Surakiart Sathirathai is an expert in international law

Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai has the official backing of all 10 nations in Asia's regional bloc, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

Aged 48, he has already notched up terms as foreign minister and his country's youngest ever finance minister.

The first Thai to earn a doctorate in law from Harvard University, he served as dean of the law faculty at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok for several years, specialising in international law and development.

He also has private sector experience as chairman of a commercial bank and has overseen the privatisation of major Thai enterprises.

Mr Surakiart has said he is ready to take difficult decisions on reform and believes in multilateralism.

However, some observers believe he may have started his campaign for the UN's top job too early.

He came third of four declared candidates in an informal straw poll conducted in July by the 15 members of the UN Security Council.

A Hong Kong-based human rights group, the Asian Human Rights Commission, criticised Mr Surakiart last month for his failure to influence Burma's military regime while foreign minister.