Somchai Wongsawat

Infobox Prime Minister
name = Somchai Wongsawat
สมชาย วงศ์สวัสดิ์


office = Prime Minister of Thailand
monarch = Rama IX
term_start = 18 September 2008
(Acting since 9 September 2008)
term_end =
predecessor = Samak Sundaravej
successor =
birth_date = birth date and age|1947|08|31|df=y
birth_place = Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand
death_date =
death_place =
party = PPP
spouse = Yaowapha Wongsawat
religion = Buddhist

Somchai Wongsawat ( _th. สมชาย วงศ์สวัสดิ์, born 31 August 1947) is the incumbent Prime Minister of Thailand and a member of the People Power Party.

Family Life

Somchai was born at Amphoe Chawang, Changwat Nakhon Si Thammarat, being the son of Choem ( _th. เจิม) and Dap ( _th. ดับ) Wongsawat. He is the brother-in-law of Thaksin Shinawatra, being married to Yaowapha Wongsawat ( _th. เยาวภา วงศ์สวัสดิ์), the former prime minister's sister .cite news
url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hG71oGl1LokvZphtDQZzL44nzc3QD933CQI80
title=Cooking show stint derails Thai prime minister
publisher=Associated Press/Google
date=2008-09-09
accessdate=2008-09-10
first=Ambika
last=Ahuja] The couple have three children, Mr Yotthanan Wongsawat ( _th. ยศธนัน วงศ์สวัสดิ์), Ms Chinnicha Wongsawat ( _th. ชินณิชา วงศ์สวัสดิ์) and Ms Chayapha Wongsawat ( _th. ชยาภา วงศ์สวัสดิ์), respectively.

Wongsawat's wife previously served as an MP in the Thai Rak Thai party led by her older brother, Thaksin Shinawatra. Like one hundred and ten other members of the party, she was barred from participating in politics for a five-year period by the order of the Constitutional Tribunal for violation of election laws.

Education

Somchai completed his primary education in his home town, and his secondary education at Amnuay Silpa School in Bangkok. He received a bachelor of law from Faculty of Law, Thammasat University in 1970, becoming a barrister-at-law of the Thai Bar Association in the next three year, as well as completing a master of political science from the National Institute of Development Administration.

Career Life

Public Service

Somchai has been appointed to various offices in the juridical service and the civil service, including "inter alia": assistant judge of the Ministry of Justice in 1974, ministerial justice in the next year, justice of Chiang Mai's Provincial Court in 1976, justice of Chiang Mai in 1978, justice of Chiang Rai in 1983, chief of the Bench of Phang Nga's Provincial Court in 1986, chief of the Children and Juvenile Court of Rayong in 1987, chief of Chon Buri's Provincial Court in 1988 and of Nonthaburi's Provincial Court in the next year, and chief of the Bench of Thon Buri's Criminal Court in 1990, respectively. Somchai held office as judge of the 3rd Region's Appealate Court in 1993 and chief of the Bench of the 2nd Region's Appealate Court in 1997.

In 1998 Somchai was appointed as the Deputy Permanent Secretary of Justice for Academic Affairs, and later for Administrative Affairs. He became the Permanent Secretary of Justice on 11 November 2000, and was transferred to become the Permanent Secretary of Labour from 8 March to 30 September 2006, the date he retired from the public service after reaching pensionable age.

Somchai has since been appointed inter alia chairperson of the law committee of the National Research Council of Thailand, member of the Thai Bar Association's committee, member of the Board of Thailand's Electricity Generation Authority, member of the Board of the Narcotics Prevention and Suppression Board, member of the Money Laundering Prevention and Suppression Board, member of the committee of the Council of State of Thailand, member of the Board of Policy of the National Thai Police, member of the Civil Service Board of Thailand, member of the Juridicial Service Board of Thailand, and member of the National Official Information Board of Thailand. [ [http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/2077106 tvnz.co.nz/view, FACTBOX - Somchai Wongsawat] ]

Political Service

As being a member of the People Power Party, he has been the deputy leader of the Party in 2007 and held office as the Minister of Education in the Next Yearcite web
url=http://www.moe.go.th/English/admin_MOE/somchai.pdf
title=Mr. Somchai Wongsawat
publisher=Thai Ministry of Education] and Senior Deputy Prime Minister.

Somchai has acted as the Prime Minister on 9 September 2008 upon the Constitutional Court's decision that the premiership of Samak Sundaravej has been terminated for having been intermittently employed as the emcee of two cooking shows while in office.

Somchai, on 17 September 2008, was elected to become the Prime Minister of the Country by the National Assembly, receiving 298 votes against 163 votes for Abhisit Vejjajiva. [http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/003200809171023.htm] . [cite news
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7615950.stm
publisher=BBC News
title=Thai party names nominee for PM
date=2008-09-15
accessdate=2008-09-15] [ [http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30083655 Somchai elected new prime minister] ]

The King of Thailand Bhumibol Adulyadej issued a Royal Proclamation appointing Somchai as the 26th Prime Minister on 18 September 2008. [ [http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30083831 His Majesty signs royal command to appoint new PM] ]

iege

On October 7, 2008, the protesters attempted to hold 320 parliamentarians and senators hostage inside the Parliament building, cutting off power, and forcing Somchai Wongsawat to escape by jumping a back fence after his policy address. But other trapped legislators failed to leave and flee from the demostration. The 6-week sit-in and siege on the area beside the near prime minister’s office forced the government to transfer its activities to a former international airport. One female protester was killed after police use force to push back the demostration and hundreds were injured. [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/08/world/asia/08thai.html?ref=world nytimes.com, Thai Protesters Trap Legislators] ] [ [http://www.theage.com.au/world/thai-pm-jumps-fence-to-flee-protesters-20081007-4vsn.html theage.com.au, Thai PM jumps fence to flee protesters] ]

Investigation

On September 29, Thailand's Election Commission spokesman Ruangrote Jomsueb said a subcommittee would investigate Somchai (30 days probe, to the Constitutional Court) per Senator Ruangkrai Leekijwattanaon's complaint on "whether Somchai violated the constitution by holding shares in Thailand's CS LoxInfo PCL, an Internet service provider that is a contract partner of CAT Telecom, a state-owned telecommunications service provider." The Thai constitution bars parliament members from holding shares in companies that do business with state enterprises, and if found guilty, Somchai would be disqualified as parliament member and ousted as prime minister. [ [http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view/20080929-163566/New-Thai-premier-probed-for-possible-Charter-violation inquirer.net, New Thai premier probed for possible Charter violation] ] [ [http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iWkx_u60dZLQDUVuyUnvQ081sgjQD93G7TG81 ap.google.com, New Thai prime minister faces investigation] ] [ [http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/SE%2BAsia/Story/STIStory_283965.html straitstimes.com, Legal challenge for Somchai] ]

References