Suthep Thaugsuban

Suthep Thaugsuban (Thai: สุเทพ เทือกสุบรรณ; RTGS: Suthep Thueaksuban, [sù.tʰêːp tʰɯ̂ːak.sù.ban]) (born 7 July 1949) is a Thai former politician and former Member of Parliament for Surat Thani province. Until 2011, he was secretary-general of the Democrat Party and a deputy prime minister under Abhisit Vejjajiva. He resigned his seat in Parliament in November 2013 to become the self-appointed Secretary-general of the People's Democratic Reform Committee, which was conducting mass protests trying to unseat the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. After the military coup of May 22, 2014, Suthep was temporarily detained and placed under arrest by the new junta. He was released after four days, retired from politics, and entered Buddhist monastichood from July 2014 to July 2015. Since, he became the leader of the Muan Maha Prachachon for Reform Foundation (the People’s Democratic Reform Foundation) that backed the junta sponsored Thai constitutional referendum, which had been put to a national referendum on 7 August 2016.

He was released from prison on bail, later in February 2021, which stands in contrast to his court sentence (from 2021) still standing at a prison term of seven years.