Koko and Yum Yum Were Siamese, And So Are These Quiz

Answer: Chaleo Yoovidhya (1923?-2012)

Yoovidhya was born sometime between 1922 and 1932 in Central Thailand (then Siam). After some years as pharmaceutical salesman (especially antibiotics), Yoovidhya founded his own pharmaceutical company TC Pharmaceuticals. In 1976 Yoovidhya prepared an energy drink, and designed the logo of two red gaur (Thai bovine animals) charging at each other before a yellow sun.

The Austrian Dietirch Mateschitz tasted Yoovidhya's drink and liked it so much he entered in a joint venture with Yoovidhya to produce this energy drink. Mateschitz named the drink Red Bull, after the logo.

Answer: Bhumibol Adulyadej (1927-2016)

Bhumibol Adulyadej was born in the Siamese royal family. But as his father then studied at Harvard, Bhumibol was the first of the Siamese royals born in the USA. His name translates roughly to "Strength of the Land, Incomparable Power".
Bhumibol studied in Switzerland, while his elder brother Ananda reigned in Siam between 1935 and 1946. Ananda died young because of a gunshot wound, in circumstances that still are clouded. Bhumibol took over the throne, but various mishaps delayed the coronation until 1950.
You might sometimes encounter the regal name Rama IX. The English had the tradition of naming each and every Siamese monarch of the Chakri dynasty Rama, a practice that is not shared by the Siamese or Thai people.
Bhumibol died in 2016, having reigned for over 70 years.

Answer: Seni Pramoj (1905-1997)

Pramoj was a distant relative of the royal family, as his full name Mom Rajawongse Seni Pramoj points out. But throughout his life, he used the shorter (non-regal) version of his name.
After having studied law in England and in Siam, Pramoj worked in the Civil Justice Court. In 1940 he was appointed ambassador to the USA. When Japan invaded Siam in 1941, Pradoj organised the Free Thai Movement.
In 1945 Pradoj became the Prime Minister, but he did not get along with several other members of the government. So his term as PM ended after a few months. Seni Pradoj and his brother Kukrit then founded the Thai Democratic Party, that was for long years the main opposition party.
Between February 1975 and October 1976, the Pradoj brothers assumed the rank of Prime Minister again: Seni from February 1975 to March 1975, Kukrit taking over until April 1976, and then Seni again for a few months.

Answer: Aranya Namwong (born 1947)

Namwong started her career in the 1960s. After having won the place of runner-up in the beauty pageant Miss Thailand 1964, she appeared in at least twenty Thai and Khmer movies. Some of her movies include "Suriyothai" (2001) and "The Bodyguard" (2004) - in which she played the love interest of a Thai bodyguard chased by clumsy hitmen.

Answer: Chatrichalerm Yukol (born 1942)

Yukol started his career in 1967 with "Tonchon kon suai". He is best known for his blockbuster "Suriyothai", named after the queen born in 1511, who sacrificed her life in a battle against Burmese invaders.
Yukol also directed six movies about King Naresuan, the Thai born in 1555 who finally liberated the kingdom of Ayutthaya from the Taungoo Empire (of Burmese origin).

Answer: Lor Tok (1914-2002)

Tok was born as Sawang Supsamruay. In 1933 he joined a comedy theatre group, where he acquired his alias. In 1965 he had a small part in "Ngem, Ngem, Ngem", and in the remake of this musical in 1985 he starred as the loan shark whose son falls in love with one of the debtors. For this role, Lor Tok won the Best Actor Award at the Thailand National Film Association Awards.

Answer: Birabongse Bhanudej Bhanubandh (1914-1985)

Prince Bira, as he was known, completed six seasons in the F1 championship (1950-1955). His best season was 1950, when he attained fifth place in Monaco and fourth place in the Swiss Grand Prix driving a Maserati. It was also in a Maserati that he attained fourth place in the French Grand Prix 1954, the last occasion he won points towards the F1 World Championship.
Bira then took to sailing, and participated in four Olympics: Melbourne 1956, Rome 1960, Tokyo 1964 and Munich 1972. His best sailing result was a twelfth place in 1956.

Answer: Vanchak Vorodilok (born 1934)

Vorodilok specialized in the 100 m sprint. In 1956 he competed in the individual 100 m (eliminated in the first round) and in the relay 4 x 100 m (also eliminated in the first round).

Answer: Jon Ungphakorn (born 1947)

Ungphakorn was the eldest son of the Siamese economist Puey Ungphakorn. After his studies as electrical engineer, Jon turned to social activism. In 1980 he was one of the original members of the Thai Volunteer Service, a network for local NGOs. In 1991 he founded AIDS Access, an organization that tries to enhance the awareness of this serious disease.
Between 2000 and 2006 Jon was also a Thai senator, member of the senate committee for healthcare. In 2005 Jon won the Magsaysay Award for Governmental Services, exactly as his father did in 1965.

Answer: Seeb Chundakowsolya (1933)

Chundakowsolya was one of the first boxers form Thailand to enter the Olympic games. He competed in the lightweight class, and survived the first round as he had no opponent. But in the second round he lost to the Canadian Edward Beattie by decision.