Weng Tojirakarn

Weng Tojirakarn (, , ; born 1 April 1951) is a Thai medical doctor and politician. He is an activist of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), colloquially known as "Red Shirts" and since 2011 a member of parliament for the Pheu Thai Party.

Life and political activism Youth and activity in the democracy movement Born into a family of poor Chinese immigrants, Weng Tojirakarn was admitted to the prestigious Triam Udom Suksa School for his outstanding intelligence. He studied at the Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University and was the secretary-general of the Medical Students Centre of Thailand. Weng considered himself a disciple of the Buddhist monk Buddhadasa Bhikku and thinks that the influence of Buddhadasa's teachings has motivated him to his political and social activism. He participated in the pro-democracy uprising in October 1973 and the student protests in 1976 that led to the Thammasat University massacre and the return to military rule.

Like other radical intellectuals, Weng and his wife, the microbiologist and pharmacist Asst. Prof.Thida Thavornseth, joined the illegal Communist Party of Thailand and fled to their camps in the jungle. During the following six years, Weng was part of the Communists' medical unit that cured wounded comrades. After the defeat of the Communists, he returned to Bangkok. In 1992, he joined the protests against the military-installed government of Suchinda Kraprayoon, that are recalled as the Black May. He co-founded the Confederation for Democracy. On 1 December 2010, his wife Thida was made chairwoman of the UDD. Weng was released on bail terms on 22 February 2011. He was elected member of parliament on the winning Pheu Thai Party list in the 2011 election.

In 2014 he asserted that Kamol Duangphasuk, a well known Thai poet and activist who was killed in his own car, was assassinated.