Sondhi Limthongkul สนธิ ลิ้มทองกุล 林明達

Sondhi Limthongkul (Thai: สนธิ ลิ้มทองกุล; traditional Chinese: 林明達; pinyin: Lin Mingda, born 7 November 1947) is a Thai media mogul and leader of the right-wing People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and later was elected for leader of the New Politics Party (NPP).

Sondhi was born in Bangkok to Chinese immigrant parents from Hainan. He majored in history at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he was a reporter for the student newspaper, The Daily Bruin, from 1966 to 1969. He received his M.A. from Utah State University in 1972.

Returning to Thailand, he worked for the newspaper Prachatipatai (Democracy) as a reporter and managing editor in 1973 and 1974.

People's Alliance for Democracy Yellow Shirts Thai Patriots Network

source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People's_Alliance_for_Democracy

The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) (Thai: พันธมิตรประชาชนเพื่อประชาธิปไตย) also called the National Liberation Alliance - กลุ่มพันธมิตรกู้ชาติ, Thai Patriots Network or the Yellow Shirts - เสื้อเหลือ .


 The PAD consists of mainly of royalist upper and middle-class Bangkokians and Southerners, supported by the conservative factions of the Thai Army, some leaders of Democrat Party, and members of state-enterprise labor unions.^[2][3]


 Its leaders include media-mogul Sondhi Limthongkul and Major General Chamlong Srimuang

The central committee of the PAD consists of:

• Media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul
• Major General Chamlong Srimuang
• Activist Phiphob Thongchai
• State enterprise labor union leader Somsak Kosaisuuk
• University lecturer and social activist Somkeit Pongpaibul.^[36]

Besides the five leaders, ten others form the PAD management committee: Pitaya Wongkul, Rewadee Prasertcharoensuuk, Rosana Tositrakul, Chaiwat Sindhuwong, Preeda Tiasuwan,Sirichai Maingam, Suwit Watnuu, Kochawan Chaiyabut, Weerapol Sopa, Ouychai Wata.

Other leaders include Khamnoon Sitthisaman and Campaign for Popular Democracy leader Suriyasai Katasila. Several current and former employees of Sondhi played a role, includingPanthep Puapongbhant, Samran Rodpetch, Kumnuun Sidhisamann, Sarocha Pornudomsak, Anchalee Paireerak, Yuthayong Limlertwatee, and Torpong Sewatarm.

The PAD state they stand for uncorrupt politics, promoting justice and the rule of law, while fighting against corruption among politicians and civil servants. They also claim to be upholding the constitutional monarchy and oppose those they view as wanting to alter the monarchy's status. 

Sondhi advocates an anti-materialistic, "reasonable society",  favors limits on foreign investment, opposes privatization of state enterprises, and is generally skeptical of foreign investment. 

The Thai government has set national elections for July 3

source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703730804576312970888853948.html


The Thai government has set national elections for July 3, after securing royal approval to dissolve Parliament on Tuesday, paving the way for what is expected to be a fiercely contested campaign pitting Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's Democrat Party against supporters of ousted populist leader Thaksin Shinawatra.

Political analysts say the election will be among the most important this key Southeast Asian economy has ever faced, and could set the political tone in the country for years to come, determining whether it gets back on track after years of instability or possibly faces renewed unrest.

One big question is whether voters who previously cast ballots for Mr. Thaksin before he was overthrown in a military coup nearly five years ago will support Mr. Abhisit's more cautious, technocratic style of government.

Mr. Abhisit, a 46-year-old, British-educated economist, said he was calling the election several months before the end of his term in December to give Thai voters a chance to stop the country's political conflicts and enable a new government focus on strengthening Thailand's economy, an important global manufacturing and export hub.

Mr. Abhisit unveiled a series of welfare spending projects, including subsidies and inexpensive loans. In a televised ceremony, the prime minister unveiled the package he called "nine New Year's gifts for Thailand." The measures included enabling taxi drivers to secure loans to buy their own vehicles and allowing other disadvantaged Thais to contribute to a government fund that would make them eligible to receive social-security benefits.

The policies are directed at poorer Thais, who have tended to support Mr. Thaksin, a 61-year-old former telecom billionaire who is the only Thai leader ever to be re-elected or to complete a full term.

Mr. Thaksin, meanwhile, has laid out changes to Thailand's corporate-tax rates and has promised large rises in the country's minimum wage to galvanize domestic consumer spending at a time when foreign investment is seeking cheaper locations.

Pheu Thai Party

The Pheu Thai Party (PTP) (Thai: พรรคเพื่อไทย, Phak Phuea Thai, For Thai Party) is the third incarnation of a Thai political party originally founded by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The Pheu Thai Party was founded on September 20, 2008, as an anticipated replacement for the People's Power Party (PPP), which the Constitutional Court of Thailand dissolved less than three months later after finding party members guilty of electoral fraud.^[1] The People's Power Party was itself a replacement for Thakin's original Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party, which the Constitutional Court dissolved in May 2007 for violation of electoral laws.^[2]


In a PTP general assembly, the first executive commission was elected on December 7, 2008,^[3], ^[4] The candidates for the party's leader were: Yongyuth Wichaidit, Apiwan Wiriyachai, the former Vice President of the House of Representatives), former health minister Chalerm Yubamrung and former industry minister Mingkwan Saengsuwan.^[5][6] Yongyuth Wichaidit was elected as the party's leader. ^[7],^[8]


source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pheu_Thai_Party

In a December 2008 parliamentary session MPs of five PPP coalition parties decided to endorse Abhisit Vejjajiva as the next Prime Minister and themselves forming a Democrat-led coalition. The PTP campaigned for their endorsement by the PPP-coalition parties. However, Abhisit had gained their support for the premiership^[9][10] After that, the party called for a national unity government in which all parties would be involved, with Snoh Thienthong of the Royalist People's Party as the new premier. This proposal was rejected by the defecting coalition parties and the Democrat Party.^[11] On December 11, Worrawat Eua-apinyakul, a PTP member, suggested that the party should push for a house dissolution and general elections, with the hope of depriving the prospective coalition of a parliamentary majority. However, The President of the House of Representatives; Chai Chidchob spoke against the plan. ^[12]

On December 15, 2008, the party elected Pracha Promnok as the party's candidate for Prime Minister in the next general election, and has since been in opposition to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's coalition government.

Abhisit Vejjajiva อภิสิทธิ์ เวชชาชีวะ 亞比昔

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abhisit_Vejjajiva

Abhisit Vejjajiva ( English pronunciation (help·info); Thai: อภิสิทธิ์ เวชชาชีวะ (Thai pronunciation), RTGS: Aphisit Wetchachiwa, [à.pʰí.sìt wêːt.tɕʰāː.tɕʰīː.wáʔ],traditional Chinese: 亞比昔; simplified Chinese: 亚比昔; born 3 August 1964) is the leader of the Democrat Party and27th and current Prime Minister of Thailand.

Born in England, Abhisit attended Eton College and earned bachelors and masters degrees from the University of Oxford.^[5] He was elected to the Parliament of Thailand at age 27, and promoted to Democrat Party leader in 2005, after his predecessor resigned following the party's defeat in the 2005 general election.^[6]

Abhisit became Premier at a time of global economic turmoil and rising domestic political tensions.^[10] As prime minister, he promoted a "People’s Agenda," which focused primarily on policies affecting the living conditions of Thailand's rural and working class citizens.^[11] He administered two economic stimulus packages: a $40 billion, three-year infrastructure improvement plan, and a more than $3 billion program that featured cash subsidies and other initiatives to help the poor, elderly, farmers and students.^[12] By 2010, the stock market and the value of the baht had rebounded to their highest levels since the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.

Mark A[bhisit] Vejjajiva^[20] was born in Wallsend, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, attended Eton College (where he was known as "Veggie" amongst his peers)^[21], and earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy, politics and economics (PPE), first class honors, and a master's degree ineconomics from St John's College, Oxford. He also earned a bachelor's degree in law from Thailand's Ramkhamhaeng University, and taught atChulachomklao Royal Military Academy.^[22] He is fluent in both his mother tongue and the English language, and has dual Thai and Britishcitizenship.^[23] His dual citizenship became a topic for the Thai parliamentary debates in early 2011. He is ethnically Han Chinese^[24][25] ofHakka^[26] origin.

Abhisit was preceded in public service by his father, Athasit (อรรถสิทธิ์) Vejjajiva, a former president of Mahidol University and the Royal Institute of Thailand^[27] and who is now director of Charoen Pokphand Foods, Thailand's largest agribusiness firm and part of the Charoen Pokphand Group, known throughout Thailand as CP.^[28]

Abhisit is married to Pimpen Sakuntabhai, his former classmate at the Chulalongkorn University Demonstration elementary school who is a former dentist and now a lecturer at the Department of Mathematics at Chulalongkorn University. They have two children: Prang Vejjajiva (daughter) and Pannasit Vejjajiva (son). Abhisit has two sisters: child psychiatrist Alisa Wacharasindhu and author Ngarmpun Vejjajiva.^[29]

Abhisit's ancestors are Hakka Chinese of the Yuan (surname) (袁) who moved from Vietnam to Thailand. The family name Vejjajiva was granted by King Rama VI to Abhisit's great-grandfather Dr. Long (หลง), together with Long's father Nai Jinsang (นายจิ๊นแสง), grandfather Nai Pong (นายเป๋ง) and great-grandfather Nai Go (นายก่อ) while Dr. Long was serving as an Army Medical Department sub-lieutenant (รองอำมาตย์ตรี)^[30] The Vejjajiva family came to prominence when Dr. Long, then styled Phra Bamrad Naradura, rose to public health minister, and founded the Bamrad Naradura hospital in Nonthaburi. The family name has the meaning, "medical profession."^[31]

Thai language

Thai (ภาษาไทย Phasa Thai,^[1]  [pʰāːsǎːtʰāj] (help·info)) is the national and official language of Thailand and the mother tongue of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Kradai language family. The Kradai languages are thought to have originated in what is now southern China, and are linked to the Austroasiatic, Austronesian, or Sino-Tibetan language families. Many words in Thai are borrowed from Pali, Sanskrit and Old Khmer. It is a tonal and analytic language. Thai also has a complex orthography and relational markers. Thai is mutually intelligible with Lao.

Languages and dialects

Standard Thai, also known as Central Thai or Siamese, is the official language of Thailand, spoken by about 65 million people (1990) including speakers of Bangkok Thai (although the latter is sometimes considered as a separate dialect). Khorat Thai is spoken by about 400,000 (1984) in Nakhon Ratchasima; it occupies a linguistic position somewhere between Central Thai and the Isan on a dialect continuum, and may be considered a variant or dialect of either. A majority of the people in the Isan region of Thailand speak a dialect of the Lao language, which has influenced the Central Thai dialect.^{[citation needed]}

In addition to Standard Thai, Thailand is home to other related Tai languages, including:

• Isan (Northeastern Thai), the language of the Isan region of Thailand, a socio-culturally distinct Thai-Lao hybrid dialect which is written with the Thai alphabet. It is spoken by about 15 million people (1983).
• Nyaw language, spoken mostly in Nakhon Phanom Province, Sakhon Nakhon Province, Udon Thani Province of Northeast Thailand.
• Galung language, spoken in Nakhon Phanom Province of Northeast Thailand.
• Lü (Tai Lue, Dai), spoken by about 78,000 (1993) in northern Thailand.
• Northern Thai (Phasa Nuea, Lanna, Kam Mueang, or Thai Yuan), spoken by about 6 million (1983) in the formerly independent kingdom of Lanna (Chiang Mai).
• Phuan, spoken by an unknown number of people in central Thailand, Isan and Northern Laos.
• Phu Thai, spoken by about 156,000 around Nakhon Phanom Province (1993).
• Shan (Thai Luang, Tai Long, Thai Yai), spoken by about 56,000 in north-west Thailand along the border with the Shan States of Burma (1993).
• Song, spoken by about 20,000 to 30,000 in central and northern Thailand (1982).
• Southern Thai (Phasa Tai), spoken about 5 million (1990).
• Thai Dam, spoken by about 20,000 (1991) in Isan and Saraburi Province.

Statistics are from Ethnologue 2003-10-4.

Many of these languages are spoken by larger numbers outside of Thailand.^{[citation needed]} Most speakers of dialects and minority languages speak Central Thai as well, since it is the language used in schools and universities all across the kingdom.

Numerous languages not related to Thai are spoken within Thailand by ethnic minority hill tribespeople. These languages include Hmong-Mien (Yao), Karen, Lisu, and others.

Standard Thai is composed of several distinct registers, forms for different social contexts:

• Street Thai (ภาษาพูด, spoken Thai): informal, without polite terms of address, as used between close relatives and friends.
• Elegant Thai (ภาษาเขียน, written Thai): official and written version, includes respectful terms of address; used in simplified form in newspapers.
• Rhetorical Thai: used for public speaking.
• Religious Thai: (heavily influenced by Sanskrit and Pāli) used when discussing Buddhism or addressing monks.
• Royal Thai (ราชาศัพท์): (influenced by Khmer) used when addressing members of the royal family or describing their activities.

Most of the Thais can speak and understand all of these contexts. Street and Elegant are the basis of all conversations;^{[citation needed]} rhetorical, religious and royal Thai are taught in schools as the national curriculum.

Script

Main article: Thai alphabet

Many scholars believe that the Thai alphabet is derived from the Khmer alphabet, which is modeled after the Brahmic script from the Indic family. However, in appearance, Thai is closer to Thai Dam script, which may have the same Indian origins as Khmer script. The language and its alphabet^{[citation needed]} are closely related to the Lao language and alphabet. Most literate Lao are able to read and understand Thai, as more than half of the Thai vocabulary, grammar, intonation, vowels and so forth are common with the Lao language. Much like the Burmese adopted the Mon script (which also has Indic origins), the Thais adopted and modified the Khmer script to create their own writing system. While the oldest known inscription in the Khmer language dates from 611 CE, inscriptions in Thai writing began to appear around 1292 CE. Notable features include:

1. It is an abugida script, in which the implicit vowel is a short /a/ in a syllable without final consonant and a short /o/ in a syllable with final consonant.
2. Tone markers are placed above the consonant just before the vowel sound of the syllable.
3. Vowels sounding after a consonant are nonsequential: they can be located before, after, above or below the consonant, or in a combination of these positions.

[edit]Transcription

There is no universal standard for transcribing Thai into the Latin alphabet. For example, the name of King Rama IX, the present monarch, is transcribed variously as Bhumibol, Phumiphon, phuu^M mi^H phohn^M, or many other versions. Guide books, text books and dictionaries may each follow different systems. For this reason, most language courses recommend that learners master the Thai alphabet.

What comes closest to a standard is the Royal Thai General System of Transcription (RTGS), published by the Thai Royal Institute.^[2] This system is increasingly used in Thailand by central and local governments,^{[citation needed]} especially for road signs. Its main drawbacks are that it does not indicate tone or vowel length. It is not possible to reconstruct the Thai spelling from the RTGS transcriptions.

read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_language