Former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has been appointed as the vice chairman and a board member of the consumer goods giant, Sahapat. The company, originally a small grocery store established in 1942 by Thiam Chokwatana, has grown into a major public limited company, Sahapat Plc, listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET).
Sahapat, which transformed from Saha Pathanapibul Co Ltd (SPC) into its current form, is primarily managed by the Chokwatana family, with Boonsithi Chokwatana as the honorary chairman and Boonchai Chokwatana as chairman. The company reported revenue of 28.6 billion baht in the first nine months of the previous year, marking a 6.9% increase from the same period the year before, with net profits rising by 22.9% to 1.44 billion baht.
Abhisit, who led Thailand as its 27th prime minister from December 2008 to August 2011, was also the leader of the Democrat Party from March 2005 to March 2019.
The seasoned politician, an Oxford University alumnus, was a key figure in Thai politics, serving as the opposition leader during the tenures of four prime ministers. His transition to a role at Sahapat comes after his exit from the Democrat Party in December, following more than thirty years with the party, driven by a demanding leadership battle. (NNT)
