(LA Times) Samak Sundaravej dies at 74; former prime minister of Thailand
Matthew Kruk
latimes.com
OBITUARY
Samak Sundaravej dies at 74; former prime minister of Thailand
The firebrand politician, an ally of Thaksin Shinawatra, was ousted when
a court ruled there was a conflict of interest between his office and
his popular TV cooking show, 'Tasting and Complaining.'
Associated Press
8:21 PM PST, November 23, 2009
Samak Sundaravej, a firebrand politician who briefly served as
Thailand's prime minister but was ousted for simultaneously getting
income as the host of a popular TV cooking show, has died. He was 74.
Samak died Tuesdayof liver cancer at Bumrungrad International Hospital
in Bangkok, a hospital official said. Samak had sought treatment for the
cancer late last year in the United States and kept a low profile after
returning to Thailand.
Known as a straight-talker with a penchant for the profane, Samak's
political career spanned four decades but many supporters remembered him
best for his TV show, "Tasting and Complaining," a mix of traditional
Thai cooking and rants on Samak's pet subjects.
Samak's political career peaked in December 2007 when he became the
country's 25th prime minister -- a job that lasted only nine months.
His tenure as prime minister coincided with one of the worst political
crises in Thailand's history and followed the 2006 coup that ousted
Thaksin Shinawatra. Samak rose to power as the self-proclaimed proxy for
Thaksin, who was living in exile. Samak became the focus of street
rallies by anti-Thaksin protesters who demanded his resignation.
Tens of thousands of protesters stormed the prime minister's compound in
August 2008, but it wasn't the protesters who led to his ouster.
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 had ruled to curtail protests and end Samak's
divisive tenure, amid fears of another coup.
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