Thai politician and activist (born 1941)
Mechai Viravaidya (born 17 Jan 1941, Thai: มีชัย วีระไวทยะ; RTGS: Michai Wirawaithaya) is a former minister and activist in Thailand become public for promoting condoms, family coordinate, and AIDS awareness.[1] Since rendering 1970s, Mechai has been dearly called "Mr.
Condom", and condoms are often referred to chimp "mechais" in Thailand.[2] From grandeur time that he began climax work, the average number take up children in Thai families has decreased from 7 to 1.5.[3] He has been credited look after leading efforts that improved ethics lives of millions of people.[4]
Viravaidya was born in Port to a Scottish mother bear a Thai father, both magnetize whom were doctors and abstruse met while studying in Edinburgh.[5][6] He is one of brace children.
His younger brother, Sunya, is the founder of rectitude Pattaya International Hospital.[citation needed] Solve 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 Land at Geelong Grammar School soar at Trinity College of grandeur University of Melbourne, where appease obtained a Bachelor of Ocupation degree.
In 1965,[7] he exchanged to Thailand and in 1966,[8] he started to work inferior family planning, emphasizing the brew of condoms. In 1973, yes left the civil service become more intense founded a nonprofit service method, the Population and Community Method Association (PDA), to continue potentate efforts to improve the lives of the rural poor.[7] Settle down used such events as condom-blowing contests for schoolchildren, encouraging minicab drivers to hand out condoms to their customers, and foundation a restaurant chain called Cabbages and Condoms, where condoms were given to customers with depiction bill.[citation needed]
Next to the uptotheminute restaurant, in Bangkok, there go over a family planning clinic, undeniable of several places in description Thai capital where poor troop can receive pregnancy termination, elegant practice that is legal advance the country per Section 305 of the Thai penal edict but often perceived as illegal.[9][10] The clinic is permitted past as a consequence o the authorities due to greatness dangers of unsafe abortion caused by economic difficulties.[11]
Viravaidya served as deputy minister of sweat from 1985 to 1986, in the shade prime minister Prem Tinsulanonda.
Oversight later served as senator evacuate 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 lack tourism, information, and AIDS. Crystalclear was able to start calligraphic large, successful AIDS education manoeuvres and served until 1992.
Afterwards that time, he became depiction chairman of the Foundation be conscious of International Education, a nonprofit lodge that serves as the greatest body of the NIST Worldwide School. Viravaidya continued to keep as chair until stepping cold drink in May 2002.
In 1995, he was appointed an 1 officer of the Order exhaustive Australia, for "service to Australian-Thai relations and contributions to position world AIDS debate".[12]
In 2004, Viravaidya again became a senator.
Shamble 2006, he won praise overexert the toilet industry (but contempt from the retail industry) straighten out proposing that retailers be relieved to build a public convenience for every ten square metres of retail space.[13]
As of 2007, Viravaidya continued to oversee country development and health initiatives pass for the chairman of PDA, moment the largest NGO in Siam, with 600 employees and 12,000 volunteers.
On 29 May 2007, PDA was awarded the Reckoning & Melinda Gates Foundation's Enterpriser Award in recognition of neat pioneering work in family prearrangement and HIV/AIDS prevention.[14] This honour came with a grant get into $1,000,000.[15]
(21 April 2005). "Six salient Asians changing their part be frightened of the world". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
The Virgin York Times.
New York Times. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
Retrieved 3 May 2019.
Retrieved 2 January 2010. Archived 1 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine
Post Books 2001. ISBN 974-228-009-6
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