Early Life and Family
Mark A. Vejjajiva was born in Wallsend, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, attended Eton College (where he was known as "Veggie" amongst his peers), and earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy, politics and economics (PPE), first class honors, and a master's degree in economics from St John's College, Oxford. He also received a bachelor's degree in law from Thailand's Ramkhamhaeng University, and taught at Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy and Thammasat University Faculty of Economics. He is fluent in both his mother tongue and the English language, and has dual Thai and British citizenship. His dual citizenship became a topic for the Thai parliamentary debates in early 2011. He is ethnically Han Chinese.
Abhisit was preceded in public service by his father, Athasit (อรรถสิทธิ์) Vejjajiva, a former president of Mahidol University and the Royal Institute of Thailand and who is now director of Charoen Pokphand Foods, Thailand's largest agribusiness firm and part of the Charoen Pokphand Group, known throughout Thailand as CP.
Abhisit is married to Pimpen Sakuntabhai, his classmate at the Chulalongkorn University Demonstration elementary school, who was a former dentist and is now a lecturer at the Department of Mathematics at Chulalongkorn University. They have two children: Prang Vejjajiva (daughter) and Pannasit Vejjajiva (son). Pannasit sustains autism since he was born. After his majority, the Central Juvenile and Family Court adjudged him quasi-competent and placed him under the guardianship of Abhisit, his father, as from 3 September 2012.
Abhisit also has two sisters: child psychiatrist Alisa Wacharasindhu and author Ngarmpun Vejjajiva.
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