Suthep Thaugsuban facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Suthep Thaugsuban
MPCh MWM
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สุเทพ เทือกสุบรรณ
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Suthep in 2010
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| Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand | |
| In office 20 December 2008 – 9 August 2011 |
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| Prime Minister | Abhisit Vejjajiva |
| Minister of Transport | |
| In office 14 November 1997 – 9 November 2000 |
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| Prime Minister | Chuan Leekpai |
| Preceded by | Suwat Liptapanlop |
| Succeeded by | Wan Muhamad Noor Matha |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 July 1949 Phunphin, Surat Thani, Siam |
| Nationality | Thai |
| Political party | Action Coalition Party (since 2018) |
| Other political affiliations |
People's Democratic Reform Committee (2013–14) Democrat Party (1979–2013) |
| Spouse | Chuthaporn Thaugsuban (1978–1990) |
| Domestic partner |
Srisakul Promphan
(m. 1994) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Akanat Promphan (son-in-law) |
| Alma mater |
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| Profession | Politician |
Suthep Thaugsuban (born 7 July 1949) is a well-known Thai politician. He used to be a Member of Parliament for Surat Thani province. Before 2011, he was a key leader of the Democrat Party. He also served as a deputy prime minister. In 2013, he left Parliament to lead large protests against the government. After a military takeover in 2014, Suthep briefly retired from politics and became a Buddhist monk for a year. Later, he became the leader of a foundation that supported changes to Thailand's government.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Suthep Thaugsuban was born in Tha Sathon, a small area in Phunphin District, Surat Thani Province, in Southern Thailand. His father was the local headman, known as a kamnan, for the Tha Sathon area.
Suthep studied Political Science at Chiang Mai University in Thailand. After that, he traveled to the United States to continue his studies. He earned a master's degree from Middle Tennessee State University in 1975. When he was 26 years old, he followed in his father's footsteps and was elected as the headman of Tha Sathon. Suthep and his family own many oil palm plantations and shrimp farms in Southern Thailand. His son-in-law, Akanat Promphan, is also a politician.
Political Journey
Suthep began his political career in 1979. He was elected as a Member of Parliament for Surat Thani province, representing the Democrat Party. This area was a strong base for his party, and he was re-elected many times in later elections.
From 1986 to 1988, he served as a deputy minister of agriculture. He held this same position again from 1992 to 1994. When the Democrat Party came back into power in 1997, Suthep was appointed as the Minister of Transport and Communication. He served in this role until 2001.
In 2005, when Abhisit Vejjajiva became the leader of the Democrat Party, he chose Suthep to be the party's secretary-general. After Abhisit became prime minister in December 2008, Suthep was made a deputy prime minister. In this role, he helped manage matters related to national security.
In the 2011 Thai general election, the Democrat Party did not win as many votes as the Pheu Thai Party. After this election, Suthep stepped down from his role as the party's secretary-general. His term as deputy prime minister ended when the new government took office in August 2011.
Role in Protests
Suthep became a very important leader in the anti-government protests that began in late 2013. These protests started because of a proposed law that would have offered amnesty (forgiveness) for certain past actions.
On 11 December 2013, Suthep resigned from his seat in Parliament and left the Democrat Party. He did this to focus completely on leading the street protests. Even after the government stopped the amnesty plan, Suthep and his supporters continued their protests. They called for the prime minister to resign and for big changes to Thailand's political system.
Suthep named himself the secretary-general of the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC). This group was formed to lead the protest movement. He wanted to see a new way of governing Thailand, including the appointment of a new leader by the king and the creation of a special "People's Council" to reform the country.
After a military takeover in May 2014, Suthep and other political leaders were briefly held by the military. In July 2014, he became a Buddhist monk in Surat Thani. He lived at a meditation center for about a year.
The People's Democratic Reform Foundation
On 30 July 2015, Suthep Thaugsuban and other former protest leaders officially launched a charity group. It was called "the Great Mass of the People for Reform of Thailand." This foundation was funded by donations from Thai citizens. Its goal was to work with the military government to achieve reforms peacefully, without needing more protests or rallies.
Images for kids
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Suthep with his common-law wife Srisakul Promphan (left) and Princess Ubol Ratana (right), 2009
See also
In Spanish: Suthep Thaugsuban para niños
- Democrat Party (Thailand)
- Abhisit Vejjajiva
