The membership of the Thai government’s reform committees was announced yesterday. The members of the two committees are listed below (lists as published by Bangkok Post, with some edits).

I would like to invite New Mandala readers to submit (via comments) brief profiles of one or more of these members. I will gradually add selected profiles to this post (with acknoweldgement) so we can compile an overall view of the membership. I am sure there will be disagreement about some of the profiles, and I am happy to include alternative versions.

Anand’s National Reform Committee

1. Krisnapong Kiratikorn

2. Khunyuing Kasama Voravan na Ayutthaya

3. Chai-anand Samudvanijaya

4. Narong Phetprasert

5. Nithi Eaosiwong

6. Banthorn Ondam

7. Pranee Tinakorn

8. Pongpayom Wasphuti

9. Permsak Makarapirom

10. Phra Paisal Wisalo

11. Ratchanee Thongchai.

Alternative educator. Principal of Children Village School and the wife of yellow shirted leader Pipob Thongchai. (Contributed by Supalak)

12. Wichai Chokviwat

13. Viriya Namsiripongpan

14. Srisak Wallipodom

р╕ир╕гр╕╡р╕ир╕▒р╕Бр╕г р╕зр╕▒р╕ер╕ер╕┤р╣Вр╕ар╕Фр╕б Guess the official spelling of his name is: Srisakra Vallibhotama, but not surprising it has been transliterated in different ways. Affiliations:- – Matichon reports that Srisakra is a member of the advisory board (р╕Бр╕гр╕гр╕бр╕Бр╕▓р╕гр╕Ьр╕╣р╣Йр╕Чр╕гр╕Зр╕Др╕╕р╕Ур╕зр╕╕р╕Тр╕┤) at the Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre. – advisory board, National Committee of Culture (р╕Др╕Ур╕░р╕Бр╕гр╕гр╕бр╕Бр╕▓р╕гр╕зр╕▒р╕Тр╕Щр╕Шр╕гр╕гр╕бр╣Бр╕лр╣Ир╕Зр╕Кр╕▓р╕Хр╕┤), Ministry of Culture. He’s in the same committee as M.R.Akin, Prawes and Manij Suksomjit (Prawes’ assembly No.20). – senior advisor, Lek-Prapai Viriyapant Foundation (named after the owner of the Ancient City in Samut Prakarn, who also founded the Muangboran Journal and Sarakhadee magazine). Research:- – from 1996, senior research fellowship (р╣Ар╕бр╕Шр╕╡р╕зр╕┤р╕Ир╕▒р╕вр╕нр╕▓р╕зр╕╕р╣Вр╕к), Thailand Research Fund (research projects on local history and cultural diversity). – from 2005, supervisor of a participatory research project on local communities in three southern provinces (TRF, run by a researcher from Lek-Prapai Viriyapant Foundation).

Srisakra has some associations with M.R. Akin and Nithi (Nithi and Srisakra are both past laureates of Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize. A number of their work were published by Matichon during the 1990’s). He’s outspoken about particularity of Thai society & culture, has a romantic view of “local” communities, and maintains rigid polarization of corrupted politicians versus virtuous rulers. His position on the present crisis is clearly articulated in his recent op-ed of the Lek-Prapai Viriyapant Foundation’s newsletter ( in Thai only). News pieces with Srisakra’s comments on the red-shirt movement (all in Thai):- 19 March 2010; 24 March 2010; 29 May 2010, in this news article, you’ll also find M.R. Akin’s proposal for People’s Assembly as a solution of the recent crisis.(Contributed by VP)

15. Somchai Ruchupan

16. Sompong Wiangchan

Sompong Vienchan, a villager from Ubon Ratchathani’s Ban Vang Sabang Tai of Khon Chiam district. She has fought with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) and governments over Pak Moon dam since 1989 as the dam construction affected lives of villagers there. She joined the ‘Assembly of the Poor” movement which campaigned for many social problems in norhteastern region of Thailand since then. In the Assembly of the Poor, she got to know many social activists such as Wanida Tantiwitthiyapitak and Banthorn Ondam. Sompong has connection with former Prime Minister Anand Panyarachun when the ex-premier joined many social activists and academics including Banthorn Ondam and Nithi Eaosiwong to campaign against the Pak Moon Dam. At present, Sompong more or less is working like an NGO activist rather than an ordinary villager. She joined many forums, workshops, seminars to talk about development for the poor. I had an interview with her once asking her experience in dealing with hydropower dam in comparision of Pak Moon dam with Nam Theun Dam in Laos. She said the dam is a big development mistake. (Contributed by Supalak)

17. Somsuk Boonyabancha

18. Seksan Prasertkul

19. M.R. Akin Rapipat.

Prawes’ Assembly for National Reform

1. President of the Tambon Administration Organisations of Thailand

2. President of the Council of University Rectors of Thailand

3. President of the Thai Chamber of Commerce

4. President of the Federation of Thai Industries

5. President of the Thai Bankers Association

6. Secretary-general of the National Human Rights Commission

7. Kittipong Kittiyarak

8. Chaiwat Thiraphan

9. Chidchanok Rahimmula

10. Narong Phetprasert

11. Torpong Selanond

12. Tuanjai Deetes

13. Nipon Puapongsakorn

President of TDRI. From Bangkok Post 2007: Dean of the Faculty of Economics at Thammasat University, is the adviser to Finance Minister Chalongphob Sussangkarn [Surayud government]. He is an expert in economics, particularly in the field of rural economic development, rural credit markets, and crop prices. He was a former research fellow and economist at the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI). Dr Nipon was also a former Trade Competition Commissioner; member of the Special Committee for Information Disclosure Tribunals for the National Economy and Finance; and a member of the Board of Investment, the Government Savings Bank, and the National Economic and Social Development Board.

14. Navarat Pongpaiboon

15. Preeda Kongpaen

16. Preeda Tiasuwan

17. Premrudee Champoonot

18. Poldej Pinprateep

19. Paiboon Wattanasiritham

20. Manij Suksomjit

21. Ratchata Sriboonrat

22. Rewadee Prasertcharoensuk

23. Wichai Chokviwat

24. Son Roopsoong

25. Saree Ongsomwang

26. Somporn Chaibangyang

27. Ennu Suesuwan