Anek Laothamatas ( th, เอนก เหล่าธรรมทัศน์) is a Thai political scientist and politician. He serves as
Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation in the
second cabinet of Prime Minister
Prayut Chan-o-cha
Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; th, ประยุทธ์ จันทร์โอชา, ; born 21 March 1954) is a Thai politician and retired Royal Thai Army, army officer who has served as the Prime Minister of T ...
since 5 August 2020.
Early life and education
Anek graduated from middle school at Assumption College Lampang and high school at
Assumption College. After that in 1972, he took the entrance examination for higher education at the
Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University
The Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, the second oldest medical school in Thailand, was established in 1947 in accordance with the wishes of King Ananda Mahidol to educate a sufficient number of medical doctors to satisfy the publ ...
. He co-founded Chulalongkorn People's Party in 1976. After the
6 October 1976 massacre
The 6 October 1976 massacre, or the 6 October event ( th, เหตุการณ์ 6 ตุลา ) as it is known in Thailand, was a violent crackdown by Thai police and lynching by right-wing paramilitaries and bystanders against leftist p ...
, he took political asylum in the forest in Phatthalung, Trang and Satun provinces for about 4 years. He moved to the United States, and studied political sciences at the
College of Charleston
The College of Charleston (CofC or Charleston) is a public university in Charleston, South Carolina. Founded in 1770 and chartered in 1785, it is the oldest university in South Carolina, the 13th oldest institution of higher learning in the Unit ...
, where he got a BA, and then got a master's from the
University of Georgia
, mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things."
, establ ...
. He received a PhD from
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
. Upon graduation, he was assigned to teach a course in Southeast Asian Political Economy before returning to be a professor at the
and holds the position of Vice Rector for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty of Political Science, Thammasat University. He was also invited as a visiting professor at the
Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) is a graduate school of Johns Hopkins University based in Washington, D.C., United States, with campuses in Bologna, Italy, and Nanjing, China. It is consistently ranked one of the ...
at
Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...
in Washington, D.C.
Political careers
Anek began his political life as an advisor to Marut Bunnag, the then Speaker of the House of Representatives and he participated in the founding King Prajadhipok's Institute. Later in the government of
Chavalit Yongchaiyudh
Chavalit Yongchaiyudh ( th, ชวลิต ยงใจยุทธ, , ; born 15 May 1932), also known as "Big Jiew" (, , ), is a Thai politician and retired army officer. From 1986 to 1990 he was the Commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army ...
was an advisor to
Chaturon Chaisang
Chaturon Chaisang or Chaisaeng ( th, จาตุรนต์ ฉายแสง, , born January 1, 1956) is a Thai politician. He was a government member for several terms, serving as Minister of Justice, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of E ...
, Deputy Minister of Finance before becoming an advisor to
Sanan Kachornprasart
Sanan Kachornprasart ( th, สนั่น ขจรประศาสน์, , ; born 7 September 1935 – 15 February 2013) was a Thai politician and military officer (Major General). He was deputy prime minister in the cabinet of Abhisit ...
, Minister of the Interior in the
Chuan Leekpai
Chuan Leekpai ( th, ชวน หลีกภัย, , ; ; born 28 July 1938) is a Thai politician who is the current President of the National Assembly of Thailand as well as the incumbent Speaker of the Thai House of Representatives. Previous ...
government.
After that, he became active in the
Democrat Party until finally being the deputy leader of the party. Later, when Sanan conflict with Member of Chuan Leekpai in the party, he resigned from the Democratic Party to form the
Mahachon Party
The Mahachon Partyhttp://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2551/D/085/40.PDF ( , ) is a political party in Thailand.
It was founded in 1998 under the name of Phak Ratsadon (). In its first years, it was dominated by a circle of former Thai N ...
and assume the position of First party leader.
In 2007, Anek joined with Pradit. Phatthaprasit established a new political party, the
Thais United National Development Party
The Chart Pattana Kla Party ( th, พรรคชาติพัฒนากล้า) is a Thai political party. In 2007 Thai general election, the chairman of the party is Wannarat Channukul. His brother-in-law, the party's "chief advisor" Su ...
, but Anek resigned from that party the following year, and in 2018, Anek was a member and executive director of the
Action Coalition for Thailand
Action Coalition Party (ACP; th, พรรครวมพลัง, ; literally 'join people forces') is a political party in Thailand founded on 25 May 2018 by Tavisak Na Taguathung, lawyer of Suthep Thaugsuban. On 3 June 2018, the Action Coal ...
.
In 2020, he was appointed Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation in the government of
Prayut Chan-o-cha
Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; th, ประยุทธ์ จันทร์โอชา, ; born 21 March 1954) is a Thai politician and retired Royal Thai Army, army officer who has served as the Prime Minister of T ...
in the August Cabinet reshuffle. He announced his vision that soon Thailand will be the fifth nation in Asia to be able to produce
spacecraft
A spacecraft is a vehicle or machine designed to fly in outer space. A type of artificial satellite, spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, Earth observation, meteorology, navigation, space colonization, p ...
and send it to orbit the moon. It is expected that the process will take no more than 7 years and may ask for cooperation and support from the people in raising funds the government is preparing to announce a spacecraft to the moon in mid-January next year.
Writing career
Anek Laothamatas made his name in academic world with “Tale of Two Democracies”, which explores the divide in Thai society between the rural and urban sectors.
Royal decorations
Anek has received the following royal decorations in the
Honours System
An order is a visible honour awarded by a sovereign state, monarch, dynastic house or organisation to a person, typically in recognition of individual merit, that often comes with distinctive insignia such as collars, medals, badges, and sashes ...
of Thailand:
* Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of The Most Noble
Order of the Crown of Thailand
The Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand ( th, เครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์อันมีเกียรติยศยิ่งมงกุฎไทย; ) is a Thai order, established in 1869 by King Rama ...
* Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Exalted
Order of the White Elephant
__NOTOC__
The Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant ( th, เครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์อันเป็นที่เชิดชูยิ่งช้างเผือก; ) is an order (decoration), orde ...
*
![Order of the Direkgunabhorn 4th class (Thailand) ribbon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/Order_of_the_Direkgunabhorn_4th_class_%28Thailand%29_ribbon.svg)
Companion of The Most Admirable
Order of the Direkgunabhorn __NOTOC__
The Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn ( th, เครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์อันเป็นที่สรรเสริญยิ่งดิเรกคุณาภรณ์; ) was establi ...
[ราชกิจจานุเบกษ]
ประกาศสำนักนายกรัฐมนตรี เรื่องพระราชทานเครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์ดิเรคุณาภรณ์
หน้า ๒๗ เล่ม ๑๓๒ ตอนที่ ๓๒ ข, ๔ ธันวาคม พ.ศ. ๒๕๕๘
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Laothamatas, Anek
Anek Laothamatas
Anek Laothamatas
Anek Laothamatas
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Living people
Anek Laothamatas
Anek Laothamatas
1954 births
Anek Laothamatas