Keep Us Strong WikiLeaks logo

Currently released so far... 97115 / 251,287

Articles

Browse latest releases

Browse by creation date

Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
ETRD EAGR ETTC EAID ECON EFIN ECIN EINV ELAB EAIR ENRG EPET EWWT ECPS EIND EMIN ELTN EC ETMIN EUC EZ ET ELECTIONS ENVR EU EUN EG EINT ER ECONOMICS ES EMS ENIV EEB EN ECE ECOSOC EK ENVIRONMENT EFIS EI EWT ENGRD ECPSN EXIM EIAD ERIN ECPC EDEV ENGY ECTRD EPA ESTH ECCT EINVECON ENGR ERTD EUR EAP EWWC ELTD EL EXIMOPIC EXTERNAL ETRDEC ESCAP ECO EGAD ELNT ECONOMIC ENV ETRN EIAR EUMEM ENRGPARMOTRASENVKGHGPGOVECONTSPLEAID EREL ECOM ECONETRDEAGRJA ETCC ETRG ECONOMY EMED ETR ENERG EITC EFINOECD EURM EENG ERA EXPORT ENRD ECONEINVETRDEFINELABETRDKTDBPGOVOPIC EGEN EBRD EVIN ETRAD ECOWAS EFTA ECONETRDBESPAR EGOVSY EPIN EID ECONENRG EDRC ESENV ETT EB ENER ELTNSNAR ECHEVARRIA ETRC EPIT EDUC ESA EFI ENRGY ESCI EE EAIDXMXAXBXFFR EETC ECIP EIAID EIVN EBEXP ESTN EING EGOV ETRA EPETEIND ELAN ETRDGK EAIDRW ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS EPEC ENVI ELN EAG EPCS EPRT EPTED ETRB EUM EAIDS EFIC EFINECONEAIDUNGAGM EAIDAR ESF EIDN ELAM EDU EV EAIDAF ECN EDA EXBS EINTECPS ENRGTRGYETRDBEXPBTIOSZ EPREL EAC EINVEFIN ETA EAGER EINDIR ECA ECLAC ELAP EITI EUCOM ECONEFINETRDPGOVEAGRPTERKTFNKCRMEAID EARG ELDIN EINVKSCA ENNP EFINECONCS EFINTS ECCP ETC EAIRASECCASCID EINN ETRP EAIDNI EFQ ECOQKPKO EGPHUM EBUD ECONEINVEFINPGOVIZ ENERGY ELB EINDETRD EMI ECONEFIN EIB EURN ETRDEINVTINTCS EIN EFIM ETIO ELAINE EMN EATO EWTR EIPR EINVETC ETTD ETDR EIQ ECONCS EPPD ENRGIZ EISL ESPINOSA ELEC EAIG ESLCO EUREM ENTG ERD EINVECONSENVCSJA EEPET EUNCH ECINECONCS ETRO ETRDECONWTOCS ECUN EFND EPECO EAIRECONRP ERGR ETRDPGOV ECPN ENRGMO EPWR EET EAIS EAGRE EDUARDO EAGRRP EAIDPHUMPRELUG EICN ECONQH EVN EGHG ELBR EINF EAIDHO EENV ETEX ERNG ED
KMDR KPAO KPKO KJUS KCRM KGHG KFRD KWMN KDEM KTFN KHIV KGIC KIDE KSCA KNNP KHUM KIPR KSUM KISL KIRF KCOR KRCM KPAL KWBG KN KS KOMC KSEP KFLU KPWR KTIA KSEO KMPI KHLS KICC KSTH KMCA KVPR KPRM KE KU KZ KFLO KSAF KTIP KTEX KBCT KOCI KOLY KOR KAWC KACT KUNR KTDB KSTC KLIG KSKN KNN KCFE KCIP KGHA KHDP KPOW KUNC KDRL KV KPREL KCRS KPOL KRVC KRIM KGIT KWIR KT KIRC KOMO KRFD KUWAIT KG KFIN KSCI KTFIN KFTN KGOV KPRV KSAC KGIV KCRIM KPIR KSOC KBIO KW KGLB KMWN KPO KFSC KSEAO KSTCPL KSI KPRP KREC KFPC KUNH KCSA KMRS KNDP KR KICCPUR KPPAO KCSY KTBT KCIS KNEP KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KNNB KGCC KINR KPOP KMFO KENV KNAR KVIR KDRG KDMR KFCE KNAO KDEN KGCN KICA KIMMITT KMCC KLFU KMSG KSEC KUM KCUL KMNP KSMT KCOM KOMCSG KSPR KPMI KRAD KIND KCRP KAUST KWAWC KTER KCHG KRDP KPAS KITA KTSC KPAOPREL KWGB KIRP KJUST KMIG KLAB KTFR KSEI KSTT KAPO KSTS KLSO KWNN KPOA KHSA KNPP KPAONZ KBTS KWWW KY KJRE KPAOKMDRKE KCRCM KSCS KWMNCI KESO KWUN KPLS KIIP KEDEM KPAOY KRIF KGICKS KREF KTRD KFRDSOCIRO KTAO KJU KWMNPHUMPRELKPAOZW KEN KO KNEI KEMR KKIV KEAI KWAC KRCIM KWCI KFIU KWIC KCORR KOMS KNNO KPAI KBWG KTTB KTBD KTIALG KILS KFEM KTDM KESS KNUC KPA KOMCCO KCEM KRCS KWBGSY KNPPIS KNNPMNUC KWN KERG KLTN KALM KCCP KSUMPHUM KREL KGH KLIP KTLA KAWK KWMM KVRP KVRC KAID KSLG KDEMK KX KIF KNPR KCFC KFTFN KTFM KPDD KCERS KMOC KDEMAF KMEPI KEMS KDRM KEPREL KBTR KEDU KNP KIRL KNNR KMPT KISLPINR KTPN KA KJUSTH KPIN KDEV KTDD KAKA KFRP KWNM KTSD KINL KJUSKUNR KWWMN KECF KWBC KPRO KVBL KOM KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KEDM KFLD KLPM KRGY KNNF KICR KIFR KM KWMNCS KAWS KLAP KPAK KDDG KCGC KID KNSD KMPF KPFO KDP KCMR KRMS KNPT KNNNP KTIAPARM KDTB KNUP KPGOV KNAP KNNC KUK KSRE KREISLER KIVP KQ KTIAEUN KPALAOIS KRM KISLAO KWM KFLOA
PHUM PINR PTER PGOV PREL PREF PL PM PHSA PE PARM PINS PK PUNE PO PALESTINIAN PU PBTS PROP PTBS POL POLI PA PGOVZI POLMIL POLITICAL PARTIES POLM PD POLITICS POLICY PAS PMIL PINT PNAT PV PKO PPOL PERSONS PING PBIO PH PETR PARMS PRES PCON PETERS PRELBR PT PLAB PP PAK PDEM PKPA PSOCI PF PLO PTERM PJUS PSOE PELOSI PROPERTY PGOVPREL PARP PRL PNIR PHUMKPAL PG PREZ PGIC PBOV PAO PKK PROV PHSAK PHUMPREL PROTECTION PGOVBL PSI PRELPK PGOVENRG PUM PRELKPKO PATTY PSOC PRIVATIZATION PRELSP PGOVEAIDUKNOSWGMHUCANLLHFRSPITNZ PMIG PREC PAIGH PROG PSHA PARK PETER POG PHUS PPREL PS PTERPREL PRELPGOV POV PKPO PGOVECON POUS PGOVPRELPHUMPREFSMIGELABEAIDKCRMKWMN PWBG PMAR PREM PAR PNR PRELPGOVEAIDECONEINVBEXPSCULOIIPBTIO PARMIR PGOVGM PHUH PARTM PN PRE PTE PY POLUN PPEL PDOV PGOVSOCI PIRF PGOVPM PBST PRELEVU PGOR PBTSRU PRM PRELKPAOIZ PGVO PERL PGOC PAGR PMIN PHUMR PVIP PPD PGV PRAM PINL PKPAL PTERE PGOF PINO PHAS PODC PRHUM PHUMA PREO PPA PEPFAR PGO PRGOV PAC PRESL PORG PKFK PEPR PRELP PREFA PNG PGOVPHUMKPAO PRELECON PINOCHET PFOR PGOVLO PHUMBA PRELC PREK PHUME PHJM POLINT PGOVPZ PGOVKCRM PGOVE PHALANAGE PARTY PECON PEACE PROCESS PLN PRELSW PAHO PEDRO PRELA PASS PPAO PGPV PNUM PCUL PGGV PSA PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA PGIV PRFE POGOV PEL PBT PAMQ PINF PSEPC POSTS PHUMPGOV PVOV PHSAPREL PROLIFERATION PENA PRELTBIOBA PIN PRELL PGOVPTER PHAM PHYTRP PTEL PTERPGOV PHARM PROTESTS PRELAF PKBL PRELKPAO PKNP PARMP PHUML PFOV PERM PUOS PRELGOV PHUMPTER PARAGRAPH PERURENA PBTSEWWT PCI PETROL PINSO PINSCE PQL PEREZ PBS

Browse by classification

Community resources

courage is contagious

Viewing cable 08BANGKOK276, BIO OF THAI PRIME MINISTER SAMAK SUNDARAVEJ

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
  • The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
  • The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
  • The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.

Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #08BANGKOK276.
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08BANGKOK276 2008-01-28 09:14 2011-08-25 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Bangkok
VZCZCXRO2480
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHBK #0276/01 0280914
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 280914Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1602
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5470
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 8252
RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 0648
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0325
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 2134
RUEHCHI/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI 4702
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHFJSCC/COMMARFORPAC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 000276 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
NSC FOR PHU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PINR TH
SUBJECT: BIO OF THAI PRIME MINISTER SAMAK SUNDARAVEJ 
 
BANGKOK 00000276  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
(SBU) The House of Representatives on January 28 elected 
People's Power Party leader Samak Sundaravej as Thailand's 
33rd Prime Minister.  (Note: Only 24 other individuals have 
held the post; some served multiple, nonconsecutive terms. 
End Note.)  Post offers the following unclassified biography 
of Samak; septel will provide analysis of his election. 
 
--------------- 
BEGIN BIOGRAPHY 
--------------- 
 
SAMAK SUNDARAVEJ 
 
(Phonetic: SAH-mahk SOON-tor-rah-wet) 
 
Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand 
 
The House of Representatives elected Samak Sundaravej as 
Thailand's 33rd Prime Minister on January 28, 2008.  Samak 
won election after the People's Power Party (PPP), which he 
heads, won a significant plurality in December 2007 
legislative elections.  The People's Power Party campaigned 
on a populist platform devoted to continuing the programs of 
the disbanded Thai Rak Thai party.  PPP has also been widely 
seen as loyal to deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, 
who explicitly endorsed PPP in late 2007.  In August of 2007, 
Samak publicly described himself as a "nominee" of Thaksin. 
 
Samak was Governor of Bangkok from 2000 until 2004.  As 
Governor, he had ambitious plans for innovative housing and 
transportation projects, but he scored few successes.  As of 
January 2008, he remained under investigation for alleged 
bidding collusion relating to city garbage disposal 
contracts, and for alleged financial improprieties related to 
the city's purchase of fire trucks from Austrian firm Steyr 
Daimler Puch.  Following his term as Governor, Samak was 
elected as a non-partisan figure to the Senate in 2006, but 
the September 2006 coup d'etat resulted in the abolition of 
the Senate before its newly-elected members could be 
inaugurated. 
 
Prior to becoming Governor, Samak had won election as a 
Bangkok member of the House of Representatives 10 times, from 
1975 to 1996.  He also held various cabinet positions, 
including four appointments as Deputy Prime Minister in the 
early- and mid-1990's.  He was Deputy PM in 1992, during the 
brief government of coup leader General Suchinda Kraprayoon; 
according to press reports, Samak defended the government's 
shooting of students in the "Black May" demonstrations.  In 
the 1980's and early 1990's he served twice as Transportation 
Minister.  He served briefly as Interior Minister in the 
government installed following the 1976 military coup. 
 
Samak joined the Democrat Party in the late 1960's; he left 
the Democrat Party in the late 1970's and founded the Thai 
Citizen Party (TCP), which remained his political vehicle 
until the end of his term as Governor of Bangkok, although he 
resigned as Party Leader in 2001.  (TCP now is under the 
leadership of Samak's younger brother, Sumit Sundaravej; TCP 
failed to win seats in the House in the 2007 election.) 
Samak became Party Leader of the newly-formed PPP in August 
ΒΆ2007. 
 
Most Thais characterize Samak as a royalist and right-wing 
figure.  His father was a Palace official, and Samak has 
enjoyed close ties to both the Palace and the military.  He 
was staunchly and vocally anti-communist in the 1970's, and 
he called publicly for the use of harsh measures to suppress 
Thailand's communist movement. 
 
In the 1950's and early 1960's, prior to entering politics, 
Samak wrote political commentary for Siam Rath newspaper.  He 
also worked as a public relations officer at the Israeli 
Embassy in Bangkok.  After his term as Bangkok Governor, 
Samak co-hosted talk shows on television and radio; his shows 
 
BANGKOK 00000276  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
were widely criticized as politically divisive.  Samak also 
hosted a cooking show on television in recent years. 
 
Samak is outspoken and prone to blunt remarks.  He was 
convicted of defamation in at least four separate lawsuits 
from 1989 to 1993.  More recently, in April 2007, Samak was 
sentenced to 24 months' imprisonment after conviction on four 
counts of defaming then-Bangkok Vice Governor Samat 
Ratchaphonlasit, by accusing Samat of corruption.  Samak has 
remained free on bail while appealing this verdict; it is 
unclear when the Court of Appeals will rule on the matter. 
 
Samak was born on June 13, 1935 and was educated in Bangkok, 
at St. Gabriel School, Assumption Commercial College, and 
Thammasat University.  In 1968, he received a diploma in 
business administration from Bryan and Stratton College in 
Chicago.  He has a functional command of English.  Samak is 
widely known to be fond of cats and cooking. 
 
Samak's wife, Khunying Surat Sundaravej, has a professional 
association with the Charoen Pokphand agribusiness 
conglomerate.  The Sundaravejs have two daughters, one of 
whom works with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 
 
------------- 
END BIOGRAPHY 
------------- 
 
JOHN