Despite widespread recognition of his prominence, there is precious little work in the
English language that has focused on Prawase, and even less on his political networks and
their significance. This article therefore makes a substantive contribution to the literature
on contemporary Thai politics and builds on previous work that has sought to elaborate
the role of doctors in politics (Bamber 1997). The significance of this work is evident in
survey results that show that Thais hold doctors in greater esteem than cabinet members,
ambassadors, generals, governors and professors (see Ockey 2004a).