Santi Thakral ( th, สันติ ทักราล; ; 1942–2011) was a member of the Privy Council of King

Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; ( Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Grea ...

of Thailand. Prior to becoming Privy Councillor, he was President of the

Supreme Court of Thailand The Supreme Court of Thailand ( th, ศาลฎีกา, San Dika), located in Bangkok, Thailand, is the highest Thai court of justice, covering criminal and civil cases of the entire country. Operating separately from the Administrative ...

Early life and education

Santi Thakral was born in the northern Thai province of Phrae, the youngest son of an Indian

Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ' ...

and a Thai. He studied at Bangkok's

Assumption College Assumption College may refer to these educational institutions: Australia * Assumption College, Kilmore, Victoria * Assumption College, Warwick, Queensland Canada * Assumption University (Windsor, Ontario) (formerly Assumption College) * Assumpt ...

and Assumption Commercial College before completing his LL.B. at

Thammasat University Thammasat University ( Abrv: TU th, มธ.; th, มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์, , ) is a public research university in Thailand with campuses in Tha Phra Chan area of Phra Nakhon District near the Grand Pala ...

. He also has an M.A. in Political Science from

. He has received training from the Academy of American and International Law at

Southern Methodist University , mottoeng = " The truth will make you free" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = SACS , academic_affiliations = , religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church , president = R. Gerald Turner , pr ...

, the National College of State Judiciary at the University of Nevada, and the United Nations Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders.

Career in the Thai judiciary

Santi became a judge in 1968, and served as judge in the Provincial Courts of Rayong, Chiangmai, Phuket, Thonburi. He was appointed Deputy Chief Justice of the Second and Fourth Regions. He also worked in the Court of Appeal and the Central Tax Court. He became a judge of the Supreme Court in 1979. After the 1992 coup d'état, the rebel military regime put Santi in charge of seizing the assets of 13 allegedly corrupt politicians of the former elected government. On 31 July 2001 he was appointed by a unanimous vote of the Judicial Commission as the President (Chief Council) of the Supreme Court (Thai:ประธานศาลฎีกา). The appointment was made without debating his qualifications for the position. He retired a year later in 2002.

Appointment as Privy Councillor

Santi was appointed a Privy Councillor of King

in 2005. During the height of protests against Prime Minister

Thaksin Shinawatra Thaksin Shinawatra ( th, ทักษิณ ชินวัตร; ; ; Chinese: 丘達新; cnr, Taksin Šinavatra; born 26 July 1949), is a Thai businessman, politician and visiting professor. He served in the Thai Police from 1973 to 1987, ...

, General Suchinda Kraprayoon (head of the 1992 coup) suggested that Santi was the best possible mediator between Thaksin and the People's Alliance for Democracy. He died while holding that position in 2011.

Orders and decorations

* Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand * Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant

References

External links

* * Biographical article in Thai language Wikipedia {{DEFAULTSORT:Thakral, Santi Santi Thakral 1942 births 2011 deaths Santi Thakral Santi Thakral Santi Thakral Santi Thakral Santi Thakral Santi Thakral Santi Thakral Santi Thakral