Somchai Wongsawat

prime minister of Thailand

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 19, 2026

Quick Summary

Somchai Wongsawat served as prime minister of Thailand from September 2008 to December 2008. He is the brother-in-law of Thaksin Shinawatra, a former prime minister who was ousted in a 2006 military coup. Wongsawat's premiership was marked by significant political turmoil, including mass protests by the "yellow shirts" who accused him of being a proxy for Thaksin. His government was removed from office by the Constitutional Court, and his party was subsequently dissolved. This period saw frequent changes in leadership, with Wongsawat being the fourth prime minister in a short span.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

4 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Thailand
Yellow shirts and red shirts
…Court, and the parliament elected Somchai Wongsawat, brother-in-law of Thaksin, as prime minister. In October Thaksin, who by then was living in exile, was convicted in absentia on charges of corruption.
Read More
…Court, and the parliament elected Somchai Wongsawat, brother-in-law of Thaksin, as prime minister. In October Thaksin, who by then was living in exile, was convicted in absentia on charges of corruption.
Read More