Professor Dr Udomsilp Srisangnam, an adviser to the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) and former public health minister, died on Tuesday aged 80, his daughter Ploypraew Srisaengnam announced on her Facebook page.
Funeral rites begin on Wednesday at Sala 4 (Sala Sithisayamkarn) at Wat That Thong on Sukhumvit road in Bangkok’s Watthana district.
On Thursday, the bathing rite and the cremation ceremony will be held at 1pm, to be attended only by family.
There will be daily evening prayer on June 16-19 from 6.30pm.
Born on Nov 20, 1942 to Mr Pracha and Mrs Phani, Dr Udomsilp graduated from the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, in 1968 and furthered his studies with a fellowship at the Royal College of Physicians, University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
He and his wife Morakot had four children.
Dr Udomsilp was a former deputy dean of the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, and former deputy secretary-general of the Palang Dharma Party.
He was elected an MP representing Bangkok’s constituency 5 (Huay Khwang and part of Phra Khanong districts) at the 1988 general election and the two elections in 1992, under the Palang Dharma Party banner.
After the September 1992 election, he was appointed minister of public health in the Chuan Leekpai government. He resigned from the position in October 1994. While health minister he pushed for the establishment of the Mental Health Institute (later renamed Mental Health Department) and the Institute of Thai Traditional Medicine (later renamed Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine Department).
In 1978, he founded Samaritans Thailand, a telephone service with the objective of preventing people from committing suicide.
Dr Udomsilp was a staunch promoter of the run-for-health campaign and authored the book “Wing Su Chewit Mai” (Run for New Life), published in 1996 by the Mor Chao Ban Printing House.