 1988 general elections under the banner of General Arthit’s Thai People’s Party. He defeated then-PM-to-be General Chatichai Choonhavan who was battling in the same constituency.

His party later joined the Chatichai-led coalition and Suwat was given the post of deputy communication and transport minister in 1990, even though he was a newbie in politics.

Following a House dissolution in 1992, Suwat joined Chatichai and Korn Dabaransi to form the Chart Pattana Party.

Vast political experience

In his political career, Suwat has held several Cabinet posts, including deputy transport minister of the short-lived Suchinda Kraprayoon government.

In 1995, he became science minister for Chuan Leekpai’s first tenure, and then transport minister of the Chavalit Yongchaiyudh government in 1997. He then returned to Chuan’s second government and held the Industry portfolio from 1998 to 2000.

In Thaksin Shinawatra’s government, Suwat was PM’s Office minister and University Affairs minister from March to October 2002, and then labour minister until November 2003.

In 2003, he replaced Korn Dabaransi as chair of the National Development Party, which did not spend much time on the opposition bench.

After his party re-joined the government he became deputy PM from June 2004 to March 2005. He then joined Thaksin’s Thai Rak Thai party and served as justice minister until August 2005, and as deputy prime minister until September 2006.

After Thai Rak Thai was dissolved in 2007, Suwat ran things from behind the scenes and the Ruam Chart Pattana Party was formed. He then had his wife, Lt-General Poonpirom Liptapanlop take the Energy portfolio in 2008.

In 2011, the party’s name was changed to Chart Pattana and on September 26, 2022, it merged with Korn Chatikavanij’s Kla Party and became Chart Pattana Kla, with Korn as party leader.

Unlike other PM candidates, Suwat’s race for the PM’s seat is only seen as a political tactic, so his party can win a sizeable number of seats and not be left on the cold opposition bench after the May 14 election.

Suwat, of course, is expected to prove himself as the man for all seasons and win a Cabinet seat again.