Chaturon Chaisang

Chaturon Chaisang
Chaturon Chaisang
จาตุรนต์ ฉายแสง
	Chaturon Chaisang in 2017
Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand
	In office; 3 October 2003 – 2 August 2005
Prime Minister	Thaksin Shinawatra
Minister of Education
	In office; 30 June 2013 – 22 May 2014
Prime Minister	Yingluck Shinawatra
Preceded by	Phongthep Thepkanjana
Succeeded by	Narong Pipatanasai
	In office; 11 March 2005 – 19 September 2006
Prime Minister	Thaksin Shinawatra
Preceded by	Adisai Bodharamik
Succeeded by	Wijit Srisa-arn
Minister of Justice
	In office; 5 March 2002 – 3 October 2002
Prime Minister	Thaksin Shinawatra
Preceded by	Phongthep Thepkanjana
Succeeded by	Purachai Piamsomboon
Minister to the Office of the Prime Minister
	In office; 5 February 2001 – 5 March 2002
Prime Minister	Thaksin Shinawatra
Preceded by	Abhisit Vejjajiva; Jurin Laksanawisit; Paveena Hongsakul; Somboon Rahong
Succeeded by	Suranand Vejjajiva; Newin Chidchob
Leader of Thai Rak Thai Party ; Acting
	In office; 2 October 2006 – 30 May 2007
Preceded by	Thaksin Shinawatra
Succeeded by	party dissolved
Personal details
Born	1 January 1956 (age 68); Chachoengsao, Thailand
Political party	Thai Rak Thai (2001–07); Pheu Thai (2011–18); Thai Raksa Chart (2018–19); Pheu Thai (2021–present);
Spouse	Jiraporn Piamkamol
Alma mater	Chiang Mai University; University at Buffalo;

Chaturon Chaisang or Chaisaeng (Thai: จาตุรนต์ ฉายแสง, pronounced [t͡ɕāː.tū.rōn t͡ɕʰǎːj.sɛ̌ːŋ], born January 1, 1956) is a Thai politician. He was a government member for several terms, serving as Minister of Justice, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Education in the cabinets of Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra.

In the 1970s, Chaturon was one of the leaders of the leftist, pro-democracy students movement that initiated the October 1973 popular uprising against military dictatorship. After the 1976 Thammasat University massacre and return to authoritarian rule, he joined the illegal Communist Party of Thailand. He later fled to the United States, where he furthered his academic studies, earning a master's degree in economics.

After his return to Thailand in 1986, he joined mainstream politics, representing his home province in Parliament for several terms. He repeatedly switched parties, during most of the 1990s he stayed with the New Aspiration Party, in which he served as secretary general from 1997 until his leave in 2000. He then joined the Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT) of Thaksin Shinawatra, and became a member of Thaksin's government in several positions: Minister to the Office of the Prime Minister (2001–02), Minister of Justice (2002), Deputy Prime Minister (2002–05), and Minister of Education (2005–06).

After the coup d'état of 19 September 2006, he acted as the leader of the disempowered and disintegrating Thai Rak Thai Party until its forced dissolution by the Constitutional Tribunal in May 2007. By the court's decision he was banned from political activity for five years. In June 2013 he returned to political office, again becoming Minister of Education, in Yingluck Shinawatra's cabinet, representing her Pheu Thai Party. He was again removed from office by a military coup on 22 May 2014.