Thinnapan, 81, says he is healthy enough to lead reform steering panel
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CAPTAIN Thinnapan Nakata was yesterday selected chairman of the National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA) with no challenge.
NRSA member Chai Chidchob, as the most senior member, was selected to chair the meeting to choose the NRSA chairman and deputies.
General Thitiwaj Kamlang-ek suggested that Thinnapan be among the chairman candidates.
Before the selection proceeded, NRSA member Withaya Kaewparadai urged the assembly to postpone the selection to allow the members to get to know each other first during a two-day seminar before deciding the most suitable leaders.
NRSA member Kasit Piromya agreed with Withaya, saying candidates should at least be given the chance to promote their vision. However, other members believed postponing the selection would be a waste of time. They felt they knew enough about each other from reading bio data on social media.
Chai said he had no authority to postpone the selection and since no other candidates had been put forward, Thinnapan was appointed chairman without the need to call a vote.
NRSA member Alongkorn Ponlaboot was selected first deputy chairman and Walairat Sriaran was selected second deputy chairwoman, neither member was challenged.
Thinnapan, 81, said reform could be achieved if everyone was united and worked in the same direction. He told the assembly that though he was elderly, he was fit and healthy as he swims and can stand for 12 hours when he is teaching. He said the members would get to know him better during the seminar.
Thinnapan graduated from Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy with a bachelor’s degree. He received a master’s degree from Thammasat University and master’s and doctorate degrees from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee.
He taught at the National Institute Development Administration (NIDA) and was later appointed Dean of NIDA’s Graduate School of Public Administration.
He joined the charter writing panels for the 1973, 1975 and 1991 charters. He was appointed chief adviser to the PM in 1980 and Senator from 1988 to 1991 during the Suchinda Kraprayoon government.
Alongkorn, 59, graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Thammasat University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Chulalongkorn University.
He has worked in the media for several Thai newspapers, such as Siang Puang Chon, Ban Muang and Naewna as business editor and local news editor. He set up a company to produce news programmes for Channel 5 and was deputy director of Khao Sod newspaper.
He embarked on a political career in the early nineties and won an MP seat in 1992 and 1995, 2001, 2005 and 2007.
He was appointed deputy leader of the Democrat Party and deputy Commerce Minister during the Chuan government and Energy Minster during the Abhisit government.
Alongkorn left the Democrat Party after he called for reforms within the party and was ignored.
He was a key member of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee and, after the May 22 coup, he was appointed a member of the National Reform Committee.
Walairat, 65, graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Thammasat University and a post-graduate diploma from Cambridge University. She achieved a Master of Art (Public Policy and Administration) from the Institute of Social Studies in the Netherlands.
Walairat embarked on a career at the Budget Bureau and rose to the rank of director. She sat as director and chairman of the board of the Expressway Authority of Thailand.
