Kalaya Sophonpanich ( th, กัลยา โสภณพนิช; ; ; born 21 September 1940) is a Thai physicist and politician who served as the

Minister of Science and Technology A Science Ministry or Department of Science is a ministry or other government agency charged with science. The ministry is often headed by a Minister for Science. List of Ministries of Science Many countries have a Ministry of Science or Ministry ...

from 2008 to 2010.

Early life and education

Kalaya is the daughter-in-law of Chin Sophonpanich and the wife of Chote Sophonpanich. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Honors) from the Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University in 1961 and received a Colombo scholarship to study for a master's degree and receiving scholarships at the doctoral level Nuclear Physics at

Imperial College Imperial College London (legally Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a cu ...

, London and earned a Ph.D. in High Energy Nuclear Physics in 1970.

Careers

She was a co-founder of the

National Electronics and Computer Technology Center Thailand's National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC) is a statutory government organization under the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation. It ...

(NECTEC) in 1986. Then she was the founder and president of the Prapakarnpanya Foundation for helping Mentally Retarded People of Thailand under royal patronage. Kalaya is more widely known when applying for the Governor of Bangkok in 2000 as an independent candidate, getting number 4 even though not elected but has gained popularity with the people of Bangkok. Later she became a member of Democrat Party who applied to be a member of the House of Representatives in the elections of 2001 and 2005. Subsequently, she was appointed the Minister of Science and Technology in the government of Abhisit Vejjajiva. After the cabinet reshuffle in June 2010 was made, she was fired from the position of minister.http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2553/E/072/1.PDF

References

Living people 1940 births

Kalaya Sophonpanich Kalaya Sophonpanich ( th, กัลยา โสภณพนิช; ; ; born 21 September 1940) is a Thai physicist and politician who served as the Ministry of Science and Technology (Thailand), Minister of Science and Technology from 2008 to 2 ...

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