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Former Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej dies of liver cancer in Bangkok
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Former Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej who died on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
According to the Bangkok Post breaking news, ex Prime Minister of Thailand Samak Sundaravej has died of liver cancer at Bamrungraj Hospital in Bangkok. He was 74 years old at the time of his death. Mr. Samak was Prime Minister of Thailand for only five months in 2008.
Samak Sundaravej was elected Prime Minister of Thailand, just over a year after the military coup in Thailand that deposed democratically elected Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Mr. Samak was in power for five months but, during this time, was a target of the People's Alliance for Democracy (the PAD) who said he was a puppet of Thaksin and not fit to lead Thailand.
After months of enormous demonstrations by the PAD, the occupying of several airports, train stoppages and other economically damaging actions on the part of the PAD, Prime Minister Samak was disqualified from the premiership by the Constitutional Court of Thailand, who had looked into the allegations of the PAD and PAD-backed Senators.
Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej was essentially kicked out of office because he was also working as a celebrity cook on a TV show and, under the Election Commission of Thailand's laws, working for a public company while Prime Minister is technically illegal. Many Thais however thought it was nothing more than a veiled way of eliminating Samak from public office when there were very few other legal ways to do so.
Since his disqualification as Prime Minister, Samak Sundaravej was still quite vocal against the PAD and the present government of Thailand. He was quoted only a few days before his death as saying ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was likely to return to Thailand and become Prime Minister once again.
What Mr. Samak's death will mean to the 'red shirts' the group opposing the present government and the PAD is still to be seen. With a large demonstration planned in Chiang Mai in the coming days, with more than 40,000 expected in attendance, Samak's death could be used as a rallying cry to strengthen the oppostion and make them even more certain in their conviction that they want the present government of Abhisit Vejjajiva out.
Those planning on traveling to Thailand should keep an eye on the news, particularly about demonstrations in Chiang Mai or Bangkok.
SOURCES: Bangkok Post - Former PM Samak dies of cancer
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