Chadchart Sittipunt (Thai: ชัชชาติ สิทธิพันธุ์, RTGSChatchat Sitthiphan, pronounced [t͡ɕʰát.t͡ɕʰâːt sìt.tʰí(ʔ).pʰān]; born 24 May 1966) is a Thai politician, engineer, and professor who is the incumbent Governor of Bangkok. He previously was Minister of Transport from 2012 to 2014.

Chadchart Sittipunt
ชัชชาติ สิทธิพันธุ์
Chadchart in July 2023
17th Governor of Bangkok
Assumed office
22 May 2022[1]
Deputy
Preceded byAswin Kwanmuang
Minister of Transport
In office
27 October 2012 – 22 May 2014
Prime MinisterYingluck Shinawatra
Preceded byCharupong Ruangsuwan
Succeeded byPrajin Juntong
Deputy Minister of Transport
In office
18 January 2012 – 27 October 2012
Prime MinisterYingluck Shinawatra
MinisterCharupong Ruangsuwan
Personal details
Born (1966-05-24) 24 May 1966 (age 58)
Bangkok, Thailand
Political partyIndependent
Other political
affiliations
Pheu Thai (2012–2019)
SpousePiyada Sittipunt (divorced: 2017)
RelationsPhichit Kullavanich (uncle)
Children1
Alma materChulalongkorn University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
ProfessionBusinessman, lecturer, politician
Signature
Websitechadchart.com

Early life and education

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Chadchart is the third son of Police General Sa-nae Sitthiphan, former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau and Jitcharung Kullawanit. His sister, Preechaya Sittipunt, is a retired lecturer in Architecture at Chulalongkorn University. She holds a Master’s degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.[2] His twin brother, Assoc. Prof. Chanchai Sittipunt, is the dean of Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University.[3]

Chatchart graduated high school from Chulalongkorn University Demonstration School and Triam Udom Suksa School. He completed a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering (First Class Honors) from Chulalongkorn University and then received a Master's of Structural Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a Doctorate of Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the USA with Ananda Mahidol Foundation Scholarship in 1987. Furthermore, he also completed a Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Chulalongkorn University.[4]

Career

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Chadchart used to work as a structural engineer in a private company. Later in 1995, he joined the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University as an associate professor and an assistant to the president. In addition, he has served as a director in many state enterprises such as The Transport Company Limited, Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand and Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Limited and in 2008 to January 2012 as an independent director Audit Committee and Member of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, Land and Houses Plc.[5]

In January 2015, Chadchart was appointed as CEO and managing director of Quality Houses [th] Public Company Limited (QH).[6] On 29 December 2018, Chadchart resigned from the position and returned to work for the Pheu Thai Party.[7]

Political career

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Chadchart as an academic had the opportunity to help and give advice to the Ministry of Transport during the Thaksin Shinawatra and Samak Sundaravej governments without holding any position until 2012, when Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra invited him to serve as the Deputy Minister of Transport.

Chadchart was appointed as the Minister of Transport in October 2012. Chadchart as Minister of Transport is regarded as an elite figure of the government in the country's strategic planning.

In 2019, Chadchart announced that he intended to run in the 2022 Bangkok gubernatorial election as an independent candidate. In February 2022, Chadchart officially launched his gubernatorial election campaign, with the slogan "Bangkok, a liveable city for everyone" (Thai: "กรุงเทพฯ เมืองน่าอยู่สำหรับทุกคน") with important policies such as creating a network of maps of crime hotspots, and developing a public transport system to make Bangkok a city of arts and learning. Bhichit Rattakul, former Governor of Bangkok, and Nikom Wairatpanij, former President of the Senate of Thailand also joined Chadchart for the campaign.[8]

Chadchart won the 2022 Bangkok gubernatorial election by a landslide with all districts voting for him in one of the biggest wins in the history of Bangkok.[9]

Public image

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While serving as a minister, Chadchart had the image of a down-to-earth man. In 2013, an image of Chadchart walking barefoot into a Buddhist temple went viral as an internet meme, gaining him the nickname of "the world's strongest minister" in Thai internet circles and media.[10][11][12] The memes are often in the same absurd hyperbolic style as the Chuck Norris jokes, and he was often compared to Hanma Yujiro from the Baki manga franchise.[13] In June 2022, a friend of Wanchalearm Satsaksit claimed that the image was taken by Wanchalearm himself. It came during a talk in remembrance of Wanchalearm's second year of getting abducted.[14]

Royal decorations

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References

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  1. ^ "กทม.ติดประกาศนโยบาย "ชัชชาติ" 214 ข้อ สั่งห้ามถ่ายรูปหน้าห้อง ผู้ว่าฯ". www.thairath.co.th (in Thai). 2022-05-31.
  2. ^ "Preechaya Sittipunt". globallywedesign. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  3. ^ W, byNatt (2022-04-06). "ประวัติ "ชัชชาติ" รัฐมนตรีที่แข็งแกร่งที่สุดในปฐพี". springnews (in Thai). Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  4. ^ "ประวัติ "ชัชชาติ" รัฐมนตรีที่แข็งแกร่งที่สุดในปฐพี". springnews (in Thai). 2022-04-06. Retrieved 2022-05-22.
  5. ^ "ชัชชาติ สิทธิพันธุ์"โยกจากแลนด์&เฮ้าส์ ควบCEOและMD'ควอลิตี้เฮ้าส์'
  6. ^ "ชัชชาติ" ขอปั้นคิวเฮ้าส์ให้เด็กลง
  7. ^ "ชัชชาติ" ลาออกจาก "คิวเฮ้าส์" คุมทีมเศรษฐกิจเพื่อไทยโดยตรง
  8. ^ เปิดตัว 'พิจิตต' อดีตผู้ว่าฯ กทม. คนดัง ร่วมทีมเสริมทัพ 'ชัชชาติ' ลงพื้นที่ดูปัญหา
  9. ^ "Chadchart Sittipunt wins landslide victory in Bangkok governor election: Unofficial results". CNA.
  10. ^ Charuvastra, Teeranai; Chief, News (2019-02-05). "'World's Strongest Minister' and PM Candidate Won't Run for Office". Khaosod English. Retrieved 2022-05-22. {{cite web}}: |first2= has generic name (help)
  11. ^ matichon (2022-05-22). "เจาะชีวิต 'ชัชชาติ' จากรัฐมนตรีผู้แข็งแกร่งที่สุดในปฐพี สู่ (ว่าที่) ผู้ว่าฯกทม.คนที่ 17". มติชนออนไลน์ (in Thai). Retrieved 2022-05-22.
  12. ^ "The Chadchart online phenomenon". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 2022-05-22.
  13. ^ "จุดเริ่มต้น "มีมชัชชาติ" ผู้ว่าฯ กทม.ที่แข็งแกร่งที่สุดในปฐพี". Mango Zero. 2022-05-24. Retrieved 2023-07-15.
  14. ^ "เพื่อนเฉลย 'วันเฉลิม' ถ่ายรูปชัชชาติในตำนาน แอมเนสตี้จี้ผ่าน พ.ร.บ.อุ้มหาย-เร่งสอบสวน". มติชนออนไลน์. 2022-06-04. Retrieved 2022-06-04.
  15. ^ "Royal decoration list for 2013" (PDF). Royal Thai Government Gazette. 6 December 2013. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 28, 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  16. ^ "Royal decoration list for 2012" (PDF). Royal Thai Government Gazette. 3 December 2012. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 29, 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Transport
2012–2014
Succeeded by
Preceded by Governor of Bangkok
2022–present
Incumbent