Early Life and Family
Samak was born in Bangkok, Thailand to Phraya Bumrungrajabhariphan (Samien Sundaravej) and his wife Khunying Umphan Bumrungrajabhariphan (Umphan Sundaravej). He was of Chinese ancestry (ancestral surname Lee (李)) and had five siblings. Samak studied at Saint Gabriel's College and Assumption Commercial College, then graduated from Thammasat University. He also received diplomas from Chulalongkorn University and Bryant & Stratton College.
Besides being a politician, Samak was a well-known television chef. For seven years before the military coup of September 2006, he had hosted a cooking show called Tasting, Ranting on the Thailand ITV television network and on Royal Thai Army Radio and Television. He said when he became Prime Minister that he would resume his career as a TV chef and did so, though warned not to. It is illegal for a government minister to hold any other paying job, and on 9 September 2008, the full bench of the Constitutional Court ruled it was unconstitutional for him to work for a private company (Thailand ITV) and therefore disqualified him from office.
Samak was married to Khunying Surat Sundaravej, a financial adviser to the Charoen Pokphand Group. They had two children.
Read more about this topic: Samak Sundaravej
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