View source for Wichit Srisa-an

{{Short description|Thai politician (1934–2023)}}
{{undue|date=November 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox politician
|name        =  Wichit Srisa-an
|native_name = วิจิตร ศรีสอ้าน
|native_name_lang = th
|image         = Vijit Srisa-arn.jpg
|caption       = Wichit Srisa-an in 2007
|office        = [[Ministry of Education (Thailand)|Minister of Education]]
|term_start    = 9 October 2006
|term_end      = 6 February 2008
|primeminister = [[Surayud Chulanont]]
|predecessor   = [[Chaturon Chaisang]]
|successor     = [[Somchai Wongsawat]]
|birth_date    = {{Birth date|1934|12|22|df=y}}
|birth_place   = [[Chachoengsao Province|Chachoengsao]], Thailand
|death_date    = {{Death date and age|2023|09|30|1934|12|22|df=y}}
|death_place   =
|party         = [[Democrat Party (Thailand)|Democrat Party]]
|alma_mater    = [[Chulalongkorn University]]
|spouse        = Sukon Srisa-arn
|profession    = Politician
}}
'''Wichit Srisa-an''' ({{langx|th|วิจิตร ศรีสอ้าน}}, 22 December 1934 – 30 September 2023) was a Thai academic, education administrator, and politician. He founded three universities ([[Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University|Sukhothai Thammathirat]], [[Suranaree University of Technology|Suranaree]] and [[Walailak University|Walailak]]), and served as Permanent Secretary of the [[Ministry of University Affairs (Thailand)|Ministry of University Affairs]] from 1987 to 1994 and as [[Minister of Education (Thailand)|Minister of Education]] from 2006 to 2008.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wong |first1=Tat Meng |title=DOCTOR OF LETTERS, honoris causa CITATION: PROFESSOR DR WICHIT SRISA-AN |url=http://library.wou.edu.my/vertical/vf2008-32.pdf |publisher=Wawasan Open University |access-date=12 May 2023 |date=29 November 2008}}</ref>
==Democrat MP==
Wichit was a [[Democrat Party (Thailand)|Democrat]] MP following the 2001 general election which the [[Thai Rak Thai]] party won in a landslide.  He became head of the Democrat Party’s committee on educational issues.<ref>The Nation, [http://www.nationmultimedia.com/search/page.arcview.php?clid=3&id=49590&usrsess= Opposition slams PM's U-turn], 10 October 2001</ref>
==Minister of Education==
Srisa-an was appointed Minister of Education in the [[2006 Thai interim civilian government|military-appointed government]] that followed the [[2006 Thailand coup|2006 coup]]. As Education Minister, he cancelled several key [[Thai Rak Thai]]-government policies like Thailand's participation in the [[One Laptop Per Child]] program and planned to install [[broadband]] internet connections in all Thai schools.
Key policies Wichit enacted included:
* The cancellation of Thailand's participation in the [[One Laptop Per Child]] (OLPC) program.<ref name="Education Ministry axes 3 schemes">Bangkok Post, [http://bangkokpost.net/News/28Nov2006_news04.php Education Ministry axes 3 schemes], 28 November 2006</ref>
* The cancellation of plans to install personal computers and [[broadband]] internet connections in every public and secondary school in Thailand.<ref name="Education Ministry axes 3 schemes"/>
* Forcing 430 prestigious schools across the country to accept half of their students from the local neighborhood.  All other schools would be required to accept all applicants; if applicants exceeded seats, a random draw would choose which applicants would be accepted.<ref>The Nation, [http://nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30018847 Famous schools ordered to take in half of new students from neighbourhood], 14 November 2006</ref>
Due to escalating [[South Thailand insurgency|violence in the South]], all schools in Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat provinces were shut down indefinitely from 27 November 2006.  Over 1,000 schools were closed.<ref>The Nation, [http://nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30020082 All schools in restive south to be closed], 27 November 2006</ref><ref>The Nation, [http://nationmultimedia.com/2006/11/28/national/national_30020154.php Over 1,000 schools closed], 28 November 2006</ref>
==Death==
Wichit Srisa-an died on 30 September 2023, at the age of 88.<ref>{{cite news |title=สิ้น 'วิจิตร ศรีสอ้าน' อดีตรมว.ศึกษาธิการ บิดาแห่งสหกิจศึกษาไทย |url=https://www.matichon.co.th/education/news_4207620 |access-date=30 September 2023 |publisher=Matichon |date=30 September 2023}}</ref>
==See also==
*[[Surayud Chulanont]]
*[[Thailand 2006 interim civilian government]]
*[[Council for National Security]]
==References==
<references />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Srisa-an, Wichit}}
[[Category:1934 births]]
[[Category:2023 deaths]]
[[Category:Thai academic administrators|Wichit Srisa-an]]
[[Category:Ministers of education of Thailand|Wichit Srisa-an]]
[[Category:Thai civil servants|Wichit Srisa-an]]
[[Category:Democrat Party (Thailand) politicians|Wichit Srisa-an]]
[[Category:Members of the House of Representatives (Thailand)|Wichit Srisa-an]]
[[Category:Members of the Senate of Thailand|Wichit Srisa-an]]
[[Category:Academic staff of Chulalongkorn University|Wichit Srisa-an]]
[[Category:Chulalongkorn University alumni|Wichit Srisa-an]]
[[Category:People from Chachoengsao province|Wichit Srisa-an]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Dushdi Mala Medal, Pin of Arts and Science|Wichit Srisa-an]]