Somkeit Pongpaibul

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A protest Poster of professor Somkeit Pongpaibul at one of PAD Rally.

Somkeit Pongpaibul (สมเกียรติ พงษ์ไพบูลย์) is an Professor at Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand, a leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy, and the co-founder of the Mass Party. Somkeit is an advocate for the poor and a major critic on Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

1 Activism and key works
2 The People's Alliance for Democracy
3 The Mass Party
4 References

[edit] Activism and key works

Somkeit claims to have been investigated three times for organizing protests for the poor farmers against government officials and politicians.^{[citation needed]} In one interview he mentioned

"In one investigation, they told me that I suppose to spend my time in school rather than organizing a rally against the government. I speaked right back in front of their face that I never see any professors who spend their teaching time hangning out with politicians been investigated.^{[citation needed]}"

Somkeit claims to have written many academic papers and provide many academic researches regarding social development and the strategy to encounter poverty.^{[citation needed]} He is also a regular contributors to many newspapers and magazines.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] The People's Alliance for Democracy

In February 2006, Professor Somkeit Pongpaibul was selected to be one of the five leaders of People's Aliance for Democracy (PAD). Somkeit represented the Thai academic community.

Somkeit Pongpaibul is a charismatic public speaker.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] The Mass Party

In May 2006, Somkeit and other PAD leaders established the Mass Party. Somkeit claimed that "Our objective is to campaign against Thaksinomics." The party unconventionally planned not to field MP candidates for the first 5 years, with Somkiat claiming that "If we field MP candidates, we will be trapped in vicious circles of money politics." Other party co-founders included by former Palang Dharma Party leader Chaiwat Sinsuwong and the Campaign for Popular Democracy's Pipop Thongchai.^[1]