Featured Alum: Pongsak Payakvichien

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.