Prapat Panyachatraksa

Prapat Panyachatraksa was a student demonstrator during the the violent 1973 democracy movement during which he confronted an M-60 armed soldier armed with just a piece of wood, for which he was popularly nicknamed "Ai Karn Yao" (after the hero in the movie Walking Tall). Later, as executive of the Thai Rak Thai party, he was appointed Minister of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives and Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment.

While a Cabinet minister, he was investigated by the National Counter Corruption Committee for abusing state power. He was alleged to have illegally acquired a plot of land reserved for the poor. He defended himself by claiming that he legally acquired the land 20 years before he had entered politics. The NCCC ruled that although the acquisition of the land was illegal, the offence had taken place before he became a Cabinet minister. [The Nation, [http://www.nationmultimedia.com/search/page.arcview.php?clid=11&id=72964&usrsess= Can Prapat say he's still 'walking tall?'] , 26 January 2003]

He later defected to the Chart Thai party as a party-list candidate prior to the October 2006 election. [The Nation, [http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/09/07/politics/politics_30012995.php Chat Thai's 3 new candidates] , 7 September 2006] The election was cancelled due to the 19 September military coup that overthrew the government.

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