Apiwan Wiriyachai

In 1996 Apiwan entered politics as a New Aspiration Party MP for the province of his birth. A close confidant of provincial godfather Sanoh Thienthong, Apiwan followed his mentor into the Thai Rak Thai Party and became the party's MP for Nonthaburi in the 2001 general election, a seat he would hold through all subsequent elections. He served as chief of staff to the defence minister from 2002 to 2004.

Following Sanoh's resignation from Thai Rak Thai, Apiwan gravitated towards Thaksin Shinawatra's inner circle.

Following Pheu Thai's 2011 electoral victory Apiwan was at one point tipped to become the speaker of the house, but his close association with the UDD eventually forced the party to pick Somsak Kiatsuranont instead.^[1][2]

In October 2012 Apiwan proposed that Charupong Ruangsuwan serve as leader of the Pheu Thai Party. His nomination went unchallenged.^[3]

In early November 2013 Apiwan was among the seven Red Shirt MPs who voted to pass a controversial amnesty bill that would have pardoned those responsible for the army's massacre of UDD protesters in 2010.^[4] The bill met widespread opposition from both the UDD and the opposition, prompting the government to abandon it.^[5]

The bill's retraction did not save the government, however. The opposition coalesced into the People's Democratic Reform Committee protest movement which proceeded to paralyse Yingluck Shinawatra's government and ultimately pave the way for a military coup on May 22, 2014. A lèse-majesté charge was filed against Apiwan in the immediate aftermath of the army's seizure of power, prompting him to flee to the Philippines, where he died of a lung infection on October 6.^[6][7]