Praman Chansue

Praman was born on 1 June 1936 in Maha Phruettharam subdistrict, Bang Rak district, Phra Nakhon province, Siam (present-day Bangkok, Thailand). His father was a Chinese man named Yu Chansue (; died 1957). Yu married his first wife who was a Chinese woman in China and the two had four children, the third of whom was politician Wan Chansue (). At the age of 20, Yu came to Siam and worked as a clerk in Sampheng, Bangkok, before entering the government service as an interpreter for the Ministry of Justice. Yu later studied law at the Ministry of Justice's Law School (present-day Faculty of Law, Thammasat University) and became a Thai barrister in 1923. In that year, Yu resigned from the government service to work as a private lawyer. He ran a law firm called Lawyer's Office at Yellow Bridge (). In Siam, Yu married a Thai-Chinese woman, with whom he had four children. He married another Thai-Chinese woman named Chonghiang () and the two had three children, the second of whom was Praman. ==Education==

Praman attended Mater Dei School for preschool education. Following that, he attended a Chinese school near a Buddhist temple, Wat Liap (present-day Wat Ratchaburana). Upon the outbreak of World War II, Praman had to drop out of the school and move to various places together with his family. After the war ended, Praman attended Assumption College for primary education. By that time, Praman was already 12 years old. Upon graduation from Assumption College, Praman attended the Faculty of Law, Thammasat University, in 1956. Praman graduated from Thammasat University with a bachelor's degree in law at the age of 23. He then attended Yale University in 1959 and graduated in the following year with a master's degree in law. Praman was awarded with an honorary doctorate in law by Pepperdine University on 17 May 1996. Praman was also a Thai barrister. ==Career==

Upon graduation from Yale University, Praman took and passed a judicial examination in 1962. Praman held the position until his retirement on 30 September 1996. During his presidency at the Supreme Court, Praman founded Praman Chansue Foundation to finance the training of court administrative officers and founded Tulakarn Chalermprakiat Hospital for provision of medical care to children at observation homes. The Judicial Training Institute of Thailand was also founded at his initiative. ==Assassination==

The assassination of Praman became news in 1993 when Prathum Sutmani (), a gunman suspected of assassinating a village chief in Nakhon Sawan province, revealed to police officer Praphan Nianphak () on 9 May 1993 that he had also been hired by a group of persons to find a gunman for assassinating Praman but he did not follow their request after learning that Praman was Supreme Court president. Following investigation, the police arrested the alleged hirers by luring them to Praman's house on 25 May 1993. The trial took 15 years to be finished, during which the accused had to appear in court before 91 different judges on a total of 461 occasions. On 29 September 2008, the Bangkok South Criminal Court found Rangsan guilty and sentenced him to imprisonment for 25 years. The long-lasting case against Rangsan is believed to be the reason the renowned skyscraper Sathorn Unique Tower, Rangsan's development, has remained unfinished to date. ==Death==

Before the court of first instance trial was concluded, Praman himself died of pneumonitis on 7 February 2007 at Ramathibodi Hospital. Praman had also battled with a heart disease since 1985. His funeral was held at the royal temple Wat Thepsirinthrawat in Bangkok. King Bhumibol Adulyadej provided dignitarial items for his funeral, including corpse bathing water, an octagonal urn, five-coloured umbrellas, and a royal band to herald his death for three days from 8 to 10 February 2007. His cremation was held at the same temple on 3 June 2007 with flames granted by the king. ==Marriage==

Praman married Amphansi Chansue (), née Thangsuphanit (). Amphansi was the eldest child of her family, which ran a business of importing products related to rice mills. She was Praman's childhood friend who lived near his house on Soi Nom Chit () in Bangkok before World War II broke out. After the war, they accidentally reunited when they found each other living on the same soi again, that is, Soi Si Nakhon (). The two developed their feelings into love and they were engaged before Praman travelled to the United States for studying at Yale University. Praman and Amphansi married on 3 October 1961. The two had the following three children, respectively: two sons, Ekkathet Chansue () and Ekkaphot Chansue (), and a daughter, Porama Chansue (). ==Honours==

• Knight Grand Cordon of the Order of the White Elephant • Knight Grand Cordon of the Order of the Crown of Thailand • Chakrabarti Mala Medal ==References==