Samak Sundaravej

**Samak Sundaravej** (13 June 1935 - 24 November 2009) was the 25th Prime Minister of Thailand, Minister of Defence and also the leader of People’s Power Party. He was named by the mass media as "Uncle Mak" or "Mr. Rose Apple Nose" because of the shape of his nose. He was forced to resign as prime minister because he was also acting as chef on a TV show. The constitutional court in Thailand said he could not have two jobs.

## Early life

Sundaravej was the son of Samian Sundaravej and Amphan Jitrakorn. He was born in Bangkok in 1935. He married Lady Surat Sundaravej and they had twins called Kandapha and Kanjanakorn. After finishing university, he began writing articles about politics for ‘Siam government’ and ‘Bangkokian’.

## Politics

He started in politics as a member of "Democrat Party" in 1968. He became well–known in 1976 from radio managing which has the information that attack education organization in that age. He also encouraged the people to loathe the education organization. He was the one who gave the command to move the student protest group on 16th October 1976.
At the end of that, he became the Minister of Interior, as well as resigning from the Democrat Party. In 1979, he set up the new party and became the leader of ‘Thai Population Party’.

He was elected to be a Bangkok governor in 2000 with 1,016,096 votes, which was more votes than ever before. The person who came second was Sudarat Keyuraphan (the member from the Thais Love Thailand Party).

Sundaravej took a position of a governor during 2000-2004. But after he passed the office, he'd been suspected to relate with the lawsuit about buying fire engines until now. He decided not to apply for a governor, but applied to be a senator instead.

Until 29th January 2008, the House of Representatives had a resolution to appoint Samak to be Prime Minister. He was agreed to be a Minister of Defence. He was suspected to be Taksin (23rd Prime Minister; the one who was fleeing imprison punishment to foreign country)’s nominee.

On 12th September 2008, Samak resigned from being the leader of the ‘People’s Power Party’ with the reason that he had done his duty, so he wanted to end his political role and let the members decide what to do next.

## Death

Sundaravej died at the age of 74 in Bangkok. He died because of liver cancer, which he had been fighting for one year.

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **name**: Samak Sundaravej
- **native name**: สมัคร สุนทรเวช
李沙馬
- **honorific-suffix**: Order of the White Elephant, MPCh Order of the Crown of Thailand, MWM Order of the Direkgunabhorn, PPh Order of Chula Chom Klao, TCW
- **image**: Samak Sundaravej.JPG
- **office**: List of Prime Ministers of Thailand, 25th Prime Minister of Thailand
- **monarch**: Bhumibol Adulyadej
- **term start**: 29 January 2008
- **term end**: 9 September 2008
- **predecessor**: Surayud Chulanont
- **successor**: Somchai Wongsawat
- **office2**: Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, Governor of Bangkok
- **term start2**: 23 July 2000
- **term end2**: 28 August 2004
- **predecessor2**: Bhichit Rattakul
- **successor2**: Apirak Kosayodhin
- **birth place**: Bangkok, History of Thailand, Siam
- **death place**: Bangkok, Thailand
- **party**: People's Power Party (Thailand), People's Power Party <small>(2007–2008)</small>
- **otherparty**: Democrat Party (Thailand), Democrat Party <small>(1966–1976)</small>
Citizen's Party (Thailand), Citizens Party <small>(1978–2007)</small>
- **spouse**: Surat Sundaravej
- **alma mater**: Thammasat University
Chulalongkorn University
Bryant & Stratton College, Bryant and Stratton College