Puey Ungphakorn

Puey Ungphakorn, MBE (; ; IPA:; ; 9 March 1916 – 28 July 1999), was a Thai economist who served as Governor of the Bank of Thailand and Rector of Thammasat University. He was the author of From Womb to Tomb: The Quality of Life of a South-East Asian, which to date remains one of the most influential writings about social security in Thailand.

Born to a Thai Chinese family, Puey was a graduate of the first class of Thammasat University, teaching as a lecturer of French until winning a scholarship to study economics at the London School of Economics in 1938. His studies were interrupted by the Second World War, when he joined the Free Thai resistance movement opposed to the pro-Japanese military regime of Plaek Phibunsongkhram. He was captured as a prisoner of war in 1944 after parachuting into Chai Nat Province on a reconnaissance mission.

Puey completed his studies after the war, receiving a doctorate in 1948. In 1975, he was appointed Rector of Thammasat University, but resigned in protest following the massacre of student protesters on 6 October 1976. Tarred by nationalists as a leftist subversive, he was subsequently forced to flee the country for fear of his safety, residing in the United Kingdom until his death in 1999.

Early life and education

Puey was born the fourth child of an immigrant Chinese fishmonger and a second generation Thai Chinese mother, with ancestry from Raoping.

Government service

Ministry of Finance

In 1949, Puey became an economist in the Ministry of Finance. In 1953, he was appointed managing director of the National Economic Council. previously the Graduate School of Engineering of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) in 1967. Dr Puey became the first chairperson of the AIT Board of Trustees from 1968 to 1973.

After the ousting of Thanom's regime in October 1973, Puey was catapulted into political prominence and, along with M.R. Kukrit Pramoj, was broadly promoted as one of the two major candidates for the post of prime minister in the elected government that would follow the palace-picked interim administration of Sanya Thammasak. However, after a great deal of self-examination, Puey disavowed all interest in such a candidacy and returned to Thammasat, where he was appointed rector. Puey's explanation was that when he had joined the Free Thai Movement he had taken an oath never to seek or accept political appointment until after reaching the age of retirement. Some have argued, however, that Puey's withdrawal was based upon his mature understanding of the nature of society and that he had accurately foreseen that the upcoming democratic period would be inherently unstable, dangerous, and short-lived.

Exile

thumb|200px|Puey Ungphakorn's [[relief in the 6 October 1976 Massacre Memorial, Thammasat University, Bangkok]]

Despite his service, honesty and international reputation, Puey was branded a communist and "destroyer of unity" by the political right of Thailand. Although he spoke out against the unending student demonstrations of 1975–76 as being both ineffective and self-destructive, and even denied his students any use of the Thammasat campus as a base for mounting public demonstrations, he was nevertheless assigned blame for their occurrence.

On the evening of the bloody 6 October 1976 Massacre, Puey resigned from his position as rector of Thammasat in protest against the bloodbath that had occurred that day on the university campus. Realising he was a marked man, Puey went to Don Mueang airport where he was met by a lynch mob. Only with the help of the Royal Thai Air Force Air Police, who had been instructed by King Bhumibol's privy council office to help him leave, did he evade death and get on a plane bound for London.

While living abroad, Puey met with Thais and influential figures in several countries, including those in the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Japan, and Australia to speak about the incident and to call for a peaceful transition to democracy in Thailand. In 1977, Puey gave testimonials before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs investigating human rights in Thailand following the incident of 6 October 1976 Massacre.

In September 1977, Puey suffered a haemorrhagic stroke and was confined to a hospital for three months. The illness left Puey with a speech impediment resulting in mumbling speech. He could walk by himself, but was unable to control his right hand. Puey died in London on 28 July 1999.

Legacy

In 2015, he was recognised by UNESCO for his high ethical standards.

Honours

Military rank

Major of the British Army

References

Notes

External links

Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation
The Quality of Life of a South-East Asian: A Chronicle of Hope from Womb to Tomb by Puey Ungphakorn, 1980
Goodbye to Thailand, Sir Anthony Rumbold to Mr. Brown, 18 July 1967 : In Paragraph 9, a departing UK ambassador's advice to his successor in re Dr. Puey
Violence and the Military Coup in Thailand, From the Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars, v. 9, No 3, July–September 1977 Special Supplement – October 1976: The Coup in Thailand
A Letter from Dr Puey Ungpakorn: The Violence and the October 6, 1976 Coup, Intention and Brutality
Puey Ungphakorn was the model of a great citizen