Puay Eungphakon (ป๋วย อึ้งภากรณ์)

Thai. Name of the a Thai bureaucrat who played a central role in the shaping of Thailand's economic development and in the strengthening of its system of higher education. He was born on 9 March 1916 Chinese as the fourth child of an immigrant fishmonger and a second generation Thai-Chinese mother. During WWII, he was a member of Seri Thai, i.e. the  Free Thai Movement, and later the dean of Thammasat University, and the governor of the Bank of Thailand. For his significant contributions to his nation, he is recognized by UNESCO as an eminent person, especially for his achievement in education and social sciences. His book, The Quality of Life of a Southeast Asian - A Chronicle of Hope from Womb to Tomb, is recognized as one of the most influential writings on social security in Thailand. He is also the winner of the 1965 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service, which is considered the Asian version of the Nobel Prize. On the evening of the bloody 6 October 1976 massacre at the Thammasat University, Puay resigned from his position as dean and fled Thailand with the help of the Royal Thai Air Force Police, who were instructed by the privy council office of King Bhumiphon. Puay Eungphakon passed away on 28 July 1999, while still in exile in London. On the occasion of his 100th birthday in 2016, Thailand Post issued a set of four commemorative postage stamps. His name is also transliterated Puey Ungphakorn, Puai Eungphakon and Puai Uengphakon. See also Bank of Thailand Museum and POSTAGE STAMPS. 回