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The 1991 Thai coup d'état was a military coup against the democratic
Chatichai Choonhavan Chatichai Choonhavan (; , ; 5 April 1920 – 6 May 1998) was a Thai army officer, diplomat and politician. From 1986 to 1991, he was the chairman of the Thai Nation Party and served as the Prime Minister of Thailand from August 1988 until the 1 ...
government, carried out by Thai military leaders on 23 February. Although the figure head was
Sunthorn Kongsompong Sunthorn Kongsompong (, , ; 1 August 1931 – 2 August 1999) was the ''de facto'' head of government of Thailand from 1991 to 1992, after a military coup d'etat led by Sunthorn and General Suchinda Kraprayoon deposed the government of Prime Mi ...
, there was a military influence from military leaders,
Chavalit Yongchaiyudh Chavalit Yongchaiyudh (, , ; born 15 May 1932), also known as "Big Jiew" (, , ), is a Thai politician and retired army officer, he served as the prime minister of Thailand from 1996 to 1997. From 1986 to 1990, he was the Commander-in-chief of ...
,
Suchinda Kraprayoon Suchinda Kraprayoon (, ; 6 August 193310 June 2025) was a Thai army general and politician who was Prime Minister of Thailand for several weeks in 1992. As the commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army (1990–1992), Suchinda led the 1991 T ...
, and
Kaset Rojananil Air Chief Marshal Kaset Rojananil (, ; 27 August 1933 – 3 April 2024) was a Thai air force officer. He was the Commander of the Royal Thai Air Force from 1989 to 1992 and briefly held Thailand's most senior military post, the Supreme Command ...
in the conflict.
Chalerm Yubamrung Chalerm Yubamrung (, , ; born 10 June 1947) is a Thai politician. He was a Member of Parliament representing the Pheu Thai Party, and was one of the Deputy Prime Ministers of Yingluck Shinawatra from 2011 to 2013. His past political appointmen ...
, a politician, was also involved in the beginning of the conflict which began since 1990 but reached the peak in February 1991 due to a strong executive order of Chatichai. Later in May 1992, protesters calling for democracy were massacred by the military regime, known as ' Black May.'


Background

Prem Tinsulanonda Prem Tinsulanonda (, , ; 26 August 1920 – 26 May 2019) was a Thai military officer, politician, and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Thailand from 1980 to 1988. During Prem’s tenure as prime minister, he was credited with end ...
, a democratically inclined strongman who restored parliamentary politics, stepped down from eight year premiership in 1988. Prem defeated two coups in his term, the
1981 Thai military rebellion The 1981 Thai military rebellion was a military coup attempt to consolidate power by the government of Prem Tinsulanonda, staged by Thai military leaders of Class 7 on 1 April 1981, but a counter-coup by Prem, Arthit Kamlang-ek, and support b ...
and the
1985 Thai coup d'état attempt The 1985 Thai military coup attempt (known in Thailand as the Retired Officer rebellion, 9 September rebellion and the Two siblings rebellion) was a military coup attempt against the government of Prem Tinsulanonda, by former Thai military leade ...
. Prem consulted with
Chavalit Yongchaiyudh Chavalit Yongchaiyudh (, , ; born 15 May 1932), also known as "Big Jiew" (, , ), is a Thai politician and retired army officer, he served as the prime minister of Thailand from 1996 to 1997. From 1986 to 1990, he was the Commander-in-chief of ...
, commander of the
Royal Thai Armed Forces The Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF; ; ) are the armed forces of the Kingdom of Thailand. The Highest Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces (จอมทัพไทย; ) is the King of Thailand. The armed forces are managed by the Minist ...
and chose
Chatichai Choonhavan Chatichai Choonhavan (; , ; 5 April 1920 – 6 May 1998) was a Thai army officer, diplomat and politician. From 1986 to 1991, he was the chairman of the Thai Nation Party and served as the Prime Minister of Thailand from August 1988 until the 1 ...
as the next candidate. Chatichai's
Thai Nation Party Thai Nation Party, or Chart Thai Party (, ) was a Conservatism, conservative political party in Thailand. It was dissolved by the Constitutional Court of Thailand on December 2, 2008, along with the People's Power Party (Thailand), People's Power P ...
won the most votes in the
1988 Thai general election General elections were held in Thailand on 24 July 1988. The Thai Nation Party emerged as the largest party, winning 87 of the 357 seats. Voter turnout was 64%.Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) ''Elections in Asia: A data han ...
, resulting in Chatichai being appointed prime minister on 4 August 1988. This made Chatichai the first democratically elected head of government after 12 years of dictatorship and "semi-democracy".


Prelude

In 1990, Under Chatichai premiership, Chavalit was appointed as
Defence Minister A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...
and
Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a Minister (government), government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to th ...
. Group of top military personnel within the government side such as,
Suchinda Kraprayoon Suchinda Kraprayoon (, ; 6 August 193310 June 2025) was a Thai army general and politician who was Prime Minister of Thailand for several weeks in 1992. As the commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army (1990–1992), Suchinda led the 1991 T ...
and
Kaset Rojananil Air Chief Marshal Kaset Rojananil (, ; 27 August 1933 – 3 April 2024) was a Thai air force officer. He was the Commander of the Royal Thai Air Force from 1989 to 1992 and briefly held Thailand's most senior military post, the Supreme Command ...
, classmates in the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School Class 5, had a good relationship with Chatichai. Nevertheless, Chavalit and the military had an ongoing conflict with
Chalerm Yubamrung Chalerm Yubamrung (, , ; born 10 June 1947) is a Thai politician. He was a Member of Parliament representing the Pheu Thai Party, and was one of the Deputy Prime Ministers of Yingluck Shinawatra from 2011 to 2013. His past political appointmen ...
, Minister for Office of the Prime Minister, overseeing the Mass Communications Organization of Thailand. Chavalit then resigned from his position on 11 June. On 17 June 1990, Chalerm ordered the trailer-mounted
radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...
, belonging to the MCOT, out of fear of a coup from military radio broadcasting. 19 June, Chavalit had a meeting with top military leaders all over the country. Chatichai called Chavalit to come back but Chavalit rejected. Three days later, Sunthorn seized Chalerm's trailer. Later in August,
Arthit Kamlang-ek Arthit Kamlang-ek (31 August 1925 – 19 January 2015; , ) was a Thai general. He was the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army from 1982 to 1986 and in parallel the Supreme Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces from 1983 to 1986. He was p ...
, the leader of the opposition party, joined the government side. That built up more conflict in the parliament. Military leaders pressured Chatichai to dismiss Chalerm, and Chatichai followed it on 8 November but kept Chalerm as Deputy Education Minister. The military decided to announce no support to the Premier, based on the rumor circulating that Chatichai planned to dismiss Suchinda and Sunthorn. The tension between the military and Chatichai reached its peak in February 1991, when Chatichai dismissed
police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...
chief to intimidate the military leadership. Sunthorn interfered with government work related to the police about
Manoonkrit Roopkachorn Major General Manoonkrit Roopkachorn (, RTGS: ''Manunkrit Rupkhachon''; born Manoon Roopkachorn, 15 December 1935 in Ayutthaya Province) is a former Thai military officer, senator and President of the Senate of Thailand. A leader of the "Youn ...
murder attempt case in 1982. Chatichai got angry and had been trying to appoint Arthit as the new Deputy Defense Minister. On 22 February, amid fear of a military coup, Chatichai brought police to guard his house, then fled to
Chiang Mai Chiang Mai, sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the List of municipalities in Thailand#Largest cities by urban population, second largest city in Thailan ...
with Arthit to witness the inauguration by
King Bhumibol Bhumibol Adulyadej (5 December 192713 October 2016), titled Rama IX, was King of Thailand from 1946 until his death in 2016. His reign of 70 years and 126 days is the longest of any Thai monarch, the longest on record of any independent ...
in Bhubing Palace.


Coup

Chatichai Choonhavan Chatichai Choonhavan (; , ; 5 April 1920 – 6 May 1998) was a Thai army officer, diplomat and politician. From 1986 to 1991, he was the chairman of the Thai Nation Party and served as the Prime Minister of Thailand from August 1988 until the 1 ...
and
Arthit Kamlang-ek Arthit Kamlang-ek (31 August 1925 – 19 January 2015; , ) was a Thai general. He was the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army from 1982 to 1986 and in parallel the Supreme Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces from 1983 to 1986. He was p ...
were arrested by
Royal Thai Air Force The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) (; ) is the air force of the Kingdom of Thailand. Since its establishment in 1913 as one of the earliest air forces of Asia, the Royal Thai Air Force has engaged in numerous major and minor conflicts. During the ...
men in an airforce base in
Chiang Mai Chiang Mai, sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the List of municipalities in Thailand#Largest cities by urban population, second largest city in Thailan ...
before taking off to Bangkok on 23 February 1991, ended the longest prime minister tenure ever served as democratic leader elected in
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
at that time. In
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
, hundreds of full-gear armed soldiers and armored cars took over the
Government House Government House is the name of many of the official residences of governors-general, governors and lieutenant-governors in the Commonwealth and British Overseas Territories. The name is also used in some other countries. Government Houses in th ...
. The radio and television stations were captured, announcing the statements urging people to remain peaceful.
Royal Thai Armed Forces The Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF; ; ) are the armed forces of the Kingdom of Thailand. The Highest Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces (จอมทัพไทย; ) is the King of Thailand. The armed forces are managed by the Minist ...
's branches successfully formed
National Peace Keeping Council The National Peace Keeping Council (NPKC) () was the name assumed by a Thailand, Thai military Military dictatorship, junta that 1991 Thai coup d'état, overthrew the elected civilian government of Chatichai Choonhavan in 1991. It was led by Army C ...
(NPKC), led by
Sunthorn Kongsompong Sunthorn Kongsompong (, , ; 1 August 1931 – 2 August 1999) was the ''de facto'' head of government of Thailand from 1991 to 1992, after a military coup d'etat led by Sunthorn and General Suchinda Kraprayoon deposed the government of Prime Mi ...
, aided by army chief
Suchinda Kraprayoon Suchinda Kraprayoon (, ; 6 August 193310 June 2025) was a Thai army general and politician who was Prime Minister of Thailand for several weeks in 1992. As the commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army (1990–1992), Suchinda led the 1991 T ...
, navy chief Praphat Kritsanachan, air force chief
Kaset Rojananil Air Chief Marshal Kaset Rojananil (, ; 27 August 1933 – 3 April 2024) was a Thai air force officer. He was the Commander of the Royal Thai Air Force from 1989 to 1992 and briefly held Thailand's most senior military post, the Supreme Command ...
, and Deputy army commander
Isarapong Noonpakdee Isarapong Noonpakdee (20 November 1933 – 17 February 2017) () was a Thai military officer who was Commander of the Royal Thai Army in 1992. Careers Isarapong played a key role in the coup against the government of then Prime Minister Chati ...
. In the announcement, it also included
Royal Thai Police The Royal Thai Police (RTP) (; ) is the national police force of Thailand. The RTP employs between 210,700 and 230,000 officers, roughly 17 percent of all civil servants (excluding the military and the employees of state-owned enterprises). The R ...
. In the afternoon, 1st Division Army in Bangkok captured strategic locations, Sunthorn declared coup success as he became a caretaker prime minister. The junta also arrested Chatichai's family and his assistants. The alleged reasons for coup against the democratic government were
corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...
, cabinet ministers power corrupt, parliamentary dictatorship, military unity and solidarity was curbing, and alleged involvement in murder case and attempted overthrown of the
monarchy A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, reigns as head of state for the rest of their life, or until abdication. The extent of the authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutio ...
of
Manoonkrit Roopkachorn Major General Manoonkrit Roopkachorn (, RTGS: ''Manunkrit Rupkhachon''; born Manoon Roopkachorn, 15 December 1935 in Ayutthaya Province) is a former Thai military officer, senator and President of the Senate of Thailand. A leader of the "Youn ...
presence in the government. Three days later, on 26 February, King
Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej (5 December 192713 October 2016), titled Rama IX, was King of Thailand from 1946 until Death and funeral of Bhumibol Adulyadej, his death in 2016. His reign of 70 years and 126 days is the longest of any List of Thai mo ...
approved the coup, and never before in the history, the king criticised Chatichai government that 'failed to gain the people's confidence' and "failed to maintain peace and order in the country.' Bhumibol also urged people 'to remain calm' and called the military 'to follow the orders' of Sunthorn. Sunthorn formally accepted the king's appointment at the Thai Army Auditorium, to celebrate the royal approval, the junta leaders toasted each other with champagne in a televised ceremony. The
SET index The SET Index is a Thai composite stock market index calculated by the prices of all common stocks (including unit trusts of property funds) on the main board of the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), except for stocks that have been suspende ...
value revived to the same value as pre-coup, after it went down by 7%. Conflict between Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School Class 5 and Class 7 was one of the root causes according to Tamada.


Aftermath

The
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
immediately suspended $16 million aid for military and economic development projects .


1991 constitutions

The
National Peace Keeping Council The National Peace Keeping Council (NPKC) () was the name assumed by a Thailand, Thai military Military dictatorship, junta that 1991 Thai coup d'état, overthrew the elected civilian government of Chatichai Choonhavan in 1991. It was led by Army C ...
(NPKC), the coupmakers appointed a new unicameral national assembly of 292 military officers and supporters, headed by Ukrit Mongkolnavin.Paul Chambers
Good governance, political stability, and constitutionalism in Thailand 2002: The state of democratic consolidation five years after the implementation of the 1997 constitution
King Prajadhipok's Institute, 10 August 2002
Ukrit and appointed Premier
Anand Panyarachun Anand Panyarachun (, , ; born 9 August 1932) is a Thai retired politician who served as the Prime Minister of Thailand for two terms, first from 1991 to 1992 and again for a brief period during the latter half of 1992. He was effective in init ...
were tasked with drafting a permanent constitution. The drafting of a new constitution became a virtual battleground between the military and its opponents. The military favored a position of continued strength, a larger and more powerful NPKC-appointed senate with power over an elected house, a larger privy council, and the ability for non-elected officials to become cabinet members. This last clause allowed an acting military leader to become premier. The public mobilized to protest the draft, with 50,000 people demonstrating at
Sanam Luang Sanam Luang (, ; ), officially Thong Sanam Luang (), is a open field and public square in front of Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand. Sanam Luang is in the Phra Nakhon District, the historic center of Bangkok. In the ''Roy ...
on 19 November 1991, the largest protest in Thailand since 1976.
King Bhumibol Bhumibol Adulyadej (5 December 192713 October 2016), titled Rama IX, was King of Thailand from 1946 until his death in 2016. His reign of 70 years and 126 days is the longest of any Thai monarch, the longest on record of any independent ...
intervened in his 4 December birthday speech, urging the public to accept the draft and noting that "procedures or principles that we have imported for use are sometimes not suitable to the conditions of Thailand or the character of Thai people."Paul M. Handley, "
The King Never Smiles ''The King Never Smiles'' is an unauthorized biography of Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) by Paul M. Handley, a freelance journalist who lived and worked as a foreign correspondent in Thailand. It is published by Yale University Press ...
" Yale University Press: 2006,


Disappearance of Tanong Po-arn

Tanong Po-arn Tanong Po-arn (; ) was a Thai labour union leader who disappeared following the 1991 Thai coup d'état by National Peace Keeping Council against the elected government. Thai labour leader Tanong Po-arn was President of the Labour Congress of Tha ...
was President of the Labour Congress of Thailand. He played an important role in negotiating with the government to secure the creation of a comprehensive national
social security Welfare spending is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifically to social insurance ...
system.Amnesty International
Thailand: The "disappearance" of labour leader Tanong Pho-arn, 19 June 1991
, AI Index: ASA 39/007/2001, released 18 June 2001
Soon after the coup, the NPKC abolished labour unions in state enterprises, leaving over 270,000 union members without trade union rights. Tanong was publicly critical of the NPKC. Tanong was scheduled to appear at the
International Labour Organization The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is one of the firs ...
(ILO) annual meeting in
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
in June 1991 to speak about the restrictions placed on Thai trade union activity.Brown, Andrew (2004). ''Labour, Politics, and the State in Industrializing Thailand''. London, United Kingdom: Routledge. pp. 102–104, . The NPKC denied Tanong permission to attend the conference. Tanong reported that he was followed everywhere and received numerous anonymous death threats. On 19 June 1991 Tanong was
disappeared An enforced disappearance (or forced disappearance) is the secret abduction or imprisonment of a person with the support or acquiescence of a state followed by a refusal to acknowledge the person's fate or whereabouts with the intent of placing ...
, with his empty car found near his office Rat Burana District, Bangkok.


Black May

The 1991 constitution allowed
Suchinda Kraprayoon Suchinda Kraprayoon (, ; 6 August 193310 June 2025) was a Thai army general and politician who was Prime Minister of Thailand for several weeks in 1992. As the commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army (1990–1992), Suchinda led the 1991 T ...
to be appointed as prime minister. That caused 17–20 May 1992 popular protest in
Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
against the government of Suchinda and the military crackdown that followed. Up to 200,000 people demonstrated in central Bangkok at the height of the protests. The military crackdown resulted in 52 government-confirmed deaths, hundreds of injuries including journalists, over 3,500 arrests, hundreds of disappearances, and eyewitness reports of a truck filled with bodies leaving the city. Many of those arrested are alleged to have been tortured.


See also

*
Black May (1992) Black May (; ), also known as "Bloody May", was a series of mass protests and subsequent crackdowns by the Thai military and royal police in Bangkok in May 1992. A rally of over 200,000 people led by Chamlong Srimuang was held on 17 May, caus ...
*
1985 Thai coup d'état attempt The 1985 Thai military coup attempt (known in Thailand as the Retired Officer rebellion, 9 September rebellion and the Two siblings rebellion) was a military coup attempt against the government of Prem Tinsulanonda, by former Thai military leade ...
*
Manoonkrit Roopkachorn Major General Manoonkrit Roopkachorn (, RTGS: ''Manunkrit Rupkhachon''; born Manoon Roopkachorn, 15 December 1935 in Ayutthaya Province) is a former Thai military officer, senator and President of the Senate of Thailand. A leader of the "Youn ...


References


Citations


Sources

* * * * {{History of Thailand (1973–2001) Coup D'etat Coup Military coups in Thailand
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
Thai coup d'état
Coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...
coup 1991 in politics