Kobsak Pootrakool
{{Short description|Thai economist and politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Kobsak Pootrakool
| native_name = {{nobold|กอบศักดิ์ ภูตระกูล}}
| native_name_lang = th
| image = Kobsak Phutraku.jpg
| caption =
|office = Minister of the Office of the Prime Minister (Thailand)
|term_start = 23 November 2017
|term_end = 29 January 2019
|primeminister = Prayut Chan-o-cha
|alongside = Suwaphan Tanyuvardhana
| predecessor5 = Ormsin Chivapruck
Suvit Maesincee
| successor5 = Tewan Liptapallop
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1968|08|23}}
| birth_place = Bangkok, Thailand
| party = Palang Pracharath Party (2018–2020)
|nationality = Thai
|profession = {{hlist|Economist|politician}}
|alma_mater = {{ubl|MIT|Williams College}}
}}
Kobsak Pootrakool ({{langx|th|กอบศักดิ์ ภูตระกูล}}; born 23 August 1968) is a Thai economist and former politician. He served as Minister of the Office of the Prime Minister in the first cabinet of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Before entering politics, he worked at the Bank of Thailand and the Bangkok Bank.
Education
Kobsak Pootrakool obtained a scholarship from the Bank of Thailand to study in the United States after finishing high school. He went on to earn a BA in mathematics and economics from Williams College in 1991 and a PhD in macroeconomics and international economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1997.{{cite web |url=https://hris.parliament.go.th/ss_detail.php?ssp_id=20226&lang=th |title=นายกอบศักดิ์ ภูตระกูล|website=Parliament HRIS Portal |access-date=20 December 2021}}
Professional career
After graduation, he came to work at the Bank of Thailand for 14 years, developing and implementing monetary policy and financial institution policy. He was seconded to the Stock Exchange of Thailand from 2008–2009 as executive director of its Research Institute for Capital Market. He resigned from the central bank in 2010 and joined Bangkok Bank to work on international banking.
Political career
An interim constitution promulgated after the 2014 Thai coup d'état established a committee chaired by Borwornsak Uwanno to draft a new constitution. Kobsak was appointed to this Constitution Drafting Committee when a member resigned.{{cite web |url=http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2558/E/052/20.PDF |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929003056/http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2558/E/052/20.PDF |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 September 2015 |title=แต่งตั้งกรรมาธิการยกร่างรัฐธรรมนูญแทนตำแหน่งที่ว่าง |language=th |trans-title=Constitution Drafting Committee appointment |date=3 March 2015 |publisher=Royal Thai Government Gazette |access-date=20 December 2021}}
The committee was dissolved in September 2015 after its draft was rejected by the National Reform Council.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34149523 |title=Thailand constitution: Military's council rejects draft |last=Head |first=Jonathan |date=6 September 2015 |publisher = BBC News |access-date = 20 December 2021}}{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/07/world/asia/thai-draft-constitution-rejected-by-junta-backed-council.html |title=Thailand's Military Junta Rejects Draft Constitution |last=Fuller |first=Thomas |date=6 September 2015 |work=The New York Times |access-date=20 December 2021}}
A new committee chaired by Meechai Ruchuphan replaced it and drew up a version that passed referendum on 7 August 2016{{cite web |url=https://time.com/4442731/thailand-new-consitution-referendum-vote/ |title=Thais Vote in Favor of a Constitution That Cements the Military's Role in Politics |last=Campbell |first=Charlie|date=8 August 2016 |publisher=Time |access-date=20 December 2021}} and came into effect on 6 April 2017.{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/04/06/522878983/thai-king-signs-military-backed-constitution |title=Thai King Signs Military-Backed Constitution |last=Kennedy |first=Merrit |date=6 April 2017 |publisher=NPR |access-date=20 December 2021}}
Not long after the committee dissolution, Kobsak was appointed as vice minister for Office of Prime Minister, working under deputy prime minister Somkid Jatusripitak who was in charge of economic affairs.{{cite web |url=https://www.soc.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/v61_150159.pdf |title=แต่งตั้งกรรมการผู้ช่วยรัฐมนตรี นายกอบศักดิ์ ภูตระกูล |language=th |trans-title=Vice Minister Appointment: Kobsak Pootrakool |date=15 January 2016 |publisher=The Secretariat of the Cabinet|access-date=20 December 2021}}
He was later appointed to the National Economic Reform Committee{{cite web |url=http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2560/E/205/111.PDF |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828161524/http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2560/E/205/111.PDF |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 August 2017 |title=แต่งตั้งคณะกรรมการปฏิรูปประเทศด้านต่าง ๆ |language=th |trans-title=National Reform Committees Appointment |date=15 August 2017 |publisher=Royal Thai Government Gazette |access-date=20 December 2021}} and eventually to the cabinet as Minister of the Office of the Prime Minister{{cite web |url=http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2560/E/290/1.PDF |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171215132453/http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2560/E/290/1.PDF |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 December 2017 |title=ให้รัฐมนตรีพ้นจากความเป็นรัฐมนตรีและแต่งตั้งรัฐมนตรี |language=th |trans-title=Ministers Removal and Appointment |date=24 September 2017 |publisher=Royal Thai Government Gazette |access-date=20 December 2021}} on 23 November 2017.
When Palang Pracharath Party was established in 2018 to prepare the ruling government for the 2019 Thai general election, Kobsak was named as party spokesman.{{cite web |url=https://www.bloombergquint.com/onweb/new-thai-party-picks-ministers-from-junta-as-leaders-before-poll |title=New Thai Party Picks Ministers From Junta as Leaders Before Poll |last=Thanthong-Knight |first=Randy |date=30 September 2018 |publisher=BloombergQuint |access-date=20 December 2021}}
The new party was criticized by rival parties from having four serving ministers of the cabinet in executive positions, giving it an unfair advantage in the upcoming campaign.
Although Kobsak, as spokesman, asserted that the ministers will not abuse their authority,{{cite web |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/1549574/ministers-in-dual-roles-face-calls-to-quit |title=Ministers in dual roles face calls to quit |date=1 October 2018 |publisher=Bangkok Post |access-date=20 December 2021}} all four ministers, including Kobsak, resigned from the cabinet on 29 January 2019 to devote their time to the election.{{cite news |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/1619878/palang-pracharath-ministers-resign-from-cabinet |title=Palang Pracharath ministers resign from cabinet |date=29 January 2019 |newspaper=Bangkok Post |access-date=20 December 2021}}
The general election resulted in a coalition government led by Palang Pracharath party, with Prayut Chan-o-cha elected as prime minister. Kobsak was not appointed to the new cabinet but instead given the post of deputy secretary-general to the prime minister.{{cite web |url=http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2562/E/207/T_0022.PDF |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211220064119/http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2562/E/207/T_0022.PDF |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 December 2021 |title=แต่งตั้งข้าราชการการเมือง |language=th |trans-title=Political Officials Appointment |date=5 August 2019 |publisher=Royal Thai Government Gazette |access-date=17 December 2021}} A year later, the military faction within the party consolidated its power and pushed out the technocrat faction.{{cite web |url=https://www.thaipbsworld.com/general-prawit-accepts-invitation-to-head-palang-pracharat-party/ |title=General Prawit accepts invitation to head Palang Pracharat party |date=22 June 2020 |publisher=Thai Public Broadcasting Service |access-date=20 December 2021}} Somkid Jatusripitak, deputy prime minister in charge of the economy, resigned together with his economic ministerial team, including Kobsak.{{cite web |url=https://apnews.com/article/b90d19e1713a9defc0eaad722c134f9c |title=4 Thai Cabinet ministers resign after party leader shakeup |last=Sivasomboon |first=Busaba |date=16 July 2020 |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=20 December 2021}}
References
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Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni