Pita Limjaroenrat Fact File:
The name "พิธา" has the meaning of "prosperous and thriving person." When written in English, it is spelled as "Pita." Interestingly, "Pita" is also the name of a type of bread commonly found in the Mediterranean region, including Greece, where it is known as "Greek Pita."
image from www.kapook.com
Name: Pita Limjaroenrat
Nickname: Tim
Date of Birth: September 5, 2523 B.E. (Buddhist Era) [Equivalent to September 5, 1980 C.E. (Common Era)]
Nationality: Thai
Occupation: Entrepreneur, Politician
Political Affiliation: Kao Klai (Move Forward) Party
Previous Affiliation: Anakot Mai (Future Forward) Party
Notable Position: Former Member of the House of Representatives (Party-list system)
Education:
- Bangkok Christian College (High School)
- Thammasat University, Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy (Bachelor's degree in Finance, English Program)
- University of Texas, Austin (Scholarship recipient for further studies)
- Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government (Master's degree in Public Administration)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (Business Management Program, alongside master's studies)
Family:
- Father: Sakda Limjaroenrat (Former advisor to the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives)
- Mother: Lilada Limjaroenrat
- Uncle: Pidungsak Limjaroenrat (Former Secretary-General to the Minister of Interior and assistant to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra)
- Younger Brother: Phatsin Limjaroenrat
Notable Achievement:
- Pita Limjaroenrat became the leader of the Kao Klai Party, which emerged as the largest political party in the general election of 2566 B.E. (2023 C.E.).
- The Kao Klai Party formed the government and pushed for Pita Limjaroenrat to become the Prime Minister of Thailand, but he narrowly missed the required votes in the first prime ministerial vote on July 13, 2566 B.E.
- Pita Limjaroenrat's Kao Klai Party faced challenges, and he was ordered by the Constitutional Court to temporarily suspend his parliamentary duties due to his ownership of shares in a media company.
image from www.thairath.co.th
Pita Limjaroenrat (born on September 5, 2523 B.E.) is a Thai entrepreneur and politician, known by the nickname "Tim." He is the leader of the "Kao Klai" (Move Forward) Party and a former member of the House of Representatives under the party-list system. He was previously affiliated with the "Anakot Mai" (Future Forward) Party before it was dissolved following the general election in 2019. Pita gained prominence in the political sphere through his discussions on agricultural policies, particularly the "Five-Baht Rubber Bullet" policy, during the government of General Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Under Pita's leadership, the Kao Klai Party became the largest political party in the general election of 2566 B.E., securing 151 seats in the House of Representatives. The party formed the government and pushed for Pita to be elected as the Prime Minister. In the first prime ministerial vote on July 13, 2566 B.E., Pita fell short by 51 votes to become the next Prime Minister. However, on July 19, he was ordered by the Constitutional Court to temporarily suspend his parliamentary duties due to his ownership of shares in a media company. On the same day, the House of Representatives passed a resolution to prevent Pita from being considered for the position of Prime Minister in the second round.
During his early years, Pita was born on September 5, 2523 B.E. He is the eldest son among two siblings of Sakda Limjaroenrat, a former advisor to the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, and Lilada Limjaroenrat. He is also the nephew of Pidungsak Limjaroenrat, a former Secretary-General to the Minister of Interior, and an assistant to the former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Pita attended Bangkok Christian College for his high school education before moving to New Zealand at the age of 11. There, he lived with a host family in Hamilton and developed an interest in politics through watching the parliamentary debates and learning about the policies of former Australian Prime Minister, Jim Bolger. In addition to his studies, he worked part-time to support himself, doing newspaper delivery, lawn-mowing, and dog-walking.
After completing his high school education, Pita pursued a degree in Finance (English Program) at the Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy, Thammasat University. He graduated with first-class honors and received a scholarship to study at the University of Texas, Austin. Later, he pursued a master's degree in Public Administration at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, as the first Thai student to receive the scholarship from the university. Concurrently, he also attended a business management program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2011.
Please note that the information provided here is based on public records up to September 2021, and there may have been developments or changes after that time.