Somsak Thepsuthin
สมศักดิ์ เทพสุทิน
Somsak Thepsuthin 2019
Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand
Assumed office
1 September 2023
Prime MinisterSrettha Thavisin
In office
6 October 2004 – 11 March 2005
Prime MinisterThaksin Shinawatra
Minister of Justice
In office
10 July 2019 – 17 March 2023
Prime MinisterPrayut Chan-o-cha
Preceded byPrajin Juntong
Succeeded byThawee Sodsong
Minister of Labour
In office
2 August 2005 – 19 September 2006
Prime MinisterThaksin Shinawatra
Preceded bySora-at Klinpratoom
Succeeded byApai Chantanajunlaka
Minister of Tourism and Sports
In office
11 March 2005 – 2 August 2005
Prime MinisterThaksin Shinawatra
Preceded bySontaya Kunplome
Succeeded byPracha Maleenont
Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives
In office
8 November 2003 – 6 October 2004
Prime MinisterThaksin Shinawatra
Preceded bySora-at Klinpratoom
Succeeded byWan Muhamad Noor Matha
Minister of Industry
In office
3 October 2002 – 8 November 2003
Prime MinisterThaksin Shinawatra
Preceded bySuriya Juangroongruangkit
Succeeded byPinit Jarusombat
In office
14 November 1997 – 4 October 1998
Prime MinisterChuan Leekpai
Preceded byKorn Dabbaransi
Succeeded bySuwat Liptapanlop
Minister to the Office of the Prime Minister
In office
17 February 2001 – 3 October 2002
Prime MinisterThaksin Shinawatra
Preceded byAdisai Potaramik
Succeeded byPongthep Thepkanjana
Suwat Liptapanlop
Minister of Public Health
In office
24 October 1997 – 8 November 1997
Prime MinisterChavalit Yongchaiyudh
Preceded byMontri Pongpanich
Succeeded byRakkiat Sukthana
Deputy Minister of Transport
In office
18 July 1995 – 24 November 1996
Prime MinisterBanharn Silpa-archa
Deputy Minister of Public Health
In office
17 April 1992 – 10 June 1992
Prime MinisterSuchinda Kraprayoon
Personal details
Born (1955-01-13) 13 January 1955
Sukhothai, Thailand
Political partyPheu Thai (2013–2018, 2023–present)
Other political
affiliations		Social Action (1977–2001)
Thai Rak Thai (2001–2007)
People's Power (2007)
Neutral Democratic (2007–2008)
Bhumjaithai (2009–2013)
Palang Pracharath (2019–2023)
SpouseAnongwan Thepsuthin
Alma materKing Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang
Thammasat University
ProfessionPolitician
Signature

Somsak Thepsuthin (Thai: สมศักดิ์ เทพสุทิน; born 13 January 1955)[1] is a Thai politician and one of deputy prime ministers of Thailand under Srettha Thevisin's cabinet. He served as Minister of Justice in the second cabinet of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.[2][3]

Life and education

Somsak was born and raised in Sukhothai Province and later attended Amnuay Silpa School in Bangkok. He completed a Bachelor of Engineering from King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang and a master's degree in political science (public administration) from Thammasat University. He was elected Member of Parliament representing Sukhothai Province's first constituency for the first time in 1983. A member of the Social Action Party, he was confirmed in every election until 2001.

Political careers

He served as deputy minister of public health in Suchinda Kraprayoon's cabinet from April to May 1992 (during Black May). From September 1992 to September 1993 he served as deputy minister of transport and communication under Chuan Leekpai and again from September 1996 to October 1997 under Chavalit Yongchaiyudh. Subsequently, he was shortly Minister of Public Health under the same prime minister until the government's resignation in the following month. In the second government of Chuan Leekpai, Somsak was the Minister of Industry from November 1997 to October 1998.

Having switched to Thaksin Shinawatra's Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT), Somsak was elected to the House of Representatives on the TRT party-list in the 2001 general election, while his wife Anongwan Thepsuthin succeeded him as MP for the first constituency of Sukhothai Province. In Thaksin's government that came into office in September 2001, Somsak first served as Minister to the Office of the Prime Minister, before switching to the Ministry of Industry in October 2002 and the Ministry of Agriculture in November 2003. In Thaksin's second government, Somsak held the office of Minister of Tourism and Sports from March to August 2005 and subsequently Minister of Labour until the 19 September 2006 coup d'état.

Being a member of the TRT party's executive committee, Somsak was barred from holding political office for five years upon the dissolution of the party by the Constitutional Court. Nevertheless, he founded the Matchima ("neutral") group, that first merged into Sanoh Thienthong Pracharaj Party before separating and becoming the Neutral Democratic Party (NDP) in October 2007. As Somsak was officially barred, his wife Anongwan became the party's secretary-general. The party won seven constituency seats in the December 2007 general election and joined the government coalition led by People's Power Party (PPP) and Samak Sundaravej. In Samak's government and that of his successor Somchai Wongsawat, Anongwan Thepsuthin served as Minister of Natural Resources and Environment from February to December 2008. The Constitutional Court dissolved the Neutral Democratic Party together with its coalition partners PPP and Thai Nation Party for election fraud on 2 December 2008.

References

  1. ↑ "Profiles of Members of Prayut II Cabinet, on national security affairs". The Nation. 17 July 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  2. ↑ "La Thaïlande a un nouveau gouvernement". Thailande-fr (in French). 10 July 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  3. ↑ "New cabinet ministers appointed". Bangkok Post. 10 July 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
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