Surapong Tovichakchaikul

Surapong Tovichakchaikul ( Thai: สุร พง ษ์ โต วิจักษณ์ ชัย กุล; born May 1, 1953 in Chiang Mai ) is a Thai politician and, since August 9, 2011 Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand.

Training

After studying engineering at the University of Khon Kaen Surapong went to the U.S. to at Youngstown State University in Ohio and received his doctorate from the University of Akron later.

Surapong is related through his wife with the family of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra of the current.

Political Work

Surapong was elected in 1996 in Chiang Mai for the Democratic Party in the House of Representatives. In 2000, he was Chairman of the Finance Committee and had to shape the difficult transition of the Thai financial sector after the crash of 1997.

On August 9, 2011 Surapong was appointed as the new Thai Foreign Minister.