Widow of former Prime Minister dies of Covid-19

The widow of former Prime Minister Chatichai, Thanpuying Boonruen Choonhavan, has died early this morning of illness connected to Covid-19. Details around the death of the 101 year old widow are vague, but the announcement was made on Facebook today by her granddaughter. Thanpuying had one daughter who survived her, Vanee, and a son Kraisak who died last year in June, but whose surviving daughter made the post today remembering her life and announcing her death.

The post detailed a smart and devoted wife that married General Chatichai in November of 1944. She helped her husband rise through the ranks from a Thai ambassador to a foreign minister, as chairman of the Thai Nation Party, all the way up to his assuming the role of Prime Minister from 1988 until he was ousted by a coup in 1991. The former PM himself died in London of liver cancer in 1998 at 78 years old.

Thanpuying stood by her husband until his death and outlived him by 23 years to become a centenarian. She spoke 7 languages proficiently and played a supporting role in the diplomacy of Thailand and Chatichai’s cornerstone foreign policy of “Changing Battleground into Trade Zone”. The Facebook post thanked the widow of the prime minister for all she had done for her country as well as personal notes about her as a grandmother.

Her granddaughter shared stories of the widow of Prime Minister Chatichai singing to her, saying she was a gifted opera singer, and fondly recalled her signing a popular Thai song to her as a child.

Thailand has had its share of greater than average longevity with people living well over 100 years old. In 2013 a man named Kamu Tongnumchokdee died at the age of 119 and was believed by some to be the oldest living person in the world, though his age was never officially verified. And 2 years ago a man with an official Thai National ID Card with the birth date of April 9, 1891, making him 128 years old, was found to be living with his 70 year old wife – 58 years his junior – in Bueng Kan in Northern Thailand, though his age was never verified as well.

SOURCE: Thai PBS World