Thanom Kittikachorn

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Field marshal
Thanom Kittikachorn
PChW SR MPCh MWM SMN GCC KmstkSO OMRI GCS GCMG LOM
ถนอม กิตติขจร
Thanom in the 1960s
10th Prime Minister of Thailand
In office
9 December 1963 – 14 October 1973[a]
MonarchBhumibol Adulyadej
Deputy
See list
Preceded bySarit Thanarat
Succeeded bySanya Dharmasakti
In office
1 January 1958 – 20 October 1958
MonarchBhumibol Adulyadej
Deputy
See list
Preceded by
Minister of Defence
In office
23 September 1957 – 14 October 1973
Prime Minister
Preceded byPlaek Phibunsongkhram
Succeeded byDawee Chullasapya
Personal details
Born(1911-08-11)11 August 1911
Mueang Tak, Tak, Thailand)
Died16 June 2004(2004-06-16) (aged 92)
Bangkok, Thailand
Political partyUnited Thai People's Party
Other political
affiliations		National Socialist Party
Spouse
Jongkol Thanad-rob
​
(m. 1914)​
Children6, including
Supreme Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces
Battles/wars

massacre of demonstrators, followed by a military coup
.

Early life

Thanom Kittikachorn was born in

Khun Amphan Kittikachorn and his wife, Mrs Linchee Kittikachorn. His family was of Thai Chinese descent.[1] He attended Wat Koak Plu Municipal School, then was admitted to the Army Cadet Academy. After receiving his commission, he reported for duty with Infantry Regiment VII in Chiang Mai
. Thanom later studied at the Cartography School and the Infantry School, and graduated from the National Defense College in its first class.

Rise to power

After serving in the Shan States of Burma during the British Colonial destruction, then Lieutenant Colonel Thanom took part in a successful 1947 coup headed by Colonel Sarit Thanarat. He became a regimental commander and was head of the Lopburi military department. He was soon promoted to colonel, commanding the 11th Infantry Division. Thanom was appointed a member of parliament in 1951, his first political role. He was promoted to major general the same year.

In February 1953, Thanom led the suppression of a rebellion against military rule, and was rewarded with promotion to lieutenant general. He represented Thailand at the ceremony to mark the end of the Korean War in July 1953 and was later promoted as commander of the 1st Region Army.

He was appointed deputy cooperatives minister in 1955. Thanom supported Sarit in his coup against the government of Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram, and was subsequently appointed defence minister in Pote Sarasin's puppet regime in 1957. Thanom consolidated his power base as the second military leader and right-hand man of Sarit. A few days after the December 1957 general election, in which the pro-government Sahaphum Party ("United Land") had performed disappointingly, Thanom co-founded the National Socialist Party (Chat Sangkhomniyom). He became the deputy leader of this party, designed to extend the pro-government camp and win over former members of Phibunsongkhram's Seri Manangkhasila Party who had been reelected to parliament as independents.[2]

In 1958, he was made a full general and assumed the offices of prime minister and defence minister. He was prime minister for nine months, after which he was replaced by Sarit himself and made deputy prime minister, defence minister, and armed forces deputy supreme commander.

Prime minister of Thailand

SEATO convention in Manila

Prime Minister Thanom succeeded his predecessor one day after Sarit's death in 1963. He subsequently appointed himself commander-in-chief of the army. One year later, he promoted himself to the concurrent ranks of field marshal,

anti-communist politics of his predecessor, which helped to ensure massive US economic and financial aid during the Vietnam War. Although he was personally popular, his regime was known for massive corruption. He established and led the United Thai People's Party
(Saha Prachathai) in October 1968.

Thanom reappointed himself prime minister in February 1969 after general elections had been completed. The following year saw the beginnings of the 1970s peasant revolts in Thailand. Then, in November 1971, he staged a coup against his own government, citing the need to suppress communist infiltration. He dissolved parliament and appointed himself Chairman of the National Executive Council, and served as a caretaker government for one year. In December 1972, he appointed himself prime minister for a fourth time, also serving as the defence and foreign ministers. Thanom, his son Colonel Narong, and Narong's father-in-law General Praphas Charusathien became known as the "three tyrants".

Public discontent grew, along with demands for a general election to choose a new parliament. Student-led demands for a return to constitutional government led to days of violence followed by the sudden downfall of his government. Thanom and the other "tyrants" flew to exile in the United States and Singapore. Thanom's departure was followed by a restoration of democratic rule in Thailand.

After Thammasat University massacre

Main article:
Thammasat University massacre
Thanom in press conference

In October 1976, Thanom returned to Thailand in the robes of a novice monk,

killed many protesters. That evening, the military seized power from the elected civilian government of Democrat MR Seni Pramoj and installed hard-line royalist Thanin Kraivichien
as premier.

Thanom soon left the monkhood, but he kept his word never to take part in politics again. Late in his life, he attempted to rehabilitate his tarnished image and recover properties seized when his government was overthrown.

Controversy arose in early 1999 when it became known that Thanom was appointed as an honorary officer of the

Royal Guard by prime minister Chuan Leekpai as recommended by the military.[4] Thanom settled the matter himself by resigning.[5][6]

Thanom Kittikachorn died in 2004 the age of 92 in

Chulabhorn
, was also present. Thanom's wife died in 2012, aged 96.

Honours

Thanom received the following royal decorations in the

Honours System of Thailand:[8]

Foreign honours

  •  Sweden :
    • Royal Order of the Sword

Notes

  1. ^ On 17 November 1971 he a self-coup, Repeal 1968 constitution, Repeal National Assembly which consists of Senate and House of Representatives and use of the powers of Prime Minister as head of the Revolutionary Council until 18 December 1972 He returned as Prime Minister after the promulgation of 1972 temporary charter.

References

  1. ISBN 978-0-8772-7742-2
  2. ISBN 978-0-8772-7742-2
  3. ^ In the book of exile, Thaksin pens his legacy
  4. JSTOR 27912233
    .
  5. ^ Singh, Ajay; Gearing, Julian (28 January 2000). "The Murky Events of October 1973". Asia Week. Vol. 26, no. 3. Retrieved 30 March 2023 – via CNN.
  6. Royal Thai Government Gazette
    . 29 March 1999. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  7. ^ John Aglionby (21 June 2004). "Thanom Kittikachorn". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  8. ^ Biography Archived 18 September 2012 at archive.today, Royal Thai Army website (in Thai). Retrieved on 4 December 2008.
  9. ^ ราชกิจจานุเบกษา, แจ้งความสำนักนายกรัฐมนตรี เรื่อง พระราชทานพระบรมราชาอนุญาตประดับเครื่องอิสริยาภรณ์ต่างประเทศ, เล่ม ๗๘ ตอนที่ ๗๑ ง หน้า ๑๙๖๐, ๕ กันยายน ๒๕๐๔
  10. ^ "Senarai Penuh Penerima Darjah Kebesaran, Bintang dan Pingat Persekutuan Tahun 1962" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 February 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2016.

External links

Political offices
Preceded by Prime Minister of Thailand
1958 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Prime Minister of Thailand
1963–1973 		Succeeded by
Military offices
Preceded by
Supreme Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces

1963–1973 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army

1963–1964 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thanom_Kittikachorn&oldid=1219993081"