With extensive experience in law, Meechai takes over as boss

Completing his graduate studies in law in the US under a government scholarship, Meechai began his career at the Office of the Civil Service Commission, before joining the Office of the Council of State, where he became the law-drafting director. 

As his career progressed, Meechai became legal adviser to four former prime ministers – Sanya Dharmasakti, MR Kukrit Pramoj, MR Seni Pramoj and Thanin Kraivichien. He then served as secretary-general in political affairs to former PM General Kriangsak Chamanan.

His first prominent political position was as the PM’s Office Minister during former premier General Prem Tinsulanonda’s time, from 1980 to 1988. He kept this post under Prem’s successor General Chatichai Choonhavan from 1988 to 1991, before Chatichai was ousted by the National Peace-Keeping Council (NPKC) in 1991.

He then became deputy to the NPKC-appointed premier Anand Panyarachun from 1991 to 1992. 

In 1991, he first experienced being the leader of a charter-drafting committee, producing the 1991 Constitution, which allowed the NPKC leader and non-MP General Suchinda Kraprayoon become an “outsider PM” and eventually lead to bloodshed in May 1992. 

As he continued holding the post of deputy PM in Suchinda’s government, he took over as acting premier for 17 days after Suchinda resigned in response to the “black May” crisis in 1992 and Anand returned to the premier’s post. 

Apart from his political posts, Meechai also served as member of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) on three occasions between 1977 and 2008. He was also a senator three times from 1983 to 2000 and served two of his three terms in the Senate as president. 

By 2007, reporters on the Parliament beat began calling him the “CEO of the NLA” due to his ability to tightly control MPs and legislative procedures. 

After the 2006 coup, Meechai became legal adviser to the Council of Democratic Reform (CDR) led by General Sonthi Boonyaratglin and helped draft the 2006 interim charter, which introduced the concept of holding referendums on charter drafts. 

After the most recent coup, when the NCPO ousted Yingluck Shinawatra’s government, Meechai became a member of the CDC and co-drafted the 2014 interim charter. 

Meechai’s and Anand’s names were in the media again last month as potential candidates for the CDC chairman’s post. While gaining support from the NLA president Pornpetch Wichitcholchai, Meechai chose not to comment until an official announcement of his new post was made yesterday. 

Currently a retired civil servant and chief executive at a media firm, Meechai has promised that in his new post, he will stick to international principles and the concept of a referendum, despite doubts raised by some regarding his work under three military juntas.