Dej Snidvongs
Dej Snidvongs | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 18, 1898 Bangkok, Thailand |
| Died | September 8, 1975 (aged 77) Chulalongkorn Hospital, Thailand |
| Occupation(s) | Scholar, public servant |
| Known for | President of the Privy Council of Thailand, Governor of the Bank of Thailand |
Mom Luang Dej Snidvongs (; 18 February 1898 – 8 September 1975) was a distinguished Thai scholar and public servant. He held the position of President of the Privy Council of Thailand under King Bhumibol Adulyadej and was the Governor of the Bank of Thailand between 1949 and 1952. His noble rank was Luang Dejsahakorn.
Family and education
Born on 18 February 1898 at Prince Sai Snidvongs' residence in Bangkok, Dej was the third son of Mom Rajawongse Sathand Snidvongs and Thanphuying Tat Singhaseni. Through his half-sister Bua Snidvongs, he was related as uncle to Queen Sirikit.
His early schooling took place in Thailand, followed by studies at Debsirin School and subsequently King's College under the Ministry of Justice. In 1914, he was awarded a government scholarship to pursue education in Germany; however, during World War I, he was detained. After his release in 1918, he joined the Siamese Expeditionary Forces allied against Germany. Post-war, he enrolled at the University of Bern in Switzerland, where he earned a Doktorrerum Politicarum with Cum Laude honors in 1925. He then conducted research focusing on economic and trade relations between Thailand and the United Kingdom before returning to Thailand in 1926.
In 1928, Dej married Prayong Snidvongs na Ayudhya, with whom he had four children: Warunyapha, Phisit, Manuseri, and Kasem. He passed away from lung cancer at Chulalongkorn Hospital on 8 September 1975 at the age of 77.
Careers
Dej commenced his public service career in 1926 as commissioner at the Department of Commerce within the Ministry of Economic Affairs. He later served as Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture in 1935, followed by roles as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Economy and briefly as acting Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Commerce in 1942. In 1949, he assumed the role of Governor at the Bank of Thailand.
He participated in Siam’s inaugural constitutional cabinet formed in 1932 and was appointed Deputy Minister of Agriculture under Prime Minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram in 1938. Dej held the office of Minister of Economic Affairs twice, first in 1944 and again in 1947. Additionally, he served as Minister to the Office of the Prime Minister in 1948 and was Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs during the 1974 administration led by Khuang Aphaiwong.
Appointed to the Privy Council of Thailand on 24 April 1947, Dej became its president on 18 February 1975, a position he maintained until his death.
Royal decorations
Throughout his lifetime, Sanya was honored with numerous prestigious royal awards within Thailand’s system of honors, including:
- Knight Grand Cross of The Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao
- Knight Grand Cordon of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant
- Knight Grand Cordon of The Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand
- War Medal of B.E. 2461
- Medal for Service Rendered in the Interior (Indochina)
- King Rama IX Royal Cypher Medal, First Class
- Chai Medal (World War I Victory Medal)
- First Class Red Cross Medal of Appreciation (gold medal)
Foreign honours
- Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog (Denmark) – awarded in 1958
- Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Germany) – conferred in 1962
- Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Sash for Services to the Republic of Austria (Austria) – received in 1964