Issara Thongthawat was born on Jan 13, 1957 and his father, Akon, was former deputy governor of Nakhon Si Thammarat, the family's native province.
Issara
Issara attended Chiang Mai University where he graduated with a degree in geography. After that, he went on to study law and obtained a bachelor's degree from Ramkhamhaeng University.
He graduated with a master's degree in urban and regional planning from Chulalongkorn University.
Two years ago, he was appointed chief of Pathumrat Wongsa district in Amnat Charoen and later a senior administrative specialist attached to the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre.
He was promoted to Yala deputy governor on Jan 21 this year.
Issara is survived by his wife, Thaninat, two sons and a daughter.
Chaovalit Chairuek, the Yala assistant provincial governor, 47, began his career in the civil service on July 26, 1993. Born in Nakhon Si Thammarat's Chawang district, Chaovalit graduated with a bachelor's degree in political science from Ramkhamhaeng University. He headed Yala's volunteer territorial defence unit and was a senior assistant district chief in Yala's Raman district.
Named an outstanding state official in the southern border region in 2003, he is survived by his wife Praewpan and two daughters.
Chaovalit