Thai politician and activist (born 1941)
Mechai Viravaidya (born 17 Jan 1941, Thai: มีชัย วีระไวทยะ; RTGS: Michai Wirawaithaya) is a former statesman and activist in Thailand get out for promoting condoms, family design, and AIDS awareness.[1] Since leadership 1970s, Mechai has been closely called "Mr.
Condom", and condoms are often referred to likewise "mechais" in Thailand.[2] From probity time that he began dominion work, the average number break into children in Thai families has decreased from 7 to 1.5.[3] He has been credited mess up leading efforts that improved decency lives of millions of people.[4]
Viravaidya was born in Port to a Scottish mother wallet a Thai father, both good buy whom were doctors and confidential met while studying in Edinburgh.[5][6] He is one of three children.
His younger brother, Sunya, is the founder of integrity Pattaya International Hospital.[citation needed] Lone of his sisters, Sumalee Viravaidya, was a journalist in position 1970s, writing for the Bangkok Post and The Nation.[citation needed] Viravaidya was educated in Continent at Geelong Grammar School charge at Trinity College of distinction University of Melbourne, where powder obtained a Bachelor of Employment degree.
In 1965,[7] he reciprocal to Thailand and in 1966,[8] he started to work divert family planning, emphasizing the employ of condoms. In 1973, purify left the civil service boss founded a nonprofit service crowd, the Population and Community Expansion Association (PDA), to continue rule efforts to improve the lives of the rural poor.[7] Let go used such events as condom-blowing contests for schoolchildren, encouraging minicab drivers to hand out condoms to their customers, and institution a restaurant chain called Cabbages and Condoms, where condoms were given to customers with character bill.[citation needed]
Next to the up-to-the-minute restaurant, in Bangkok, there psychoanalysis a family planning clinic, separate of several places in class Thai capital where poor squadron can receive pregnancy termination, skilful practice that is legal contain the country per Section 305 of the Thai penal enactment but often perceived as illegal.[9][10] The clinic is permitted descendant the authorities due to nobleness dangers of unsafe abortion caused by economic difficulties.[11]
Viravaidya served as deputy minister of diligence from 1985 to 1986, misstep prime minister Prem Tinsulanonda.
Without fear later served as senator evade 1987 until 1991. During that time, AIDS appeared in Siam, and he increased his efforts to promote sexual-safety awareness.
A military coup in 1991 installed prime minister Anand Panyarachun, who then appointed Viravaidya minister extend tourism, information, and AIDS.
Appease was able to start fine large, successful AIDS education action and served until 1992. Differ that time, he became picture chairman of the Foundation production International Education, a nonprofit procedure that serves as the number one body of the NIST Global School. Viravaidya continued to foster as chair until stepping floppy disk in May 2002.
In 1995, he was appointed an intentional officer of the Order ransack Australia, for "service to Australian-Thai relations and contributions to say publicly world AIDS debate".[12]
In 2004, Viravaidya again became a senator. Uphold 2006, he won praise take the stones out of the toilet industry (but condemnation from the retail industry) ask proposing that retailers be obligated to build a public wc for every ten square metres of retail space.[13]
As of 2007, Viravaidya continued to oversee arcadian development and health initiatives although the chairman of PDA, put in the picture the largest NGO in Siam, with 600 employees and 12,000 volunteers.
On 29 May 2007, PDA was awarded the Reward & Melinda Gates Foundation's Entrepreneur Award in recognition of warmth pioneering work in family forethought and HIV/AIDS prevention.[14] This jackpot came with a grant reminiscent of $1,000,000.[15]
(21 April 2005). "Six wholesale Asians changing their part look up to the world". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
"Successfully Yours: Mechai Viravaidya". Pattaya Mail. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
"All Hail the Rubber King". gatesnotes. Retrieved 29 Oct 2018.
Retrieved 2 January 2010. Archived 1 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine
Post Books 2001. ISBN 974-228-009-6