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Athasit Vejjajiva

Professor Athasit Vejjajiva has been the most outstanding neurologist in Thailand.

He was awarded an MBBS (Lond) from Guy’s Hospital. He had training in Neurology at the National Hospital for Nervous Diseases, Queen Square, under Dr. Denis Brinton, FRCP, Dr. Denis Williams, DSc, FRCP, and Dr. Swithin Meadows,  and in Neurosurgery at Maida Vale under Mr. Valentine Logue, FRCS, FRCP. At that time, he also met Dr. Ralph Ross Russell who became his close friend. Subsequently, he had further neurological training at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI), Newcastle-upon-Tyne, as a senior house officer (SHO) under Professor Henry Miller, who, being both his mentor and idol, would later speak highly of him. Dr. Gerald Stern was first assistant, and Dr. Christopher Blaiklock and Dr. (Sir) Graham Teasdale were also SHOs to Professor Miller at the time. As a research fellow there, he did some clinical research in multiple sclerosis with Dr. Charles Simpson in the laboratory in Newcastle General Hospital (NGH). During that time, he met Dr. John (Lord) Walton in the weekly joint conference between RVI and NGH. 

His career in Thailand has been very distinguished and, as a pioneer, his contribution to medicine and neurology in Thailand has been outstanding. He established the Division of Neurology in the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University. He is internationally recognised. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 1976 and also received the fellowship of other national Colleges of Physicians. He has organised a number of international congresses including the Asian and Oceanian Congress of Neurology and was invited to give lectures in international neurological congresses on several occasions. He was Vice-President of the World Federation of Neurology from 1997 to 2001.  

Many of his colleagues and students respected and admired him for his excellent clinical skills and teaching. Over the years in Thailand, he inspired his students with his remarkable teaching and extensive knowledge in medicine and neurology. Consequently, many students have followed his path and become neurologists too. He has maintained his connection with friends in the UK, particularly in Queen Square and Newcastle-upon-Tyne who have kindly supported his students to train in neurology there. 

His field of interest and research was in neuromuscular diseases, particularly myasthenia gravis. He saw and treated many patients with this condition, who respected and trusted him greatly. He was also interested in tropical neurology, especially infections of the central nervous system, multiple sclerosis and related disorders. 

Apart from his outstanding academic ability, he was also an accomplished administrator. He was Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University from 1986 to 1995,  Rector of Mahidol University from 1995 to 1999 and Deputy Minister of Health from 1991 to 1992.

He is married to Professor Sodsai Vejjajiva, an immunologist, who worked at the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok. They have two daughters and one son. The eldest is Professor Alisa Wacharasindhu (Jib),  a child psychiatrist, the second is Miss Ngampun Vejjajiva (Jane), a writer and recipient of the SEA Write Award in 2006, and the youngest is Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva (Mark), the 27th Prime Minister of Thailand. It so happened that Abhisit and Mr. Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister, were classmates and close friends at Eton College. Many years back, Boris visited Abhisit’s home in Thailand and stayed with his family for a few weeks.