Somkeit Pongpaibul was a Professor at Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University, Nakhon Ratchasima Province

Nakhon Ratchasima Province

Nakhon Ratchasima or , often shortened to Korat or Khorat , is one of the north-eastern provinces of Thailand...

, Thailand

Thailand

Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

. Now, He became a member of the Thai House of Representatives in 2007 from Democrat Party

Democrat Party (Thailand)

The Democrat Party is Thailand's oldest political party and was the main coalition government party of the 23rd House of Representatives of Thailand. The Democrat Party's current leader is Abhisit Vejjajiva, incumbent opposition leader and former Prime Minister. The party upholds a conservative...

 and a leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy

People's Alliance for Democracy

The People's Alliance for Democracy also called the National Liberation Alliance - กลุ่มพันธมิตรกู้ชาติ, Thai Patriots Network or the Yellow Shirts - เสื้อเหลือง - was originally a coalition of protesters against Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand. Its leaders include...

, and the co-founder of the Mass Party

Mass Party (Thailand)

The Mass Party was a political party of Thailand's People's Alliance for Democracy. Its main goal was campaigning against Thaksinomics.-Origins:In May 2006, PAD leaders established the Mass Party...

. Somkeit is an advocate for the poor and a major critic on Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra

Thaksin Shinawatra

Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....

.

Activism and key works

Somkeit claims to have been investigated three times for organizing protests for poor farmers against government officials and politicians. In one interview he mentioned

"In one investigation, they told me that I was supposed to spend my time in school rather than organizing a rally against the government. I spoke right back 'in their faces' that I have never seen any professors who spend their teaching time hanging out with politicians being investigated.

Somkeit claims to have written many academic papers and provided many academic researches regarding social development and strategy to counter poverty. He is also a regular contributor to many newspapers and magazines.

The People's Alliance for Democracy

In February 2006, Professor Somkeit Pongpaibul was selected to be one of the five leaders of People's Alliance for Democracy

People's Alliance for Democracy

The People's Alliance for Democracy also called the National Liberation Alliance - กลุ่มพันธมิตรกู้ชาติ, Thai Patriots Network or the Yellow Shirts - เสื้อเหลือง - was originally a coalition of protesters against Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand. Its leaders include...

 (PAD). Somkeit represented the Thai academic community.

Somkeit Pongpaibul is said to be a charismatic public speaker.

The Mass Party

In May 2006, Somkeit and other PAD leaders established the Mass Party

Mass Party (Thailand)

The Mass Party was a political party of Thailand's People's Alliance for Democracy. Its main goal was campaigning against Thaksinomics.-Origins:In May 2006, PAD leaders established the Mass Party...

. Somkeit claimed that "Our objective is to campaign against Thaksinomics." The party unconventionally planned not to field MP candidates for the first 5 years, with Somkiat claiming that "If we field MP candidates, we will be trapped in vicious circles of money politics." Other party co-founders included by former Palang Dharma Party leader Chaiwat Sinsuwong and the Campaign for Popular Democracy's Pipop Thongchai.