Pattaya bids farewell to Dr. Santsak Ngampiches at Royal sponsored cremation

Pattaya’s political elite all turned out to offer final blessings to 40-year Chonburi politician Dr. Santsak ‘Jaroon’ Ngampiches, respected and loved by his constituents, businesses partners and friends.

The Pattaya community of politicians, business people and citizens were well represented at the Dec. 10 funeral rites at Chaimongkol Temple in Pattaya by current and former mayors from across the province.

Santsak died of natural causes at age 80 on Nov. 29 at Vimut Hospital in Bangkok. Among his survivors are sons Ekasit, former president of the Pattaya Business & Tourism Association, and Poramet, also a former MP.

Santsak began his career as the mayor of Chonburi’s Muang District from 1982-83 before stepping on to the national stage.

He won the election to the House of Representatives in 1983. He was appointed deputy public health minister in the government of Gen. Suchinda Khraprayoon, who was co-leader in Thailand’s 1991 coup.

Santsak later served in the cabinet of Thaksin Shinawatra, who himself was deposed by another coup in 2006. Following that coup, Santsak returned to local politics, joining the Chonburi provincial council.

In 2011, Santsak was named party leader for the newly formed Palang Chon Party created by the Kunplome clan as a way to gain influence in whatever government next came to power, which turned out to be Thaksin’s sister, Yingluck.

In that government, the party-list MP headed the House’s Arts and Culture Committee.

The royally sponsored funeral saw a ceremony containing the invitation of the inner urn of octagonal cinerary urn to go around the crematory three times in a procession.

There was a live “Khon” masked-play performance of “Ramayana, Sita in the Flames” by the Bunditpatanasilpa Institute of the Culture Ministry.

In addition, the Ngampiches family donated 260,000 baht to the temple to further Buddhism, schools, foundations and volunteer organizations.

The funeral continued with the laying of funeral ropes and presentation of 15 sets of monk’s robes.

At 4 p.m. a fire box and five sets of royal monk’s robes donated by HM King Rama X were brought to the ceremony marquee.

Eakasit read the King’s message before Sonthaya chaired the laying of funeral ropes ceremony and lit the funeral pyre.