Former deputy commerce minister Pinya Chuayplod, who initiated the move to decriminalise kratom (Mitragyna speciosa), died aged 82 at the Police General Hospital on Thursday.
Born in Phanom district in Surat Thani, Pinya was elected an MP for the province in 1979 under the banner of the Social Action Party. He was re-elected in 1983, 1986 and 1988 as MP for the province, a stronghold of the Democrat Party.
He served as deputy commerce minister under the Chatichai Choonhavan government before becoming a senator in 2000.
Pinya proposed the decriminalisation of kratom. The plant was ultimately removed from the narcotics list on Aug 24 last year.
Bathing rites will be at Wat Phra Sri Maha That in Bangkok's Bang Khen district on Monday and his funeral rites will be held until next Friday. His body will then be kept for 100 days before a royally sponsored cremation in Surat Thani.
