Pongsak Payakvichien, the accomplished second president of WAAT and a distinguished UW-Madison alumnus, has left an indelible mark on Thai journalism and democracy. As the executive media director of Prachati-patai and Matichon, he is a legend in the field, fervently championing “Freedom of the press” and democracy in Thailand for over four decades. Notably, Khun Pongsak played a pivotal role in establishing the beautiful Thai Pavilion in Olbrich Garden, now a Madison landmark and popular wedding venue. His commitment to journalism education led him to raise funds for talented journalists to study at UW-Madison, enduring the challenges of Wisconsin’s freezing winters. Graduating in 1971 with a master’s degree in journalism, he ascended to become the assistant executive editor for the Daily News and later transformed Prachathipatai into Thailand’s first active ‘hard news’ morning publication, setting a standard for quality journalism in the country.