Chatichai Choonhavan ( th, ชาติชาย ชุณหะวัณ, , ; 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
Thai Nation Party, or Chart Thai Party ( th, พรรคชาติไทย, ) was a 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 and ...
and served as the
Prime Minister of Thailand
The prime minister of Thailand ( th, นายกรัฐมนตรี, , ; literally 'chief minister of state') is the head of government of Thailand. The prime minister is also the chair of the Cabinet of Thailand. The post has existed si ...
from August 1988 until the coup d'état of February 1991.
Family
Chatichai was the only son of Field Marshal
Phin Choonhavan
Field Marshal Phin Choonhavan ( th, ผิน ชุณหะวัณ; ; August 14, 1891 – 26 January
1973) was a Thai military leader and Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand. Phin was a leader of several coups against the government, most nota ...
and ''Khunying'' Wibunlak Choonhavan. He was of
Thai Chinese
Thai Chinese (also known as Chinese Thais, Sino-Thais), Thais of Chinese origin ( th, ชาวไทยเชื้อสายจีน; ''exonym and also domestically''), endonym Thai people ( th, ชาวไทย), are Chinese descenda ...
descent with ancestry from
Chenghai District
Chenghai (; postal: Tenghai; Teochew: Thěng Hài) is a district of the city of Shantou, Guangdong Province, China.
Located at the Han River Delta in the southeast part of Guangdong Province, Chenghai spans from 116°41' to 116°54' E long ...
of Shantou City, Guangdong Province, China. His father was the
Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army from 1948 to 1954 and exerted a strong influence on the country's politics and economy. Chatichai had four sisters. The eldest was married to General
Phao Siyanon, who was one of Thailand's strongmen during the 1950s. Another sister married
Pramarn Adireksarn
Pramarn Adireksarn ( th, ประมาณ อดิเรกสาร, , 31 December 1913 – 20 August 2010) was a Thai military officer and politician. He was a co-founder and chairman of the Thai Nation Party, deputy prime minister and minist ...
, who later became Chatichai's political ally. Chatichai married Boonruen Sopoj, a relative and confidante of Princess Mother
Srinagarindra
Princess Srinagarindra ( th, ศรีนครินทรา; ; 21 October 1900 – 18 July 1995) née Sangwan Talapat ( th, สังวาลย์ ตะละภัฏ; ) was a member of the Royal Thai Family and the House of Mahidol, whi ...
the mother of kings
Ananda Mahidol
Ananda Mahidol ( th, พระบาทสมเด็จพระปรเมนทรมหาอานันทมหิดล; ; 20 September 1925 – 9 June 1946), posthumous reigning title Phra Athamaramathibodin ( th, พระอั ...
and
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; (Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great ...
.
Chatichai and Boonruen had two children, daughter Wanee Hongpraphas, and their son political scientist, social activist, and former senator
Kraisak Choonhavan
Kraisak Choonhavan ( th, ไกรศักดิ์ ชุณหะวัณ, born 8 October 1947 – 11 June 2020) was a Thai politician. He was a member of the Senate for Nakhon Ratchasima Province from 2000 till 2006.
Family and education ...
.
The former deputy prime minister
Korn Dapparansi is his nephew.
Education, military and diplomatic career
Chatichai studied at
Debsirin School
Debsirin School ( th, โรงเรียนเทพศิรินทร์, ) is a boys' secondary school in Thailand. Founded by King Chulalongkorn in 1885, its alumni include King Ananda Mahidol, Malaysia's founding father Tunku Abdul ...
, a long-standing, prestigious, all-boys school in Bangkok, and at the
Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy
Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy (CRMA) ( th, โรงเรียนนายร้อยพระจุลจอมเกล้า, translit=Roong riian naai rɔ́ɔi prá Jù-lá-jɔɔm-glâo or รร.จปร.) is the service academy o ...
. He entered active military service as second lieutenant and
cavalry
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
platoon leader
{{unreferenced, date=February 2013
A platoon leader (NATO) or platoon commander (more common in Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth militaries and the United States Marine Corps, US Marine Corps) is the officer in charge of a platoon. This pers ...
in 1940. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, he was assigned to the
Phayap Army ("Northwest Army"), under the command of his father Phin, and participated in the invasion of the
Shan States
The Shan States (1885–1948) were a collection of minor Shan kingdoms called ''muang'' whose rulers bore the title ''saopha'' in British Burma. They were analogous to the princely states of British India.
The term "Shan States" was firs ...
of
Burma
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
. After the war, he continued his training at the Thai Army Cavalry School and the
United States Army Armor School
The United States Army Armor School (formerly Armored Force School) is a training school located at Fort Benning, Georgia. Its primary focus is the training of United States Army soldiers, non-commissioned officers, warrant officers, and commi ...
in
Fort Knox
Fort Knox is a United States Army installation in Kentucky, south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. It is adjacent to the United States Bullion Depository, which is used to house a large portion of the United States' official gold res ...
, Kentucky. In 1949, he was appointed
military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission, often an embassy. This type of attaché post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer, who retains a commission while serving with an embassy. Opport ...
in
Washington, DC
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...
. At the age of 31, Chatichai was a major-general.
In 1951, the military, led by Chatichai's father and his brother-in-law, Phao Siyanon, effectively assumed power in Thailand in a "
silent coup". They used their political influence to extend their activities to the economic sphere. Chatichai served in the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
as the commander of the 1st Cavalry Battalion. Then, he became director and commander of the Thai Army Armor School. In 1957, Field Marshal
Sarit Thanarat
Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat (also spelt ''Dhanarajata''; th, สฤษดิ์ ธนะรัชต์, ; 16 June 1908 – 8 December 1963) was a Thai general who staged a coup in 1957, replacing Plaek Phibunsongkhram as Thailand's prime m ...
a rival of Chatichai's father and brother-in-lawstaged a coup d'état against the government of Prime Minister
Plaek Phibunsongkhram. He ousted the Phin-Phao clique and filled the important political and military posts with his own followers. The new regime accused the Choonhavan clan (also known as the ''Soi Rajakru clan'', after the family's residence) of having embezzled millions of dollars of public funds and hiding them in Swiss bank accounts. This ended Chatichai's military career.
Chatichai was transferred to the diplomatic service and assigned to the relatively unimportant post of ambassador to Argentina.
During the following years he consecutively served as the Thai ambassador to Austria, Switzerland, Turkey, Yugoslavia, the
Holy See
The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...
and the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
. In 1972, he returned to Bangkok to become the director of the
Foreign Ministry In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...
's political department.
Political career
![Chatichai Choonhavan 1974 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Chatichai_Choonhavan_1974_%28cropped%29.jpg)
In the government of Field Marshal
Thanom Kittikachorn
Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn ( th, ถนอม กิตติขจร, ; 11 August 1911 – 16 June 2004) was the leader of Thailand from 1963 to 1973, during which he staged a self-coup, until public protests which exploded into viole ...
, Chatichai was appointed deputy minister of foreign affairs in 1972. During the
hostage-taking in the Israeli embassy by a terrorist commando of the Palestinian
Black September organisation in December 1972, he and the Agriculture Minister
Dawee Chullasapya
Dawee Chullasapya or Chullasap ( th, ทวี จุลละทรัพย์, , , 8 August 1914 – 18 May 1996) was a Royal Thai Air Force officer, and a member of the Seri Thai.
Air chief marshal Dawee was widely considered a pillar of Tha ...
negotiated with the terrorists. In exchange for the release of the Israeli diplomats, they lent themselves as guarantees and accompanied the terrorists on their freedom flight to
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
. Chatichai continued as deputy foreign minister after the
1973 democratic uprising, serving in the interim cabinet of
Sanya Dharmasakti
Sanya Dharmasakti ( th, สัญญา ธรรมศักดิ์, , ; 5 April 1907 – 6 January 2002) was a Thai jurist, university professor and politician. He served as the 12th Prime Minister of Thailand from 1973 to 1975.
Sanya Dh ...
. In December 1973, one and a half years before Thailand officially established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, Chatichai and Daweewho was then
minister of defence
A defence minister or minister of defence is a Cabinet (government), cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from coun ...
were the first Thai government officials to visit
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
. There, they negotiated a contract for the supply of 50,000 tons of diesel oil at a "friendship price" and promised to remove trade barriers between the two nations.
In 1974, Chatichai and his in-laws
Pramarn Adireksarn
Pramarn Adireksarn ( th, ประมาณ อดิเรกสาร, , 31 December 1913 – 20 August 2010) was a Thai military officer and politician. He was a co-founder and chairman of the Thai Nation Party, deputy prime minister and minist ...
and
Siri Siriyothin
Siri ( ) is a virtual assistant that is part of Apple Inc.'s iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS, tvOS, and audioOS operating systems. It uses voice queries, gesture based control, focus-tracking and a natural-language user interface to answer questi ...
also major generalsfounded the conservative and aggressively anti-communist
Thai Nation Party
Thai Nation Party, or Chart Thai Party ( th, พรรคชาติไทย, ) was a 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 and ...
(''Chart Thai''). It ran in the
January 1975 general election, the first democratic election after the end of military dictatorship, and became the third-strongest party. Chatichai was elected member of parliament, representing a constituency in
Nakhon Ratchasima Province. The Thai Nation Party joined a government coalition under
Kukrit Pramoj
Mom Rajawongse Kukrit Pramoj ( th, คึกฤทธิ์ ปราโมช, , ; 20 April 1911 – 9 October 1995) was a Thai politician, scholar and professor. He was Speaker of the House of Representatives of Thailand 1973–1974. He was t ...
. Chatichai served as minister of foreign affairs from 17 March 1975 to 21 April 1976. After the
snap election in April 1976, in which the Thai Nation Party expanded its share of seats significantly, he was minister of industry in the government of
Seni Pramoj
Mom Rajawongse Seni Pramoj ( th, หม่อมราชวงศ์เสนีย์ ปราโมช, , ; 26 May 190528 July 1997) was three times the Prime Minister of Thailand, a politician in the Democrat Party, lawyer, diplomat and pr ...
until it was overthrown by a military coup d'état after the
Thammasat University massacre
The 6 October 1976 massacre, or the 6 October event ( th, เหตุการณ์ 6 ตุลา ) as it is known in Thailand, was a violent crackdown by Thai police and lynching by right-wing paramilitaries and bystanders against leftist ...
of 6 October 1976. From 1980 to 1983, Chatichai served as industry minister under Prime Minister
Prem Tinsulanonda
Prem Tinsulanonda ( th, เปรม ติณสูลานนท์, , ; 26 August 1920 – 26 May 2019) was a Thai military officer, politician, and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Thailand from 3 March 1980 to 4 August 1988, ...
. After three years of opposition, the party returned to government and Chatichai was
deputy prime minister
A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president ...
under Prem.
Premiership
![Bush & Choonhavan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Bush_%26_Choonhavan.jpeg)
The Thai Nation Party won the most votes in the
1988 Thai general election
General elections were held in Thailand on 24 July 1988. The result was a victory for the Thai Nation Party, which won 87 of the 357 seats. Voter turnout was 63.6%. Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) ''Elections in Asia: A dat ...
, resulting in Chatichai being appointed prime minister on 4 August 1988. This made him the first democratically elected head of government after 12 years of dictatorship and "semi-democracy". His government improved relations with communist-ruled Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, which had been Thailand's enemies during the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
. It promoted international trade with these countries and others. Chatichai's slogan was to turn Indochina "from a battlefield into a marketplace". It also supported the
Sihanouk
Norodom Sihanouk (; km, នរោត្តម សីហនុ, ; 31 October 192215 October 2012) was a Cambodian statesman, Sangkum and FUNCINPEC politician, film director, and composer who led Cambodia in various capacities throughout his ...
-led Government of Cambodia. Chatichai's government initiated many infrastructure projects, including an expansion of the telecommunications network in partnership with the state-owned
Telephone Organization of Thailand
TOT Public Company Limited ( Thai: ทีโอที) is a Thai state-owned telecommunications company. Originally established in 1954 and corporatized in 2002, TOT used to be known as the Telephone Organization of Thailand and TOT Corporation P ...
(TOT), development of the
Eastern Seaboard of Thailand, and road and rail networks in partnership with the
Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) in the
Greater Bangkok Area. During Chatichai's premiership, Thailand's economy saw annual growth rates of up to 13 percent.
Under Chatichai's government, there was rampant corruption. The parties and politicians in Chatichai's coalition scrambled overtly over the distribution of public funds. The Thai press dubbed them the "buffet cabinet", referring to their "take-what-you-like" mentality. Chatichai's standard answer whenever he was confronted by the press with difficulties or corruption allegations against members of his government was "no problem".
A parody variant, "no plomplam", became the title of a popular song by folk rock singer
Aed Carabao
Aed Carabao ( th, แอ๊ด คาราบาว, ) is the stage name of Yuenyong Opakul ( th, ยืนยง โอภากุล; ), born 9 November 1954. He is a singer/songwriter and leader of the Thai rock band Carabao, known for its so ...
and entered Thai common parlance. Chatichai was heavily criticised when he tried to downplay the damage caused by
Typhoon Gay
Typhoon Gay, also known as the Kavali Cyclone of 1989, was a small but powerful tropical cyclone which caused more than 800 fatalities in and around the Gulf of Thailand in November 1989. The worst typhoon to affect the Malay Peninsula in thirty ...
, which resulted in 360 deaths, in the same way.
The formerly right-wing Thai Nation Party had de-ideologized itself and now represented the interests of the rising class of provincial businessmen. It pursued policies that boosted their businesses and involved them in lucrative government contracts. It advocated a reinforcement of the role of parliament, in which politicians from the provinces were strongly represented, in contrast with the unelected power elites in the administration and military which had made political decisions during the tenure of Chatichai's predecessor, Prem Tinsulanonda. Chatichai's government emphasised the economic development of the periphery at the expense of Bangkok's big businesses and military expenditures, which it tried to cut. These policies challenged the country's traditional elites.
Disempowerment and return
On 23 February 1991, the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army, General
Sunthorn Kongsompong, and the generals of the Chulalongkorn Military Academy class 5,
Suchinda Kraprayoon,
Issarapong Noonpakdi, and
Kaset Rojananil
Air Chief Marshal Kaset Rojananil ( th, เกษตร โรจนนิล, ; born 27 August 1933) is a Thai retired air force officer. He was the Commander of the Royal Thai Air Force from 1989 to 1992 and briefly held Thailand's most senior ...
, formed the
National Peace Keeping Council
The National Peace Keeping Council (NPKC) ( th, คณะรักษาความสงบเรียบร้อยแห่งชาติ) was the name assumed by a Thai military junta that overthrew the elected civilian government of Cha ...
to depose Chatichai's government in a coup d'état. They accused the elected government of massive corruption and abuse of power for its own advantage. They charged several cabinet members, including Chatichai, with "unusual wealth". At the same time, they acted in the interest of the traditional elite of the bureaucracy, military and Bangkokian business circles, whose influence the Chatichai government had sought to curtail. The coup group called the form of governance under Chatichai "parliamentary dictatorship" and alleged a moral decline.
Chatichai temporarily went into exile in the United Kingdom. After his return, he continued his political activity. After the
1992 Black May, he founded the
National Development Party and was again elected in his constituency in
Nakhon Ratchasima
Nakhon Ratchasima ( th, นครราชสีมา, ) is one of the four major cities of Isan, Thailand, known as the "big four of Isan". The city is commonly known as Korat (, ), a shortened form of its name. It is the governmental seat of ...
.
Personal life
Chatichai was known for his fondness of
cigar
A cigar is a rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco leaves made to be smoked. Cigars are produced in a variety of sizes and shapes. Since the 20th century, almost all cigars are made of three distinct components: the filler, the binder l ...
s, fine wines, and
Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D, or simply Harley) is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depressi ...
motorcycles.
Even in old age, he practised several sports and visited parties and discothèques, earning him a reputation of being a playboy.
Death
On 6 May 1998, at the age of 78, Chatichai died from
liver cancer in a hospital in London.
Honours
Foreign honours
* : Honorary Grand Commander of the
Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia
The Most Esteemed Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Setia Mahkota Malaysia) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country and awarded by the sovereign.
The order was instituted ...
(1973)
* : Grand Gwanghwa Medal of the
Order of Diplomatic Service Merit
The Order of Diplomatic Service Merit (Hangul: 수교훈장) is one of South Korea's orders of merit. It is awarded by the President of South Korea for "outstanding meritorious services in the interest of enhancing national prestige and promoting ...
, 1st Class
*: Grand Cross of the
Order of the Liberator General San Martín
The Order of the Liberator General San Martín ( es, Orden del Libertador General San Martín) is the highest decoration in Argentina. It is awarded to foreign politicians or military, deemed worthy of the highest recognition from Argentina. It is ...
*: Grand Collar of the
Order of Sikatuna
The Order of Sikatuna ( fil, Orden ng Sikatuna) is the national order of diplomatic merit of the Republic of the Philippines. It is conferred upon individuals who have rendered exceptional and meritorious services to the Republic of the Philippin ...
*: Grand Cordon of the
Order of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government, created on 10 April 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight ...
*: Commander Grand Cross of the
Royal Order of the Polar Star
The Royal Order of the Polar Star ( Swedish: ''Kungliga Nordstjärneorden'') is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim.
The Order of ...
Military rank
*
General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
,
Admiral
Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...
and
Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer originating from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. An air chief marshal is equivalent to an Admir ...
Volunteer Defense Corps of Thailand rank
*
Volunteer Defense Corps General[http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2532/D/019/1.PDF ]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Choonhavan, Chatichai
Chatichai Choonhavan
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Chatichai Choonhavan
Chatichai Choonhavan
Chatichai Choonhavan
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Chatichai Choonhavan
1920 births
1998 deaths
Chatichai Choonhavan
Chatichai Choonhavan
People from Chenghai
Chatichai Choonhavan
Chatichai Choonhavan
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Leaders ousted by a coup
Chatichai Choonhavan
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Chatichai Choonhavan
Chatichai Choonhavan
Honorary Grand Commanders of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia
Chatichai Choonhavan
Chatichai Choonhavan
Chatichai Choonhavan