Mechai Viravaidya
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Mechai Viravaidya | |
---|---|
มีชัย วีระไวทยะ | |
Thanpuying Putrie Viravaidya | |
Children | Sujima Saengchaiwuttikun |
Alma mater | International House, Melbourne |
Mechai Viravaidya (born 17 January 1941,
Early life
Viravaidya was born in
Next to the original restaurant, in Bangkok, there is a family planning clinic, one of several places in the Thai capital where poor women can receive pregnancy termination, a practice that is legal in the country per Section 305 of the Thai penal code but often perceived as illegal.[9][10] The clinic is permitted by the authorities due to the dangers of unsafe abortion caused by economic difficulties.[11]
Later life
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Viravaidya served as deputy minister of industry from 1985 to 1986, under prime minister
A military coup in 1991 installed prime minister Anand Panyarachun, who then appointed Viravaidya minister for tourism, information, and AIDS. He was able to start a large, successful AIDS education campaign and served until 1992. At that time, he became the chairman of the Foundation for International Education, a nonprofit organization that serves as the governing body of the NIST International School. Viravaidya continued to serve as chair until stepping down in May 2002.
In 1995, he was appointed an honorary officer of the Order of Australia, for "service to Australian-Thai relations and contributions to the world AIDS debate".[12]
In 2004, Viravaidya again became a senator. In 2006, he won praise from the toilet industry (but criticism from the retail industry) for proposing that retailers be obliged to build a public toilet for every ten square metres of retail space.[13]
As of 2007, Viravaidya continued to oversee rural development and health initiatives as the chairman of PDA, now the largest NGO in Thailand, with 600 employees and 12,000 volunteers. On 29 May 2007, PDA was awarded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Gates Award in recognition of its pioneering work in family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention.[14] This award came with a grant of $1,000,000.[15]
References
- ^ Mechai Viravaidya, 60 Years of Asian Heroes, Time Asia, 13 November 2006
- ^ Pesek, William Jr. (21 April 2005). "Six influential Asians changing their part of the world". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
- ^ TED Talk, 7 October 2010
- ^ Mydans, Seth (5 August 2022). "'Captain Condom' Turned the Tide in Thailand's War on AIDS and Overpopulation". The New York Times.
- ^ Corness, Iain (31 January 2003). "Successfully Yours: Mechai Viravaidya". Pattaya Mail. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- ^ Shenon, Philip (20 December 1992). "Conversations/Mechai Viravaidya; Brash and Unabashed, Mr. Condom Takes on Sex and Death in Thailand". New York Times. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- ^ a b Gates, Bill (22 October 2018). "All Hail the Condom King". gatesnotes. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
- ^ "Mechai Viravaidya Foundation| MechaiFoundation.org". mechaifoundation.org. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
- ^ Thailand Penal Code Section 301-305
- ^ Thailand Archived 29 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine, in The International Encyclopedia of Sexuality, 1997–2001
- ^ The Health Impact of Unsafe Abortion
- ^ It's an Honour
- ^ Toilet-train food firms: Mechai, The Nation, 18 November 2006 Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ 2007 Gates Award for Global Health: PDA, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Retrieved 2 January 2010. Archived 1 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Mike Nizza (29 May 2007), "Cabbages and Condoms, a Winning Idea", The Lede
Further reading
- Thomas D'Agnes. From Condoms to Cabbages: An Authorized Biography of Mechai Viravaidya. Post Books 2001. ISBN 974-228-009-6
External links
- Mechai Viravaidya biography
- Global Health Champion page, Rx for Survival series
- Podcast interview with Mechai Viravaidya, Social Innovation Conversations, 24 June 2008