Previous lawmaker regarded as a activist and advocate for the underprivileged
PUBLISHED: 13 May 2025 at 14: 19
Jon Ungphakorn, a former legislator and activist from Thailand, passed away peacefully at home at the age of 77, according to a media release from the Prachathai newspaper on Tuesday.
Jon was the co-founder of the non-profit Prachathai and iLaw ( Internet Dialogue for Law Reform ), which promotes democracy and freedom.
He was also credited with organizing for equitable access to healthcare and with being a social advocate. He established the Aids-Access Foundation in 1991. In 2000, he was elected as a lawmaker for Bangkok.
In 2005, Jon was awarded the renowned Magsaysay Award for federal service.
He was a” dedicated Thai leader who fought for the right of underprivileged sectors of society,” according to the Magsaysay commission. Additionally, he received praise from the board for “his unwavering commitment as a senator to value the rights and respond fairly to the needs of Thailand’s least-afficient citizens.”
Jon was born on September 19, 1947, in London. He was the child of Margaret Smith Ungphakorn and the later former chancellor of the Bank of Thailand, Puey. His sons are political scholar and activist Giles Ji Ungpakorn and former company director of the Bangkok Post Peter Mytri Ungphakorn.