Boonchu Rojanastien (, Chinese: 黃聞波, Huang Wenbo[1] born January 20, 1921, Chon Buri Province, Thailand, died March 19, 2007, Bangkok)[2] was a Thai banker. Touted as Thailand's first "economics tsar", he served in the government of Kukrit Pramoj in 1975 and 1976. During his tenure as finance minister, he initiated a policy of "ngern phan" (money allocation), which distributed several billion baht of government funds to 5,000 tambon, or local government, councils.[3] His populist policies would later be embraced under the administration of Thaksin Shinawatra.
Early life and business career
Boonchu was the eldest of five children born to a Thai Chinese carpenter of Hainanese origin in Chon Buri Province.[4]