Bangkok (The Nation/ANN) - The following are new members of the Cabinet led by Thailand Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
Nivatthamrong Boonsongpaisal
PM's Office Minister
Former president of the now-defunct ITV television station and deputy chairman of Shin Corporation in charge of the corporation's PR. A graduate in education from Srinakarinwiroj University at Prasarnmit, Nivatthamrong entered politics as a party-list MP candidate last year.
He will be in charge of communications.
Arak Cholatanont
Energy Minister
Studied electrical engineering at Chulalongkorn University. Was board member at Shin Corporation and president of AIS. He was a classmate of Thaksin Shinawatra's economic adviser Boonklee Plangsiri at Chulalongkorn.
Nalinee Thavisin
PM's Office Minister
A Pheu Thai party-list MP and former trade representative of the current administration, Nalinee is regarded as a representative of the 'property-business owners' group, is close to Thaksin and has close ties with some political leaders in Africa.
Natthawut Saikua
Deputy Agriculture Minister
Natthawut is arguably the most popular red-shirt co-leader along with Jatuporn Promphan and perhaps the best orator in the movement. A native of Nakhon Si Thammarat, he studied communications at Turakit Bundit University and furthered his education in graduate level public and private administration at the National Institute of Development Administration.
He is very popular in the Northeast and the North, but his opponents are furious that he once "encouraged" his supporters to set fire around the protest areas if the military launched a crackdown.
Natthawut once won a national debate contest and began his political career at Chart Pattana Party, before it merged with the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai Party, and was active in opposing the September 2006 coup.
Sakda Kongpet
Deputy Education Minister
Studied management at Roi Et Rajabhat Institute and was a member of the province's provincial council.
A four-time MP, Sakda is a key member of the Isaan Pattana group of northeastern MPs. He is best known for accusing Newin Chidchob of "betraying Thaksin".
Sakda's promotion is part of the |northeastern ministerial quota.
Suchart Tadathamrongvej
Education Minister
A leading member of the Pheu Thai Party and a former finance minister during the People's Power government. He studied economics at Thammasat University, and pursued the same field at the London School of Economics and got a PhD in economics at MacMaster University in Canada. Suchart taught at Ramkhamhaeng University and was a deputy rector there.
Tanusak Lekuthai
Deputy Finance Minister
A veteran MP from Uttaridit province, Tanusak began his political career at Prachakorn Thai party before eventually joining Thai Rak Thai. Tanusak studied law at Ramkhamhaeng University and holds a masters in political science from Sripathum University.
Charupong Ruangsuwan
Transport Minister
Former permanent secretary at both the Justice Ministry and Labour Ministry, Charupong was president of the East Asia University. He studied law at Thammasat and holds a masters degree in political science from Chulalongkorn University. He joined the People Power Party after retirement and became secretary of Pheu Thai before last year's general election and acted as the party's manager.
Chatchart Sithipan
Deputy Transport Minister
Studied construction engineering at Chulalongkorn University and did his masters in structural engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Chatchart attained his PhD in engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
A former rector at Chulalongkorn University and former director of the university's engineering educational service centre, he was also on the board of the MRTA. Chatchart was a former adviser to Thai Rak Thai's deputy leader Pongsak Raktapongpaisarn.
MR Pongsvas Svasti
Industry Minister
A lecturer at Thammasat University and director of the university's College of Social Innovation, Pongsvas studied computer science at Southeast Missouri State University, holds a masters in industrial management from the University of Central Missouri, and a masters in public policy and management from Harvard.
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