Khunying Kalaya Sophonpanich

Deputy Minister of Education, Thailand

Khunying Kalaya is a Thai Politician. She is a deputy leader of the Democrat Party.

She was Minister of Science & Technology between 2008-2010, and also Deputy Minister of Educations between 2019-2023.

She is a physics graduate of Chulalongkorn University and received her Ph.D. from the Imperial College of Science & Technology at the University of London. She taught physics for a year at Chulalongkorn University.

She was secretary and director of the Thai Junior Encyclopedia Project by the Command of His Majesty the King Rama IX (1978-2017). Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Rachaphat Insti tute at Suan Dusit, a leading Community College in Bangkok (1995-2007). She is chairperson of Rajapruek Institute Foundation that she co-founded in 1986 to plant trees. The Institute have planted over 10 million trees. She is also on the board of the Lighthouse project that teach mentally retarded children.