Anand Panyarachun is regarded as one of the most politically astute leaders Thailand has ever produced. His two terms as an unelected prime minister in the early 1990s are considered a watershed period with effects that continue to echo down through the years.
This in-depth biography starts with Anand's childhood in a bucolic Bangkok that was disrupted by World War II and the japanese occupation. It describes his formative years in postwar England and his rise at a young age to the top of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the height of the Vietnam War. Anand's deep involvement in the ending of
the US military presence in Thailand
and his growing antagonism towards Thailand's military establishment led to the derailment of his stellar diplomatic career in the aftermath of a bloody
right-wing coup in 1976.
Having launched a second career in the private sector,Anand was unexpectedly invited to become prime minister in
1991. His cabinet of top technocrats, bureaucrats,and reformers is still considered one of the most progressive and productive Thailand has seen. Political violence a year later once again placed Anand in the middle of historic events. In recent decades, he was central to the drafting of the 'People's Constitution',and gave counsel to many,including future prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra during his neophyte political years.He was also called
upon to lead a number of important
commissions,including UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's 2004 high-level panel on threats to global peace. His long life story contains lessons that remain relevant to Thailand and the world today.