Frank G Anderson
Born: 17 May 1944, Olean, N.Y. Married Miss Tongmuan Upadia on 6 January 1969.
Tongmuan Anderson
Born: 15 June 1945, Nakhonratchasima Meung District, Thailand
Current Position Retired from the Saudi Arabian Oil Company on 30 Novembe 1996. Returned to Thailand, founding the Korat Post newspaper in April 1999.
Education, Past Positions & Experience:
Mr. Anderson -
AAS (Civil), AGS, BGS, MBA (Information Management), senior staff adviser, corporate adviser, Saudi Arabian Oil Company - Government Affairs Organization (19 years)
Formerly civil inspector, freelance writer. Completed Dr. Stephen Covey's "7 Habits" course.
Mrs. Anderson -
High school, Samake Railway School, Nakhonratchasima. Further training as switchboard operator. Professional dog grooming business owner and operator. Thai native, English conversant.
Publications & News Reports
Mr. Anderson - And Still King, book about the discus fish, published by Freshwater & Marine Aquarium Magazine.
Wrote two corporate procedures manuals for the Saudi Arabian Oil Company - how to coordinate government projects with Company departments, and how to coordinate company projects with government agencies. Designed and publish the Korat Post online, designed and published on a monthly basis the Korat Post newspaper, a monthly NE Thailand English language local. Avid photographer.

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Suwat Liptapanlop
Born: 9 February 1955, Rachaburi Province
Married: Col. Poonpirom Liptapanlop, who won a Korat senate seat in 29 April 2006 elections.
Current Position Prohibited from politics for five years as a result of 2007 government-directed dissolving of Thai Rak Thai Party. (Formerly - Date 4/30/06: Deputy Prime Minister)
Past political positions & Experience:
Former Member of Parliament*
Secretary - General, Chatpattana Party
President The Lawn Tennis Association of Thailand Under His Majesty's Patronage
Chairman of the Board of Rajabhat Institute Nakhon Ratchasima
30 June 2004 Deputy Prime Minister
11 March 2005 Minister of Justice
August 2, 2005 Deputy Prime Minister
After dissolution of the Thai Rak Thai party, Suwat was banned* for five years from participating in politics. He follows Sanan Kajornprasert in this regard.
Education:
B.Sc.CIVIL Engineering, Kasetsart University
M.S.C.E. (Transportation), Purdue University, U.S.A.
Publications & News Reports
PM Before 2010?
Speech on Peace Through Tourism 3 Oct.'05
Statement on being student at Purdue
Under fire for Olympics medal display
Fall From Grace? Korat Post, May 2006 issue.

Contact:

Dr. Kraisak Choonhavan
Born: [son of former prime minister General Chatichai Choonhavan]
Married:
Current Position - prominent critic of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, public speaker and lecturer.
Past political positions & Experience: Formerly Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman. Latest political affiliation is in loose coordination with pro-democracy advocates, including the People's Alliance for Democracy. Frequenty speaker.
As of 2007, supporting Thailand's oldest political party, the Democrats.

Education:

Publications & News Reports

Contact:

Mr. Kosol Somchinda
Born:
Married:
Current Position

Past political positions & Experience: Former Korat Chamber of Commerce President and vice-president; AUA Korat. Rumored to have been a main negative concern for incoming chamber president (as of 2007) in debating whether to accept the chamber's top post.

Education:

Publications & News Reports

Favorite quip: "I will help you." Don't fall for it...

Storm warning - Comments

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Mr. Korn Dhabbaransri
Born: 14 September 1945, Bangkok, Thailand
Parents: Mr. Arun Dhabbaransri; Mrs. Prom Dhabbarnsri
Married:
Current Position
Past political positions & Experience: Former deputy prime minister, AUA.

Education:

Publications & News Reports

Founder of the Thai Petrochemical Industry (TPI) and chairman of the party’s executive member committee Prachai Leophairatana quit Pracharaj on October 5, 2007, reasoning that he and party leader Snoh Thienthong had different political paths. However, the actual reason for Prachai’s departure was Snoh’s decision to back Korn Dabbaransi in his run for prime ministership in the December 23, 2007, elections. Prachai, who was the party’s main financier, was furious and reasoned that instead of spending money to support someone else, he would be better off spending it on setting up his own party. Anongwan and a number of former MPs followed Prachai and joined the Matchima Thippatai Party, while Chianchuang Kalayanamitr replaced Anongwan as the secretarygeneral of Pracharaj. Korn decided to quit Pracharaj on October 31, 2007, and rejoin his old party, Chat Thai, led by Banharn Silapaarcha.

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Mr. Veera Musigapong
Born:
Married:
Current Position - CEO of PTV, Thailand

Past political positions & Experience: Former Head of the State Railways of Thailand, former Assistant Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives,

Education:

Publications & News Reports
Sentenced and served prison time for lese majeste in Thaland.

Storm warning - Very close associate of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. In 2007 called for resignation of His Majesty the King's chielf adviser Privy Council President General (ret.) Prem Tinsulalonda. This is viewed as itself another act of lese majeste given that only the king has the power to appoint or dismiss Privy Council members and Veera demanding one of their removal is tantamount to ordering that it be done.

Contact:

Mr. Samak [Mak] Sundarajej
Born:
Married:
Former Position - CEO of PTV, Thailand
Currently (Dec. 07) Head of People Power Party [Thai Rak Thai reincarnation]

Past political positions & Experience: CEO of PTV, Thailand. Former governor of Bangkok [Elected uly 2000] [2004 resistance to another Samak term]. As governor, seemed confused about definition of flooding. TV chef star.
On July 29, 2007, former Thai Rak Thai Party MPs agreed to contest the 2007 elections as candidates of the littleknown People’s Power Party. This was after the Thai Rak Thai Party was dissolved on May 30, 2007. Former Bangkok governor Samak Sundaravej and former TRT Cabinet Minister Surapong Suebwonglee were elected People Power Party leader and secretarygeneral respectively on August 24, 2007. During December 2007, Samak faced possible criminal indictment for political wrongdoing connected with former Thai Rak Thai head Thaksin Shinawatra allegedly interferring in the 2007 parliamentary election preparations.

Education:

Publications & News Reports
See Bangkok Post's Samak's First Year in Review
Sydney Morning Heerald Report on 2007 Election

Storm warning - Very close associate of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Thrown off Thai Army TV Channel for making remarks felt to be insulting to His Majesty's chief Privy Council adviser Gen. (ret.) Prem Tinsulalonda. Known to have a foul mouth in public. On 8 November 2007, when a femaml reporter from The Nation group asked him a question he did not like, he retorted, "Who did you fornicate with last night?" Some would observe that this is not prime ministerial material. As of December 2007, however, Samak seems to be front running in popular sentiment for post of prime minister, largely because voters feel he will bring back Thaksin Shinawatra and his policies.

Contact:

Special note: Son Duangchalerm fled Thailand in 2001 prior to being charged with the point-blank shooting of a policeman at a bar the former justice minister's sons frequented. He arrived back in kingdom six months later, and was eventually cleared of the charges. There was no surprise in the sentence. Thailand's front-running politicians are known to be able to manipulate public opinion and criminal investigations - especially when the latter impinge on their vested interests.

On August 22, 2002, The Tourism Authority of Thailand Board of Directors apppointed Mrs. Juthamas Siriwan the new governor as proposed by the five of recruiting committee members who unanimously voted in her favour.

Born on May 4, 1947, Mrs. Juthamas has worked for the TAT since December 15, 1978. She graduated from the Faculty of Political Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, and completed an MBA in (Finance) from the US. She initially started her career in the Budget Bureau, Office of the Prime Minister, in 1974.

In 1978, she worked as TAT's Chief of Budget Section. She was later promoted as Chief of Budget Division, Deputy Director of Investment Department, Deputy Governor for Administration and finally Deputy Governor for Marketing.