Lek Nana (เล็ก นานา in Thai; born c. 1936[1]) is a Thai businessman and politician. He served as Deputy Foreign Minister and as Minister of Science, Technology and Energy.[1] Active in the Democrat Party, he served as its secretary general and repeatedly on its executive committee. As a Muslim, he was also a senior member of the Central Islamic Committee of Thailand. From 1975 to 1976 he was Deputy Foreign Minister under Prime Minister Seni Pramoj. He served as a honorary consul-general for Iraq in Thailand until 1981. A powerful bomb exploded in his office building in Bangkok's Chinatown in December 1982, killing a police bomb disposal expert, injuring 20 people, and causing a fire affecting five buildings. Lek was not in the office at the time.[2] The office was used for an Iraq export business and had formerly been the Iraqi consulate; a connection to the Iran-Iraq war was conjectured at the time.[3] In 1982 he became secretary general of the Democrat Party under party leader Bhichai Rattakul.[4] In 1985, Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda appointed Lek Nana as minister for science and technology after the previous minister, Damrong Latthapipat, had committed suicide, reportedly discontended with the inadequate attention that his field had received.[1] Lek Nana owned property in Bangkok along Sukhumvit Road Soi 3 and 4, and that area is now known as "Soi Nana", also giving rise to the name "Nana" for the nearby Skytrain station, the "Nana Hotel" and the "Nana Plaza" entertainment complex there. He also donated land for the headquarters of the Democrat Party, for the Princess Mother Memorial Park, and for a hospital.[5]
References
- ^ a b c "New Thai Minister of Science, Technology and Energy appointed", Xinhua News Agency, 29 August 1985
- ^ "Thai bomb disposal expert killed in blast", United Press International,
- ^ The Associated Press, 2 December 1982
- ^ "Sixth leader in the party's 57-yr history", The Nation, 20 April 2003
- ^ Princess Mother Memorial Park, accessed 7 August 2007 (Thai)
