The wife of former Thai Prime Minister Pridi Banomyong, Thanpuying Poonsuk Banomyong, passed away on Saturday. She was 95 years old. Prachatai has some details on her passing.
Readers hoping to learn more about the lives of Poonsuk and Pridi will find the biography on the Pridi Banomyong Institute website helpful. Some relevant photographs are online and a brief Wikipedia entry on Poonsuk has been recently posted. A short reflection that she wrote on her life with Pridi is available in Thai. The Nation also has a useful obituary.
Poonsuk’s instructions to her children have been published. Simple funeral arrangements are planned.
Thank you to New Mandala reader, Sawarin, for alerting me to this sad news.
4 responses so far ↓
1 jeru // May 16, 2007 at 11:50 pm
Thanpuying Poonsook Banomyong, the woman behind Pridi, must have influenced the birth of Thailand democracy far deeper than probably any Thai would realize.
I salute her!
2 nattapicha // May 18, 2007 at 12:13 am
May u rest in peace.
with love and respect,
ur niece.
3 Parisjat Banomyong Umscheid // May 25, 2007 at 3:23 pm
Growing up as your granddaughter, you were an inspiration to me. Your strength and courage inspire me today to be a better person with everyone. you will be missed but never forgotten. Your legacy and history will live on and I will share all the stories with my kids.
love you always
Parisjat
4 Nicholas Farrelly // May 31, 2007 at 12:01 am
New Mandala readers will be interested in an obituary for Thanpuying Poonsook Banomyong written by Sulak Sivaraksa. It is available from his blog:
http://sivaraksa.com/in-memoriam-thanpuying-phoonsuk-banomyong
It includes some very interesting details.
Best wishes to all.
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