Press Association Honors 'Ravi and Chai Ratchavat, Phusadee' with 'Newspaper Person of Honor' Award
The Thai Newspaper Association honored three veteran journalists—Ravi Lohthong, Chai Ratchavat, and Phusadee Keetavaranart—with the 2025 'Newspaper Person of Honor' award for their decades of contributions to Thai media. The award ceremony
The Thai Newspaper Association under Royal Patronage has awarded the 2025 'Newspaper Person of Honor' to three distinguished journalists: Ravi Lohthong, Chai Ratchavat (Somchai Katanyutnant), and Phusadee Keetavaranart, recognizing their significant contributions to journalism and their exemplary service to the media profession.
President Nakhon Veerapreewat announced on May 6, 2025 that this marks the third year the association has presented the honor. The award ceremony will be held on May 10, 2025 from 1:30 to 4:00 PM at the Muang Thai Life Insurance Auditorium on Ratchadamri Road in Bangkok, with former Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai as the awards presenter and keynote speaker.
The three recipients are:
1. Ravi Lohthong, known as the 'Prophet of Thai Sports Media,' founder of Siam Sports Syndicate Company Limited, and one of the most influential figures in Thai football and media circles.
2. Chai Ratchavat (Somchai Katanyutnant), one of the most influential political cartoonists in Thai media history, famous for his iconic cartoon 'The Elder and the Dogs in the Rice Field,' which has served as both entertainment and a mirror reflecting Thai society and politics for over four decades.
3. Phusadee Keetavaranart, a pioneering female editor of a Chinese-language newspaper in Thailand and a dedicated senior journalist with over half a century of service, credited with establishing connections between Thai and Chinese media.
The association also presented honors to three organizations contributing to journalism, education, society, and the nation:
1. Bodhi Kaya Witchyalai Institute 980, which promotes Buddhism across multiple dimensions and initiated the historic 'Mahanadi to Ganges' project, bringing Buddha relics from India to Thailand for the first time.
2. The Samanera Planting Wisdom Project, founded by Suphachai Chearvanon, a 12-year reality television program teaching dharma to youth aged 7-12, broadcast live worldwide to educate young people and adults about Buddhist principles and ethical living.
3. Heart-to-Heart Thai People Don't Abandon Each Other Group, a volunteer organization founded by artist 'Phandee-Phundeun Jarriyathanakorn,' focusing on volunteer work supporting society during crises, disasters, and impoverished communities.
