A Change of Guard

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Tuesday 24 November 2009

Former Thai PM Samak Dies, Aged 74

(Photo: Reuters)

Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Xinhua

Samak Sundaravej, the 25th prime minister of Thailand who was disqualified from office in 2008 because of hosting a cooking show, died of liver cancer Tuesday morning in a Bangkok hospital, Thai media reported. He was 74.


Samak Sundaravej dies

BANGKOK (AP) — Samak Sundaravej, a firebrand right-wing politician and TV cooking show host who briefly served as Thailand's prime minister and considered himself a proxy of ousted leader Thaksin Shinawatra, died of cancer Tuesday. He was 74.

Samak died at Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok after a long battle with liver cancer, hospital official Navachamol Sangkaew said.

Known as a straight-talker with a penchant for the profane, Samak's political career spanned four decades including an incarnation as an anti-communist rabble rouser, but many supporters remembered him best for his TV show called "Tasting and Complaining," a mix of traditional Thai cooking and rants on pet subjects.

Among the first Thai politicians to express their condolences was former Prime Minister Thaksin, who was forced out in a 2006 coup and tweeted about Samak's death from self-imposed exile.

Samak's tenure as prime minister coincided with one of the worst political crises in Thailand's history and followed the September 2006 that ousted Thaksin. Samak rose to power and became the focus of street rallies by anti-Thaksin protesters who demanded his resignation.

A court ruled in September 2008 that Samak's appearance on his TV cooking show while prime minister — and the fact that he had accepted money — constituted a conflict of interest. The hasty decision prompted speculation that the court ruled to curtail protests and end Samak's divisive tenure, amid fears of another coup.

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