Profile of Anucha Burapachaisri, former government spokesman during the Prayut administration, returning to his original party to contest the Bangkok governor race as the Democrat Party candidate.
On 13 May 2026, significant attention was drawn at the "AI Demo Day: Bangkok Builders Edition" event held at the Tobacco Factory Warehouse 5 in Bangkok by the Democrat Party. On 12 May 2026, Anucha Burapachaisri, former Bhumjaithai Party party-list MP candidate, attended the event and told the media, "I resigned from Bhumjaithai Party membership late last week. The party has acknowledged my resignation process fully and accepts that I may collaborate with the Democrat Party in the future." It is widely anticipated that Anucha will run for Bangkok governor under the Democrat Party, with an official launch planned for 16 May.
Anucha Burapachaisri, nicknamed James, was born on 23 January 1967 and is currently 59 years old. He is married to Sudarat Burapachaisri. He completed lower secondary education at Assumption College, where he was a classmate of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. He finished upper secondary education at Sacred Heart College in Australia. He earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Adelaide, a master's degree in energy and combustion science from the University of Leeds, UK, and another master's degree in finance and marketing from the Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration at Chulalongkorn University. He also completed the 63rd National Defense College course at the National Defense Studies Institute, under the Thai Armed Forces Headquarters.
Anucha entered politics with the Democrat Party and was elected as a Bangkok MP in an election featuring numbered ballots alongside Korn Chatikavanij and Somkiat Chantawanich, all of whom were elected. He was re-elected for a second term in 2011. In 2019, he ran again under the Democrat Party but was not elected.
He then resigned from the Democrat Party to join the Palang Pracharath Party. In a key political role, Anucha was appointed secretary to the Minister of Education, Nataphol Teepsuwan.
In August 2022, he was assigned as the official spokesman for the Prime Minister's Office under Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's government. Subsequently, he was appointed deputy secretary-general to the Prime Minister for political affairs to make way for Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana to assume the government spokesman position.
In the 2023 election, he switched to the Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party. When Pira Pan Salirathavibhaga resigned as MP, Anucha was elevated on the party-list rankings.
Later, in the 2026 election, he joined the Bhumjaithai Party aligned with Energy Minister Aeknath Prawpan. Most recently, he announced his resignation from the party to prepare to rejoin the Democrat Party amid rumors he has been approached to run for Bangkok governor, a position previously discussed with Sakolthee Phattiyakul.
