Field Marshal
Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered a ...
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
A self-coup, also called autocoup (from the es, autogolpe), is a form of coup d'état in which a nation's head, having come to power through legal means, tries to stay in power through illegal means. The leader may dissolve or render powerless ...
, until
public protests which exploded into violence forced him to step down. His return from exile in 1976 sparked protests which led to a
massacre of demonstrators, followed by a
military coup
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
.
Early life
Thanom Kittikachorn was born in Tak Province to
Khun Amphan Kittikachorn and his wife, Mrs Linchee Kittikachorn. His family 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. 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
Chiang Mai (, from th, เชียงใหม่ , nod, , เจียงใหม่ ), sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the second largest city i ...
. 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
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 fi ...
of Burma during the
British Colonial destruction, then Lieutenant Colonel Thanom took part in a successful 1957 coup headed by Colonel
Sarit Thanarat. He became a regimental commander and was head of the
Lopburi
Lopburi ( th, ลพบุรี, , ) is the capital city of Lopburi Province in Thailand. It is about northeast of Bangkok. It has a population of 58,000. The town (''thesaban mueang'') covers the whole ''tambon'' Tha Hin and parts of Th ...
military department. He was soon promoted to colonel, commanding the 11th Infantry Division. Thanom was appointed a
member of parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house ...
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
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Korean War
, partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict
, image = Korean War Montage 2.png
, image_size = 300px
, caption = Clockwise from top: ...
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
Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram ( th, แปลก พิบูลสงคราม ; alternatively transcribed as ''Pibulsongkram'' or ''Pibulsonggram''; 14 July 1897 – 11 June 1964), locally known as Marshal P. ( th, จอมพล ...
, 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.
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
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,
admiral of the fleet, and
Marshal of the Royal Thai Air Force. Thanom continued the pro-
American and
anti-communist
Anti-communism is political and ideological opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in the Russian Empire, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, when the United States and th ...
politics of his predecessor, which helped to ensure massive US economic and financial aid during the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. 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
Thailand witnessed several uprisings by farmers from several central Thai provinces in the mid-1970s. Thailand, transitioning to democratic government after nearly forty years of dictatorship, was beset by revolution involving several segments o ...
. 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, the so-called "
14 October 1973 uprising", led to three days of violence followed by the sudden downfall of his government. Thanom and the other "tyrants" flew to exile in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
and
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
. Thanom's departure was followed by a restoration of a democratic rule in Thailand.
After Thammasat University massacre
In October 1976, Thanom returned to Thailand in the robes of a novice monk, to stay at Bangkok's
Wat Bowonniwet
Wat Pavaranivesh Vihara Ratchawarawihan ( th, วัดบวรนิเวศวิหารราชวรวิหาร; , ) is a major Buddhist temple ('' wat'') in Phra Nakhon district, Bangkok, Thailand. Being the residence of Nyanas ...
. Even though he announced he had no desire to enter politics, his return triggered student protests, which eventually moved onto the campus of
Thammasat University
Thammasat University ( Abrv: TU th, มธ.; th, มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์, , ) is a public research university in Thailand with campuses in Tha Phra Chan area of Phra Nakhon District near the Grand Pala ...
. This was only a year after
South Vietnam and Thailand's neighbors
Laos and
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailan ...
had fallen to the communists, and right-wing Thais suspected the protesters wished the same fate for their own country. On 6 October 1976, right-wing militants, aided by government security forces, stormed the Thammasat campus, violently broke up the protests, and
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.
In March 1999, Thanom was nominated to be a member of the honorary
Royal Guard
A royal guard is a group of military bodyguards, soldiers or armed retainers responsible for the protection of a royal person, such as the emperor or empress, king or queen, or prince or princess. They often are an elite unit of the regular arm ...
by Prime Minister
Chuan Leekpai
Chuan Leekpai ( th, ชวน หลีกภัย, , ; ; born 28 July 1938) is a Thai politician who is the current President of the National Assembly of Thailand as well as the incumbent Speaker of the Thai House of Representatives. Previous ...
, which led to controversy. Thanom settled the matter himself by turning down the appointment.
Thanom Kittikachorn died in 2004 the age of 92 in
Bangkok General Hospital
Bangkok Hospital ( th, โรงพยาบาลกรุงเทพ) is a hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. It was opened in 1972 by a team of physicians, pharmacists and 30 nurses. It is one of the largest privately owned hospitals in Southeast ...
, after suffering a stroke and a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which m ...
two years earlier. His family's medical expenses were paid by King
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 Grea ...
, which some saw as payback for Thanom's agreeing to the king's request that he leave the country to end the violence in 1973. Thanom's cremation was held on 25 February 2007 at Wat Debsirin. Queen
Sirikit
Queen Sirikit ( th, สิริกิติ์; ; ); born '' Mom Rajawongse'' Sirikit Kitiyakara ( th, สิริกิติ์ กิติยากร; ; 12 August 1932) is the queen mother of Thailand. She was Queen of Thailand as the wi ...
presided over the cremation ceremony, lighting the royal flame on behalf of King
Bhumibol. Her youngest daughter, the Princess
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:
* 1961 -
Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of The Most Illustrious
Order of Chula Chom Klao
The Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao ( th, เครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์จุลจอมเกล้า; ) was established on 16 November 1873 by King Rama V of The Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand
...
* 1965 -
Knight Grand Commander of the Honourable
Order of Rama
* 1956 - Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Exalted
Order of the White Elephant
__NOTOC__
The Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant ( th, เครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์อันเป็นที่เชิดชูยิ่งช้างเผือก; ) is an order of Thailand. It wa ...
* 1955 - Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of The Most Noble
Order of the Crown of Thailand
The Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand ( th, เครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์อันมีเกียรติยศยิ่งมงกุฎไทย; ) is a Thai order, established in 1869 by King Rama ...
* 1988 -
Order of Symbolic Propitiousness Ramkeerati (Special Class)
* 1972 -
Bravery Medal with wreath
* 1962 -
Victory Medal -
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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
* 1955 -
Victory Medal -
Korean War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Korean War
, partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict
, image = Korean War Montage 2.png
, image_size = 300px
, caption = Clockwise from top: ...
(with flames)
* 1972 -
Victory Medal -
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
(with flames)
* 1969 -
Freeman Safeguarding Medal (First Class)
* 1934 -
Safeguarding the Constitution Medal
* 1943 -
Medal for Service Rendered in the Interior
* 1962 -
Border Service Medal
* 1944 -
Chakra Mala Medal
* 1950 -
King Rama VIII Royal Cypher Medal, Third Class
* 1964 -
King Rama IX
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 ...
Royal Cypher Medal, First Class
* 1972 - Red Cross Medal of Appreciation, First Class
Foreign honours
* :
United Nations Korea Medal
* :
Chief Commander of the
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...
* :
Grand Cross of the
Order of the Dannebrog
The Order of the Dannebrog ( da, Dannebrogordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single class known ...
* :
Grand Cross of the
Order of Christ (G.C.C.)
* :
Grand Cross 1st Class of the
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...
* :
Grand Cross of the
Order of Civil Merit
The Order of Civil Merit ( es, Orden del Mérito Civil) was established by King Alfonso XIII of Spain in 1926. The order recognizes "the civic virtue of officers in the service of the Nation, as well as extraordinary service by Spanish and fore ...
Grand Cross with White Decoration of the
Order of Military Merit
* :
Grand Cross of the
Order of the Oak Crown
* :
Commander Grand Cross of the
Royal Order of the Sword
The Royal Order of the Sword (officially: ''Royal Order of the Sword''; Swedish: ''Kungliga Svärdsorden'') is a Swedish order of chivalry and military decoration created by King Frederick I of Sweden on February 23, 1748, together with the Or ...
* :
Grand Cross of the
Order of Saint Sylvester
* :
Grand Cross of the
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic ( it, Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana) is the senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi.
The highest-rankin ...
(O.M.R.I.)
* :
Grand Cross of the
Order of Orange-Nassau
The Order of Orange-Nassau ( nl, Orde van Oranje-Nassau, links=no) is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands.
The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has ...
* :
Grand Cordon of the
Order of Leopold
* :
Star of the Republic of Indonesia, 1st Class
* :
Grand Cross of the
Order of the Liberator General San Martín
* :
Special Grand Cordon of the
Order of the Sacred Tripod
Special Grand Cordon of the
Order of the Cloud and Banner
Special Breast Order of Yun Hui
Special Grand Cordon of the
Order of Brilliant Star
*
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 ...
* :
Grand Cross of the
Order of the Million Elephants and the White Parasol
* :
Grand Collar of the
Order of Sikatuna
Chief Commander of the
Legion of Honor
* :
Honorary Grand Cross of the
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III.
It is named in hono ...
(G.C.M.G.)
* :
Grand Cross of the
National Order of Vietnam
Kim Khanh Decoration, Exceptional class
* :
Grand Cross of the
Order of the Holy Trinity
, logo = Trynitarze.svg
, logo_size = 150px
, logo_caption = Flag of the Trinitarians
, image = Signumordinis.gif
, image_size = 200px
, caption = Mosaic of Jesus Christ us ...
*
Republic of Korea Medal of the
Order of Merit for National Foundation
Order of Military Merit, 1st Class
Blue Stripes of the
Order of Service Merit
* :
Honorary Grand Commander of the
Order of the Defender of the Realm
The Most Esteemed Order of the Defender of the Realm ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Pangkuan Negara) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country. The Order Motto are 'Dipeliharakan Allah-Pangkuan Negara' (By the Grace ...
(1962)
(S.M.N.)
* :
Grand Star of the
Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria
The Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (german: Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um die Republik Österreich) is a state decoration of the Republic of Austria. It is divided into 15 classes and is the highest award in the ...
References
External links
KITTIKACHORN, Field Marshal Thanom"Thanom's sometimes turbulent life"
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kittikachorn, Thanom
1911 births
2004 deaths
Thanom Kittikachorn
Thanom Kittikachorn
Thanom Kittikachorn
People of the Vietnam War
Thanom Kittikachorn
Thanom Kittikachorn
Thanom Kittikachorn
Leaders ousted by a coup
Thanom Kittikachorn
Thanom Kittikachorn
Thanom Kittikachorn
Thanom Kittikachorn
Thanom Kittikachorn
Thanom Kittikachorn
Thanom Kittikachorn
Thanom Kittikachorn
Grand Crosses 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Politicide perpetrators
Exiled politicians
Thanom Kittikachorn
Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George
Thanom Kittikachorn
Thanom Kittikachorn