Somyot Chueathai
Encyclopedia
Somyot Chueathai is a Thai
academician
, constitutional law
and public law
professor
and 15th dean
of the Faculty of Law, Thammasat University
, the oldest faculty of law in the country.
Chueathai has graduated from the Faculty of Law, Thammasat University as a Bachelor of Laws
(honoris causa)
and become a member of the Thai Bar Association. Following that, he has studied abroard in Germany
, where he has been conferred a public law
certificate
by the University of Bonn
.
After having completed education, he has been instated as a civil servant of Thammasat University, where he serve as a public law lecturer
until the present. Chueathai has also been appointed the Deputy President of Thammasat University for Student Affairs, the President of the Society of Thammasat University's Faculty of law (2004-2008), the Director-General of the Legal Centre (2009), a member of the Council of State (2009-present), and so on and so forth.
During his tenure as the President of the Society of Thammasat University's Faculty of law, Chueathai has for many times launched public campaigns against Thaksin Shinawatra
, the Prime Minister
at the time being, in order to have Thaksin removed from the premiership on account of his series of corruption and conflict of interest scandals. In 2006, following Thaksin's decreeing the dissolution of the House of Representatives, Chueathai addressed to the public that:
Following the military's seizure of power unseating Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006 and the proclamation of the new Constitution in 2007
, Chueathai stated to the media that he has once foretold that the new constitution will be unlikely to solve any problems in the Country, but no one pays attention to the warning of a public law instructor like him because everyone wants to have a new election taken place without delay, so he will not teach constitutional law anymore. Chueathai also remarked that:
Chueathai has produced many precious academic works which are deemed as "pillar of the society," all of which could be viewed at the Office of the Libraries, Thammasat University.
As for his personal life, Chueathai is a football player. He played football since he was a student at the Faculty of Law, Thammasat University. At present, Chueathai, who is now a professor at the University of which he has been a student, serves as a manager of the University football team and usually plays football with his students in his spare time.
Chueathai is usually called by his students as "Ong Dam" , which means "the Black Deity," due to his proficiency and his dark skin. While Kaewsan Atibodhi, former lecturer at the same faculty, has been called "Ong Khao" , meaning "the White Deity".
Thai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
academician
Academician
The title Academician denotes a Full Member of an art, literary, or scientific academy.In many countries, it is an honorary title. There also exists a lower-rank title, variously translated Corresponding Member or Associate Member, .-Eastern Europe and China:"Academician" may also be a functional...
, constitutional law
Constitutional law
Constitutional law is the body of law which defines the relationship of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary....
and public law
Public law
Public law is a theory of law governing the relationship between individuals and the state. Under this theory, constitutional law, administrative law and criminal law are sub-divisions of public law...
professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
and 15th dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of the Faculty of Law, Thammasat University
Faculty of Law, Thammasat University
The Faculty of Law, Thammasat University is a public agency of the Thai Government, being an academic faculty attached to Thammasat University, Ministry of Education. It is the second oldest university faculty in the country, preceded only by the Faculty of Medicine, Mahidol University...
, the oldest faculty of law in the country.
Chueathai has graduated from the Faculty of Law, Thammasat University as a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
(honoris causa)
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
and become a member of the Thai Bar Association. Following that, he has studied abroard in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, where he has been conferred a public law
Public law
Public law is a theory of law governing the relationship between individuals and the state. Under this theory, constitutional law, administrative law and criminal law are sub-divisions of public law...
certificate
Academic certificate
An academic certificate is a document that certifies that a person has received specific education or has passed a test or series of tests.In many countries, certificate is a qualification attained in secondary education. For instance, students in the Republic of Ireland sit the Junior Certificate...
by the University of Bonn
University of Bonn
The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
.
After having completed education, he has been instated as a civil servant of Thammasat University, where he serve as a public law lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
until the present. Chueathai has also been appointed the Deputy President of Thammasat University for Student Affairs, the President of the Society of Thammasat University's Faculty of law (2004-2008), the Director-General of the Legal Centre (2009), a member of the Council of State (2009-present), and so on and so forth.
During his tenure as the President of the Society of Thammasat University's Faculty of law, Chueathai has for many times launched public campaigns against Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
, the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Thailand
The Prime Minister of Thailand is the head of government of Thailand. The Prime Minister is also the chairman of the Cabinet of Thailand. The post has existed since the Revolution of 1932, when the country became a constitutional monarchy....
at the time being, in order to have Thaksin removed from the premiership on account of his series of corruption and conflict of interest scandals. In 2006, following Thaksin's decreeing the dissolution of the House of Representatives, Chueathai addressed to the public that:
"According to the democratic principles, the dissolution of the House of Representatives is the power the Executive Branch may exercise in order to solve the crisis between the Council of Ministers and the National Assembly or the problems of the House of Representatives itself...But, this time, the dissolution of the House has been decreed and the new election has been fixed urgently, it raises a question as to whether Mr Thaksin has exercised the executive power to wash himself and return to the power again..."
Following the military's seizure of power unseating Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006 and the proclamation of the new Constitution in 2007
2007 Constitution of Thailand
A Permanent Constitution for the Kingdom of Thailand was drafted by a committee established by the military junta that abrogated the previous 1997 Constitution. On August 19, 2007, a referendum was held in which 59.3% of the voters voted in favor of the constitution...
, Chueathai stated to the media that he has once foretold that the new constitution will be unlikely to solve any problems in the Country, but no one pays attention to the warning of a public law instructor like him because everyone wants to have a new election taken place without delay, so he will not teach constitutional law anymore. Chueathai also remarked that:
"The upcoming problems are judicial activismJudicial activismJudicial activism describes judicial ruling suspected of being based on personal or political considerations rather than on existing law. It is sometimes used as an antonym of judicial restraint. The definition of judicial activism, and which specific decisions are activist, is a controversial...
. The 2007 Constitution has bound the judges with political affairs. This will be gross worriment, because the heart of the Constitution should be the separation of powersSeparation of powersThe separation of powers, often imprecisely used interchangeably with the trias politica principle, is a model for the governance of a state. The model was first developed in ancient Greece and came into widespread use by the Roman Republic as part of the unmodified Constitution of the Roman Republic...
...When the courts are forced to interfere with the politics, a chaos will ensue...
...Today, the Constitution is treated as a scapegoatScapegoatScapegoating is the practice of singling out any party for unmerited negative treatment or blame. Scapegoating may be conducted by individuals against individuals , individuals against groups , groups against individuals , and groups against groups Scapegoating is the practice of singling out any...
. It is like a house which has been taken to pieces by its residents in order to build up a new one which is in good odour with them. But, a newly built house will never serve their wish and will then be ruined down again and again, until the residents see the true problem of the house — a little leak somewhere on the roof or elsewhere...Section 309 of the Constitution will cause the return of a new coup and a new coup and a new coup, over and over. The section is like a son that kills his father, because it is bigger than the Constitution. Now, I would like to tell you that I won't teach constitutional law anymore, because I cannot accept section 309."
Chueathai has produced many precious academic works which are deemed as "pillar of the society," all of which could be viewed at the Office of the Libraries, Thammasat University.
As for his personal life, Chueathai is a football player. He played football since he was a student at the Faculty of Law, Thammasat University. At present, Chueathai, who is now a professor at the University of which he has been a student, serves as a manager of the University football team and usually plays football with his students in his spare time.
Chueathai is usually called by his students as "Ong Dam" , which means "the Black Deity," due to his proficiency and his dark skin. While Kaewsan Atibodhi, former lecturer at the same faculty, has been called "Ong Khao" , meaning "the White Deity".