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Published on November 24, 2007

He is a first-time Democrat MP candidate in Constituency 5, which includes Bang Khen, Sai Mai and Don Mueang districts. He was chosen as party representative two days after he walked in to offer his services and was made a candidate on April 2, 2006 - before the coup.

He says he joined the Democrat Party for two reasons.

First, he believes in the party's policies and ideology, especially where their people's agenda is concerned. He believes a good politician should always think of others first.

Secondly, he said he used the Thammasat slogan while campaigning in the university student union elections and won a place in the committee.

Vittayen's first foray into politics came while he was a student - he led the protest against the 1991 Constitution.

However, life took a different turn after he graduated - he chose to enter business and decided to take up environmental issues.

His dream to enter politics was put on the shelf until the 2004 tsunami devastated parts of Thailand. As a volunteer surveyor of the impact the tsunami on the environment, he found his efforts being hindered by red tape - that's when his desire to become a politician came back and he strode into the Democrat Party offices.

"After I was selected as a new candidate, I found new ways to serve people. I had known about the constituency's problems, mainly economic, social and environmental issues, for a long time, so I wanted to step in and really help," he said.

Having worked on environmental issues, Vittayen says his idol is Al Gore, the former US vice president who won this year's Nobel Peace Prize, and

he hopes that he too will be able to make a difference.

Biodata

Name: Vittayen Muttamara

Age:  39

Education: Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Thammasat University and master's degree in Pacific Basin Studies from Dominican University of California

Budsarakham Sinlapalavan. The Nation