Asda Jayanama

Thai diplomat
Asda Jayanama (อัษฎา ชัยนาม; ) is a former career diplomat of the Kingdom of Thailand. He is noted for his criticisms of the Myanmar military regime, Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and Former Thai Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai.

Asda was born on 17 September 1941, in Bangkok into a family of diplomats. He is related to Direk Jayanama, ambassador to Japan during World War II. His younger brother, Surapong Jayanama, was ambassador to Germany, Vietnam, and South Africa. Another brother, Apipong, was former Director General of the Department of American and South Pacific Affairs. Asda is married and has two children. Asda studied at Bangkok Christian College in Thailand and Denstone College in England. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1964 with a B. A. and 1965 with a M. A. in economics.

He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand in 1966. He served as Second Secretary at the Royal Thai Embassy to Burma from 1969 1973. He was afterwards appointed Chief of the South and West Asia Division in the Political Department in 1973. From 1974 to 1976 he was made Chief of the International Development Affairs Division, International Organizations Department. From 1976 to 1979, he was appointed First Secretary of the Royal Thai Embassy in Vienna, where he was also the Alternate Representative of Thailand to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Afterwards, he was made Chief of the African and Arabian Affairs Division back at the Headquarters. He was promoted and served the South East Asia Division as Director from 1979 to 1981. From 1981 to 1984 he was transferred to Paris where he served as Deputy Representative of Thailand to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). He became ambassador to Vietnam from 1984 to 1986, ambassador to Singapore from 1986 to 1990, and ambassador to New Zealand from 1990 to 1993. Asda became Director General of the Department of International Organizations from 1993 to 1995. Along with his brother, Surapong Jayanama, Asda led negotiations that resulted in the entry of Myanmar into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1997. He afterwards was appointed Thailand's ambassador to the United Nations from 1996 to 2001. He retired after finishing his posting to the UN.