Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan ( th, นิวัฒน์ธำรง บุญทรงไพศาล, , ; born 25 January 1948) is a Thai businessman and politician who served as the acting
Prime Minister of Thailand
The prime minister of Thailand ( th, นายกรัฐมนตรี, , ; literally 'chief minister of state') is the head of government of Thailand. The prime minister is also the chair of the Cabinet of Thailand. The post has existed si ...
following
Yingluck Shinawatra
Yingluck Shinawatra ( th, ยิ่งลักษณ์ ชินวัตร, , ; ; born 21 June 1967), nicknamed Pou ( th, ปู, , , meaning "crab"), is a Thai businesswoman, politician and a member of the Pheu Thai Party who became the Pri ...
's removal from office by the
Constitutional Court of Thailand
The Constitutional Court of the Kingdom of Thailand ( th, ศาลรัฐธรรมนูญ, , ) is an independent Thai court created by the 1997 Constitution with jurisdiction over the constitutionality of parliamentary acts, royal de ...
on 7 May 2014 until his deposition in
a coup d'état three weeks after taking office.
Before becoming acting premier, he was Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Commerce
A Commerce minister (sometimes business minister, industry minister, trade minister or international trade minister) is a position in many governments that is responsible for regulating external trade and promoting economic growth (commercial polic ...
, and before that managed the country's
rice pledging scheme.
Early and personal life
Niwatthamrong was born on 25 January 1948. He holds a bachelor's degree in education from
Srinakharinwirot University
Srinakharinwirot University (abbr: SWU; th, มหาวิทยาลัยศรีนครินทรวิโรฒ; abbr: มศว) is a public university in Bangkok, Thailand. Founded in 1949, the university was the first upper-educati ...
and a master's degree in
computer science
Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to Applied science, practical discipli ...
from
Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University (CU, th, จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย, ), nicknamed Chula ( th, จุฬาฯ), is a public and autonomous research university in Bangkok, Thailand. The university was originally fo ...
and is married to Boonphatcharee Boonsongpaisan.
[
]
Business career
A close business associate of Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra ( th, ทักษิณ ชินวัตร; ; ; Chinese: 丘達新; cnr, Taksin Šinavatra; born 26 July 1949), is a Thai businessman, politician and visiting professor. He served in the Thai Police from 1973 to 1987, a ...
, Niwatthamrong served as the Chairman of the Executive Committee-Media and Advertising front of Shin Corporation
Intouch Holdings PCL ( th, บริษัท อินทัช โฮลดิ้งส์ จำกัด (มหาชน); formerly Shin Corporation) is a Thai holding company which focuses on telecommunication industry. It is the parent ...
since 1995 and as Vice-Chairman since 2000. He served from 2001 to 2002 as Vice-Chairman of iTV
ITV or iTV may refer to:
ITV
*Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of:
** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
and from 1993 to 1995, director of that company between 2002 and 2008, and a member of the board of directors between 2008 and 16 March 2010.[
]
Political career
Niwatthamrong served as director of the controversial rice pledging scheme, where rice was bought at inflated prices from farmers and subsequently was left to rot due to lack of buyers. On 30 June 2013 he was appointed Minister of Commerce and a deputy prime minister in the cabinet of Yingluck Shinawatra
Yingluck Shinawatra ( th, ยิ่งลักษณ์ ชินวัตร, , ; ; born 21 June 1967), nicknamed Pou ( th, ปู, , , meaning "crab"), is a Thai businesswoman, politician and a member of the Pheu Thai Party who became the Pri ...
.
Acting Prime Minister
On 7 May 2014, Niwatthamrong became acting Prime Minister following the removal of Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Yingluck Shinawatra and several members of her cabinet from office. On 22 May 2014 he was himself removed from office following a military coup
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such ...
.
Royal decorations
Niwatthamrong 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 ...
* Companion (Fourth Class) of The Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn __NOTOC__
The Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn ( th, เครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์อันเป็นที่สรรเสริญยิ่งดิเรกคุณาภรณ์; ) was establi ...
[ราชกิจจานุเบกษ]
ประกาศสำนักนายกรัฐมนตรี เรื่อง พระราชทานเครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์อันเป็นที่สรรเสริญยิ่งดิเรกคุณาภรณ์ให้แก่บุคคลที่ช่วยเหลือผู้ประสบธรณีพิบัติภัย "สึนามิ" [สำนักนายกรัฐมนตรี
/ref>
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boonsongpaisan, Niwatthamrong
1948 births
Chulalongkorn University alumni, Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan
Living people
Ministers of Commerce of Thailand, Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan
Pheu Thai Party politicians, Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan
Prime Ministers of Thailand, Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan
Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan
Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan ( th, นิวัฒน์ธำรง บุญทรงไพศาล, , ; born 25 January 1948) is a Thai businessman and politician who served as the acting Prime Minister of Thailand following Yingluck Shinaw ...
Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan
Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan ( th, นิวัฒน์ธำรง บุญทรงไพศาล, , ; born 25 January 1948) is a Thai businessman and politician who served as the acting Prime Minister of Thailand following Yingluck Shinaw ...
Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan
Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan ( th, นิวัฒน์ธำรง บุญทรงไพศาล, , ; born 25 January 1948) is a Thai businessman and politician who served as the acting Prime Minister of Thailand following Yingluck Shinaw ...
Leaders ousted by a coup
Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan
Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan ( th, นิวัฒน์ธำรง บุญทรงไพศาล, , ; born 25 January 1948) is a Thai businessman and politician who served as the acting Prime Minister of Thailand following Yingluck Shinaw ...