By Graham Gaston

Former School Administrator in Australia 
 

A marathon runner personifies all the greatest attributes that a person needs to participate in a race to be a winner, strength of mind, endless endurance, total commitment, self belief and the courage to complete the journey. 

A race that he may only compete in once to three times a year. 

Imagine a man who runs an equivalent to this marathon but it is a mind marathon that he competes in every day of his life. 

Dr. Nitipoom is that man and his daily diary confirms his title as the ultimate mind - marathon athlete in the whole of Thailand and possibly its world champion. 

I have followed this champion’s path since 1978 to the present.

A present that involves so much that has been shaped by the past and now provides a vision base for the future. 

His daily marathon performances cover so many facets of a career that first started back in Australia as a Rotary Exchange student in 1978 and his career has blossomed and grown to now see him as visionary leader in Thailand. 

His record personal senate vote in April 2006 of 257,420 votes in the Bangkok Constituency that saw him elected to the Senate as number 1 endorses my belief. 

He was then nominated to the new Thailand Parliamentary Legislative Assembly and endorsed on the 11/10/2006 by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej and is currently advisor for the Parliamentary Board on Commerce. 

My past with him is highlighted by personal observations over 28 years. 

I have seen his growth from a poor youth to a man of outstanding vision and dedication, who is prepared to walk the hard walk, devoted and intending to serve his beloved Thailand now and in the future to the best of his ability. 

A career path that includes: 

Newspaper : 

For more than ten years, 5 days a week Dr. Nitipoom has delivered his International Affairs column to an estimated fifteen million daily readers of Thai Rath Newspaper and he has never missed a deadline. 

In ten years you are looking at a continuity of 2,600 columns delivered from so many locations that include Australia to New Zealand to Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Japan. China, Russia etc, Middle East from Egypt, Iraq, Iran, England, USA, in fact more than 70 different world locations. 

Also a daily English column of similar duration that has required a discipline and knowledge to complete and you can multiply this column 6 days a week by 52 weeks to gauge the work load involved. 

Truly a marathon performance that has only just begun with the newspaper. 

Television Career : 

Dr. Nitipoom commenced with just the vision of one program that now sees his now monthly Television program commitment to provide 10 programs to 2 Thai television stations. 

He has selected and reviewed some of the content of these programs from thousands of hours of his filmed international visits.

He continues to blend aspects of these visits into yet more visionary programs involving, contrasting all aspects of Thai life to highlight a globalization path for Thais to meet and understand the new world under technology.

He is involved as presenter, documenter, producer, editor in every program. 

Imagine again how much content you must watch to select the appropriate material and the interview time and organisation that is required to produce 10 programs per month. 

These programs cover so many issues that Thai’s seek a voice on to lead them from the corruption that has allowed individuals, cronies and friends to profit at the expense of every Thai citizen for too long. 

Highlighting poor standards of workmanship that has gone unnoticed,

unchecked in some many multi million/billion baht national projects that have been so badly managed and completed at inflated prices and in some instances contracts have resulted from corrupted tendering processes. 

Many industries have been allowed to progress at the expense of the environment and their waste dumped for others to clean up. 

Farmers have seen their livelihood stolen from them to placate industry development through industry’s demand for water and resultant poor water management of this resource and unplanned land rezoning. 

Privatisation issues that can affect every Thai needs in electricity and water are now out in the open for all to judge and voice a concern. 

A communication industry that became a personal empire  through Government favours and sold to outside interests at the expense of all Thais. 

Education, health, tourism, trade, culture, religious tolerance, political freedom, international links, world opinion are all pursued to the benefit of all Thais through Dr. Nitipoom’s programs. 
 

These are some of the issues that a marathon man has sought to communicate through his many and varied television programs to the Thai people. 

The people must be ever vigilant to protect their Thai culture, integrity and way of life. 

Authorship: 

Dr. Nitipoom has written and published over 50 books and a wide variety of topics and issues that are available in most book stores throughout Thailand. 

Radio Personality: 

A weekly one hour radio information program to carry the message across Thailand of vigilance and concern for everyone’s future not just a select few. 

Lectures:  

That attracts many thousands of Thais to hear him speak with authority on a variety of topics that include his world experiences and the way to the future,

to university students, graduates, business, trade, tourism, commerce, farm environment groups etc. 

At least 10 to 20 lectures per week from 1 hour to 6  hours duration without the support of a single prompt page or note. 

He delivers on a variety of world issues with pathos, humour, personal conviction, knowledge, many talks are provocative and highlight personal experiences from more than 70 countries that he has lived in and filmed his documentary series for Thai television audiences. 

He even finds time for those who have their personal agenda that they wish to pursue, and seek advice whether it be in Thailand or overseas in many of the countries that he has had first hand experiences in exploring their culture, trade, business and education. 

Finally:

Here is a man prepared to place his daily life so intimately on the world-wide web in  nitipoom.com.

Every meeting, of every day, is recorded on his website with information that highlights to every Thai and the wider world his daily routine of such marathon proportion.

He continues to demonstrate his determination to inform and provide a vision for a future that all Thais can draw strength from and emphasize with. 

The marathon man is still running as the clock counts down to the next election.