Former PM Dies Following Long Battle with Cancer

Mr. Sunthorawet was diagnosed with the fatal disease approximately one year ago.He had gone to the US in order to receive specialist treatment and had returned to Thailand and had recieved further treatment.

Mr. Sunthorawet got involved in politics in 1968 when he became a member of the Thai Democrat Party following which he took up a seat on the House of Representatives. He occupied many other important positions within the Thai government before he was appointed as Thailand’s 25th prime minister on the 29th of January 2008.

Mr. Sunthorawet was born on April 13, 1935 in Bangkok,being the 4th child in a family of six and became Thailand's prime minister after the People Power Party won the December 23, 2007 general election.

He graduated in law at Thammasat University and entered politics as a member of the Democrat Party in 1968 and later established the Prachakorn Thai Party. He held several ministerial positions in a number of governments over the years, before becoming Bangkok governor, then a senator and was elected prime minister in the first general election held after the 2006 military coup that ousted then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. He was controversially sacked from office in September 2008 by a Constitutional Court ruling that ruled he had breached the charter by receiving payment for hosting a TV cooking show.
 
Thaksin Shinawatra said "I and my family would like to express our deep sorrow at the passing of Mr Samak. Unfortunately, we cannot attend the funeral rites ourselves."

Former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat said Mr Sunthorawet was a professional politician throughout his entire career who had made a substantial contribution to the country and had always been honest with the public and loyal to the monarchy.

Senator Thawat Borwornwanichyakura said Mr Sunthorawet was a valued politician, who was never boring as he had the ability to make politics colourful.

Ex Democrat leader Mr Banyat Bantadtan said he had long been acquainted with Mr Sunthorawet as they were both elected Democrat MPs in 1975."I'd like to express my sorrow for Mr Sunthorawet's family ... they should be proud of him because he had achieved the ultimate political success in becoming prime minister," he said.

Current Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said."I have to express my sorrow to his family and supporters. This is a loss for Thai politics,"