Ammar Siamwalla, one of the country’s most prominent and respected economists, who specialised in agricultural and development economics, passed away yesterday (Saturday) at the age of 86.
Ammar was born into a family of Indian–Muslim heritage. He earned a B.Sc. in Economics from the London School of Economics and later a Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University.
He was a founding member of the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI), joining at its inception and eventually serving as its president from 1990 to 1995.
After his tenure, he remained a distinguished scholar, shaping debate on Thailand’s agricultural and development policies.
Ammar’s expertise was particularly influential in the realm of rice policy.
He is credited as co-author, with Suthad Setboonsarng, of ‘Trade, Exchange Rate, and Agricultural Pricing Policies in Thailand’ (1989), published under the World Bank Comparative Studies series.
After the 2006 coup d’état, he was appointed to the National Legislative Assembly, contributing his economic insights to national policy deliberations.
