Prayut Chan-o-cha
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; , ; born 21 March 1954) is a former Thai politician, army officer and dictator who became the 29th
prime minister of Thailand The prime minister of Thailand (, , ; 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 since the Siamese Revolution of 1932, when ...
after seizing power in the 2014 coup d'état and served until 2023. He was concurrently the
minister of defence 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 ...
in his own government from 2019 to 2023. Prayut served as commander-in-chief of the
Royal Thai Army The Royal Thai Army or RTA (; ) is the army of Thailand and the oldest and largest branch of the Royal Thai Armed Forces. History Origin The Royal Thai Army is responsible for protecting the kingdom's sovereignty. The army was formed in 187 ...
from 2010 to 2014 and led the coup d'état which installed the
National Council for Peace and Order The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO; ; ; abbreviated (; )) was the military junta that ruled Thailand from its coup d'état on 22 May 2014 to 16 July 2019. On 20 May 2014, the military declared martial law nationwide in an attempt to ...
(NCPO), the
military junta A military junta () is a system of government led by a committee of military leaders. The term ''Junta (governing body), junta'' means "meeting" or "committee" and originated in the Junta (Peninsular War), national and local junta organized by t ...
which governed Thailand between 22 May 2014 and 10 July 2019. After his appointment as army chief in 2010, Prayut was characterised as a
royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gove ...
and an opponent of former prime minister
Thaksin Shinawatra Thaksin Shinawatra (, ; born 26 July 1949) is a Thai businessman and politician who was the 23rd prime minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006. Since 2009 he has also been a citizen of Montenegro. Thaksin founded the mobile phone operator A ...
. Considered a hardliner within the military, he was one of the leading proponents of military crackdowns on the Red Shirt demonstrations of April 2009 and April–May 2010. He later sought to moderate his profile, talking to relatives of protesters who were killed in the bloody conflict and cooperating with the government of
Yingluck Shinawatra Yingluck Shinawatra (, , ; born 21 June 1967) is a Thai businesswoman, politician and a member of the Pheu Thai Party who was the 28th prime minister of Thailand from 2011 to 2014. Yingluck was Thailand's first female prime minister and its yo ...
, who won parliamentary elections in July 2011. During the political crisis that began in November 2013 and involved protests against the
caretaker government A caretaker government, also known as a caretaker regime, is a temporary ''ad hoc'' government that performs some governmental duties and functions in a country until a regular government is elected or formed. Depending on specific practice, it co ...
of Yingluck, Prayut claimed that the army was neutral and would not launch a coup. However, in May 2014, Prayut launched a military coup against the government and assumed control of the country as dictator and leader of the National Council for Peace and Order, a military junta. He later issued an interim constitution, granting himself sweeping powers and giving himself amnesty for staging the coup. In August 2014, an unelected military-dominated national legislature appointed him Prime Minister of Thailand. Prayut led an
authoritarian Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political ''status quo'', and reductions in democracy, separation of powers, civil liberties, and ...
regime in Thailand. After seizing power, Prayut's government oversaw a significant crackdown on dissent. He formulated "twelve values" based on traditional Thai values and suggested that these be included in school lessons. Measures were implemented to limit public discussions about democracy and criticism of the government, including increases in Internet and media censorship. Prayut was elected as prime minister following the disputed 2019 general election, after having ruled as an unelected
strongman Strongman is a competitive strength sport which tests athletes' physical strength and endurance through a variety of heavy lifts and events. Strongman competitions are known for their intensity, pushing athletes to their physical and mental limit ...
since 2014. Following the results for United Thai Nation which finished 3rd in the 2023 general election, Prayut announced his retirement from politics, serving in a caretaker position until the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
voted for a new prime minister on 22 August. He was succeeded by
Srettha Thavisin Srettha Thavisin (, , ; born 15 February 1962) is a Thai businessman and former politician who served as the 30th Prime Minister of Thailand from 2023
of the
Pheu Thai party The Pheu Thai Party (PT or PTP; , ) is a major conservative populist list of political parties in Thailand, political party in Thailand. It is the third incarnation of the Thai Rak Thai Party, a political party founded by former Prime Minister ...
, after nine years in power. After his political retirement, Prayut was appointed a Privy Councilor on 29 November in the same year.


Early life and education

Born to an army Colonel, Prapat Chan-o-cha, native from Bangkok, and a school teacher, Khemphet Chan-o-cha, native from Chaiyaphum province, he was the eldest child of four siblings. He studied at Sahakit School in
Lopburi Lopburi (, , ) 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 Thale Chup Son of Muea ...
(now known as Lopburi Technical college), where his mother taught. For junior highschool, he spent only a year at Phibulwitthayalai Lopburi School because his father, an army officer, moved often. Then at the grade 8, he moved to Wat Nuannoradit School in Phasi Charoen, where he was selected as one of the best students in a student magazine. In 1971, Prayut spent his senior highschool year at the
Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School The Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School or AFAPS (Thai: โรงเรียนเตรียมทหาร) is a senior high school in Nakhon Nayok Province. It is a flagship institution of the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters. The c ...
(AFAPS) Class 12, and in 1976, became a cadet at
Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy (CRMA) (; ) is the service academy of Royal Thai Army (RTA). Established in 1887 it has graduated the majority of Thailand's military leaders, many of whom have become Prime Ministers of Thailand, Thai prime m ...
Class 23. He graduated with a bachelor of science degree. While in the academy, he finished Infantry Officer Basic Course Class 51 in his first year and Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Class 34 in 1981. Before starting his military career, he graduated from Command and General Staff College (CGSC) Class 63 in 1985.


Military career


Queen's Guards (1986–2010)

After graduating from the
Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy (CRMA) (; ) is the service academy of Royal Thai Army (RTA). Established in 1887 it has graduated the majority of Thailand's military leaders, many of whom have become Prime Ministers of Thailand, Thai prime m ...
, Prayut started his career as a
Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...
. He was a royal guard under Prime Minister
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 ...
in 1987. Three years later, Prayut served in the 21st Infantry Regiment, which is granted Royal Guard status as the Queen's Guards (, ). In 2001, he served as a deputy commanding general in the 2nd Infantry Division, becoming its commanding general one year later. In 2005, he became a deputy commanding general of the 1st Army, which included the 2nd Infantry Division. He was seen as one of the leaders of the alliance behind the
2006 Thai coup d'état The 2006 Thai coup d'état took place on 19 September 2006, when the Royal Thai Army staged a coup d'état against the elected caretaker government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The coup d'état, which was Thailand's first non-constitu ...
. Like his direct predecessor, Anupong Paochinda, and former defence minister Prawit Wongsuwan, Prayut is a member of the army's "eastern tigers" faction. Most of them, like Prayut, began their military careers in the 2nd Infantry Division, headquartered in eastern Thailand, particularly in the 21st Infantry Regiment (Queen's Guards). After the 2006 coup, Prayut was appointed to the National Legislative Assembly. In this capacity, he joined the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. Prayut sits on the executive boards of a number of companies including a state electricity utility company, the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA). From 2007 to 2010 he was independent director at Thai Oil Public Co, Ltd. Since 7 October 2010 he has been a director of
Thai Military Bank TMBThanachart Bank (TTB) (; hai Military Thanchart Bank ) is a Thai bank based in Bangkok. It has been listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) since 23 December 1983. Piti Tantakasem was appointed CEO effective January 2018. , TMB was ...
and chairman of the Army United Football Club. Prayut attended management course in the
National Defence College of Thailand The National Defence College of Thailand or NDC (; ) is an education organization that provides advanced training for both senior military officers and civilians. It is operated by the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters of the Ministry of Def ...
(NDC) Class 20, in 2007. He was the chief of staff of the Royal Thai Army from 2008 to 2009, and in 2009 he was appointed honorary adjutant to the king.


Army chief (2010–2014)

In 2010, he succeeded Anupong Paochinda as commander in chief. On taking over, Prayut had stated that his mandates would be to maintain Thailand's sovereignty and to protect 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 ...
. His uncommon promotion was seen as a revealing of the influence of the Queen's Guards. Amid the 2010 Thai political protests, Prayut was the part of executive of the Centre for the Resolution of Emergency Situations (CRES), a special government agency that was found by Prime Minister
Abhisit Vejjajiva Abhisit Vejjajiva (; , , ; born 3 August 1964) is a Thai politician who was the 27th prime minister of Thailand from 2008 to 2011. He was the leader of the Democrat Party from 2005 until he resigned following the party's weak performance in t ...
and Deputy-Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban. Queen's Guards army general, Anupong Paochinda was the leader of the violent 2010 Thai military crackdown before Prayut stepped up to replace Anupong. Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a visiting scholar at
Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
's Centre on Democracy, commented that Prayut was seen as more hardline than Anupong, and in April 2009, during the red shirts' uprising, Anupong was nominally in charge but Prayut appeared to be directing the dispersing the red shirt protesters. Prayut had led the CRES from 5 October to 21 December 2010, in which he used authoritarian methods to control a political situation. The CRES banned symbolic political-dividing products such as Prime Minister Abhisit face on a sandal. After the CRES dissolved, in 2011, Prayut became part of the opposition to
Yingluck Shinawatra Yingluck Shinawatra (, , ; born 21 June 1967) is a Thai businesswoman, politician and a member of the Pheu Thai Party who was the 28th prime minister of Thailand from 2011 to 2014. Yingluck was Thailand's first female prime minister and its yo ...
's
Pheu Thai Party The Pheu Thai Party (PT or PTP; , ) is a major conservative populist list of political parties in Thailand, political party in Thailand. It is the third incarnation of the Thai Rak Thai Party, a political party founded by former Prime Minister ...
in the 2011 Thai general election. He told the media that he stood in the middle, but urged Thai people not to vote for Pheu Thai, saying it would lead to "chaos and violence". He intended to stop a violation of monarchy defamation law by red shirts activists who support Yingluck. He vowed to sacrifice his life to protect the monarchy. Before the election date, he urged the people to vote for the party that would protect the monarchy. Eventually, Pheu Thai Party won the election in a landslide. Pavin Chachavalpongpun called on Yingluck to sack Prayut, in order to remind the military to stay out of politics. In the late 2011, Prayut heavily criticised the Nitirat group, led by Worachet Pakeerut and Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, who campaigned for constitutional reform and a change of Thailand's lèse majesté law. Prayut warned them that they would violate the rule of law in Thailand. In July 2012, during the GT200 controversy, a fraudulent " remote substance detector", Prayut opined that soldiers were confident of the effectiveness of the technology, because it performed well in the field. This was contrary to the outcomes of scientific tests by the
Department of Special Investigation The Department of Special Investigation (DSI), under Thailand's Ministry of Justice (Thailand), Ministry of Justice (MOJ), operates independently from the Royal Thai Police (RTP) and is responsible for tackling high-profile crimes and transnatio ...
(DSI). Later, in 2013, Prayut asked people to stop criticizing it. In August 2012, Prayut sued Robert Amsterdam, a lawyer representing the UDD and exiled former prime minister
Thaksin Shinawatra Thaksin Shinawatra (, ; born 26 July 1949) is a Thai businessman and politician who was the 23rd prime minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006. Since 2009 he has also been a citizen of Montenegro. Thaksin founded the mobile phone operator A ...
, and Amsterdam's translator, who delivered a speech at a Red Shirt rally in Bangkok, on Thai military defamation. Amsterdam alleged the Thai military committed brutality against demonstrators. Prayut also told the DSI to stop implicating soldiers in the killing of Red Shirt demonstrators during the 2010 Thai military crackdown and not to disclose publicly the progress of its investigations. Prayut had denied any army abuses in which at least 98 people died and more than 2,000 were injured, despite on scene witnesses and evidence. Prayut said that soldiers did not kill anyone during the conflicts. He argued that soldiers seen in photos and videos armed with telescopic rifles were not 'snipers,' but were only using them for self-defense. He also adopted a policy that soldiers could be regarded as witnesses in the investigations and protected them from criminal charge. In May 2013, Prayut sold nine plots of land in a Bangkok suburb to a company called 69 Property for 600 million baht. Reporters subsequently asked him about the land sale, and the prime minister's position was that the media had no business questioning him on the matter, saying: "The land has belonged to me since I was a kid, it belonged to my father. So what's the problem? Please stop criticising me already."


Coup d'état & first premiership (2014–2019)


Political crisis

In 2013-14, political conflict broke out with the involvement of the anti-
Yingluck Shinawatra Yingluck Shinawatra (, , ; born 21 June 1967) is a Thai businesswoman, politician and a member of the Pheu Thai Party who was the 28th prime minister of Thailand from 2011 to 2014. Yingluck was Thailand's first female prime minister and its yo ...
People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC). In late 2013, the Network of Students and People for Reform of Thailand (NSPRT), a sub-group of PDRC, tried to seize army headquarters, demanding that the military join the protests. In response, Prayut urged protest groups, led by Suthep Thaugsuban, not to involve the military and called on rival sides to resolve the crisis peacefully. Suthep's actions were supported by former defence minister General Prawit Wongsuwan and former army chief General Anupong Paochinda. The two generals had had close ties to Prayut through the Queen's Guard unit. They could help influence the military to intervene or even to seize power on the excuse of national security, if Suthep's group lead to violence. By the end of 2013, Prayut called for end to violence but hinted possibility of a
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 leader

On 20 May 2014, amid the
2013–2014 Thai political crisis The 2013–2014 Thai political crisis was a period of political instability in Thailand. Anti-government protests took place between November 2013 and May 2014, organised by the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), a political pressur ...
, Prayut attempted to bring the rival parties of
Yingluck Shinawatra Yingluck Shinawatra (, , ; born 21 June 1967) is a Thai businesswoman, politician and a member of the Pheu Thai Party who was the 28th prime minister of Thailand from 2011 to 2014. Yingluck was Thailand's first female prime minister and its yo ...
and Suthep Thaugsuban to an agreement, and declared
martial law Martial law is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers. Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time, or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties ...
. He insisted that they had not staged a coup, despite being in control of key levers of power. Yingluck had already been removed from office on 7 May by the
Constitutional Court A constitutional court is a high court that deals primarily with constitutional law. Its main authority is to rule on whether laws that are challenged are in fact unconstitutional, i.e. whether they conflict with constitutionally established ru ...
, in a controversial transfer, and Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan was acting in her place. Prayut did not inform the
caretaker government A caretaker government, also known as a caretaker regime, is a temporary ''ad hoc'' government that performs some governmental duties and functions in a country until a regular government is elected or formed. Depending on specific practice, it co ...
of Yingluck to declare martial law, and also ordered 14 TV channels to stop broadcasting and warned Thai people not to use social media to stir up disturbance. When a meeting failed, he staged the coup against the caretaker government on 22 May. Prayut quickly cracked down on dissent. He seized control of the media, imposed
Internet censorship Internet censorship is the legal control or suppression of what can be accessed, published, or viewed on the Internet. Censorship is most often applied to specific internet domains (such as ''Wikipedia.org'', for example) but exceptionally may ...
, declared a
curfew A curfew is an order that imposes certain regulations during specified hours. Typically, curfews order all people affected by them to remain indoors during the evening and nighttime hours. Such an order is most often issued by public authorit ...
nationwide, banned gatherings of five or more persons and arrested politicians and anti-coup activists, some of whom were charged with
sedition Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech or organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, establ ...
and tried in
military courts A court-martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the arme ...
. These limits on
freedom of speech Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The rights, right to freedom of expression has been r ...
were justified on the basis of promoting national reconciliation. On 26 May, 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 ...
endorsed the coup, formally appointing Prayut to "take charge of public administration" The royal endorsement was seen as key to legitimising the coup. On 30 May, Prayut gave his first of a series of Friday night speeches on national television. Preempting normal broadcasting, including Thai soap operas, Prayut sometimes spoke for more than an hour, explaining government policies, warning the media to cease spreading dissenting views, and complaining that people weren't heeding him. After the coup, PDRC leader Suthep Thaugsuban told PDRC supporters that he had been in talks with Prayut since 2010 about how to exclude Yingluck's brother
Thaksin Shinawatra Thaksin Shinawatra (, ; born 26 July 1949) is a Thai businessman and politician who was the 23rd prime minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006. Since 2009 he has also been a citizen of Montenegro. Thaksin founded the mobile phone operator A ...
and his family from power. He also claimed that before declaring martial law, Prayut told him that "Khun Suthep and your masses of PDRC supporters are too exhausted. It's now the duty of the army to take over the task". Similarly, Reuters reported in December 2013 that close friends of Prayut, former army chief, Anupong Paochinda, and General Prawit Wongsuwan were supporters of the PDRC.


Promise of returning happiness & full democracy

The NCPO was promoting the campaign to restore "happiness" to the Thai people following six months of political turmoil. Prayut wrote a song, titled "Returning Happiness to the People." It released on early June 2014, and played on state radio and TV stations. The meaning of the song was that the Thai people had not been happy as a result of the political crisis, and that the junta had come to return happiness to the people. In 2016, Prayut released ''Because You Are Thailand''. In 2018, Prayut released ''Diamond Heart'', the lyrics urge his lover, presumably Thailand, to "...build our hearts and dream together....". In April 2018, Prayut released ''Fight for the Nation''. In January 2019, ahead of the
general election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...
, Prayut released ''In Memory'', about the conflicts before the coup. The singer goes on to say that reconciliation has been difficult but he will never forget the heartbreaking past. Also in 2019, Prayut released ''New Day'', and his tenth song, ''Thai is Thai March'', the latter inspired by the king's coronation. On 22 July 2014, Prayut issued an interim constitution granting himself an amnesty for leading the coup and new sweeping powers. In particular, Article 44 of the new constitution was criticised for allowing him undertake 'any action' on the basis of social harmony or national order and security. On 31 July 2014, a military-majority national assembly was established according to the constitution. The legislators were mostly senior military and police officers, and even Prayut's younger brother handpicked by him. The junta legislature unanimously voted Prayut, the sole candidate, as the new prime minister. The formal appointment was made on 24 August 2014, in which 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 ...
officially endorsed Prayut as prime minister. Prayut became the first coup leader to serve as
prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
in almost 60 years, the last was
Sarit Thanarat Sarit Thanarat (also spelled Dhanarajata; ; born Siri (); 16 June 1908 – 8 December 1963) was a Thai politician and military commander. He served as commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army (from 1954) and as Minister of Defense during ...
, and his appointment was condemned by opponents. The royal endorsement also allowed Prayut to establish an
interim government A provisional government, also called an interim government, an emergency government, a transitional government or provisional leadership, is a temporary government formed to manage a period of transition, often following state collapse, revolut ...
until elections were held in late 2015. In August 2014, Prayut held three positions: army chief, NCPO leader and prime minister. He retired from the army chief post in October 2014. His appearance in
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
at the 10th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) on 16 October 2014 drew protests. Although Prayut claimed the coup was needed to combat corruption, some members of his own cabinet and members of the appointed national legislature, including his brother Preecha Chan-o-cha and Minister to the Office of the Prime Minister M.L. Panadda Diskul, have themselves been beset by various corruption scandals. However, the Office of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission concluded that Panadda was not involved in the alleged case. Prayut then prohibited any criticism of his government. In February 2015 he explained, "If people want to do opinion polls, they are free to do so. But if the polls oppose the NCPO, that is not allowed." In September 2014, following the murders of British tourists David Miller and Hannah Witheridge, Prayut questioned what they, and other tourists who have been killed in Ko Tao recently, were wearing at the time. Prayut commented, "They think our country is beautiful and safe and they can do whatever they want, wear
bikini A bikini is a two-piece swimsuit primarily worn by women that features one piece on top that covers the breasts, and a second piece on the bottom: the front covering the pelvis but usually exposing the navel, and the back generally covering ...
s wherever they like. I'm asking, if they wear bikinis in Thailand, will they be safe? Only if they are not beautiful.", he later apologized. In his mandatory asset disclosure to the National Anti-Corruption Commission, Prayut listed 128.6 million baht (US$3.9 million) in assets and 654,745 baht (US$20,000) in liabilities. His assets included a Mercedes Benz S600L, a BMW 740Li series sedan, three additional vehicles, nine luxury watches valued at three million baht, US$200,000 in jewellery, and several pistols. He also reported the transfer of 466.5 million baht (US$14.3 million) to other family members. As army chief, prior to his retirement at the end of September, the general received a 1.4 million baht (US$43,000) annual salary.


Human Rights

According to Human Right Watch report in 2015, the military junta had sent human rights situation into "free fall". The NCPO had severely repressed freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, detained hundreds mostly without charge, and tried civilians in military courts with no right to appeal. Prayut is known for often mocking the media. In late September, Prayut mocked a journalist during a press conference with his infamous sentence "I'll smack you with the podium" after he was asked whether he intended to be prime minister from a coup d'état only, but not from an election. In November, Prayut pulled the ears and ruffed the hair of a reporter while the reporter was reaching out with his microphone. In December, Prayut was caught on camera, threw a banana peel at a cameraman's head after getting annoyed by reporters. When Prayut was speaking at an event in
Khon Kaen Khon Kaen (, ) is the capital of Khon Kaen province and the List of municipalities in Thailand#Largest cities by urban population, fourth-largest city in Thailand. It is one of the four major cities of Isan, Northeast Thailand, also known as the ...
on 11 November 2014, five students called 'Dao Din group' from
Khon Kaen University Khon Kaen University (; KKU) is a public research university. The university was the first institution of higher education in the northeastern Thailand and remains the oldest and the most competitive university in the region. The university is a ...
sitting near the podium stood up and flashed a salute seen as a sign of silent dissent against a brutal authoritarian state, inspired by Hollywood film series
the Hunger Games ''The Hunger Games'' are a series of Young adult fiction, young adult Dystopian fiction, dystopian novels written by American author Suzanne Collins. The series consists of a trilogy that follows teenage protagonist Katniss Everdeen, and two ...
, the three-fingered salute was widely used by protesters since May 2014. Army officials later took them to a military camp and were detained for "attitude adjustment". One of the five students, Pai Dao Din, is co-leader of the monarchy reform movement. In February 2015, Prayut declared he had the power to forcefully close media outlets. In March, when asked how the government would deal with journalists who did not adhere to the government's laws, he replied jokingly, "We'll probably just execute them". His remarks were condemned by the
International Federation of Journalists The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is the largest global union federation of journalists' trade unions in the world. It represents more than 600,000 media workers from 187 organisations in 146 countries. The IFJ is an associate ...
(IFJ). Prayut said in March that his government had elevated the fight against
human trafficking Human trafficking is the act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring, or receiving individuals through force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of exploitation. This exploitation may include forced labor, sexual slavery, or oth ...
to the top of the national agenda, along with drug suppression. He blamed
Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) is an issue around the world. Fishing industry observers believe IUU occurs in most fisheries, and accounts for up to 30% of total catches in some important fisheries. Illegal fishing takes p ...
, on inaction and ignorance by the Yingluck cabinet. He vowed to ban fishing operators if they are found to violate laws and abuse workers, and that could be extended to other Thai exports like rice or rubber. He warned the media that reporting on slavery labour in the Thai fishing industry could affect national security. Prayut also supported providing more aid to farmers, increasing the sale of Thai rubber to China, and completing a potash mining project to cut farmers' cost of fertiliser. He also encouraged manufacturers to cut packaging costs, particularly "beautiful packaging".


Activating Article 44

In late March, Prayut announced that he had asked the king's permission to revoke
martial law Martial law is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers. Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time, or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties ...
, which had been in place since the coup, to be replaced with Article 44 of the interim constitution. It authorises Prayut to issue "any order to suppress" any act that "undermines public peace and order or
national security National security, or national defence (national defense in American English), is the security and Defence (military), defence of a sovereign state, including its Citizenship, citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty 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 ...
, national economics, or the administration of state affairs, whether that act emerges inside or outside the Kingdom." Prayut told reporters that he would not use Article 44 to violate the
civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' political freedom, freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and ...
of anyone who is innocent. Prayut was not required to inform the government before issuing an order, but must notify the interim parliament "without delay". He pledged to use Article 44 powers to address the nation's failure to meet the
International Civil Aviation Organization The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international sch ...
(ICAO) aviation safety standards. He blamed this on staffing issues, noting that the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) only has 13 aviation safety inspectors, the DCA employed 1,514. Prayut later conceded that Article 44 will not be enough to resolve
illegal fishing Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) is an issue around the world. Fishing industry observers believe IUU occurs in most fisheries, and accounts for up to 30% of total catches in some important fisheries. Illegal fishing takes pl ...
issues within the six-month period stipulated by the EU. He noted that it was a long-standing problem. He reported progress on tackling forest encroachment, saying the government had reclaimed more than 35 million rai (56,000 km2) of illegally occupied public forests. In June, Prayut vowed to eliminate corruption and repair Thailand's tarnished international image. On the 2015 Bangkok bombing, Prayut suggested that a senior police force educate themselves on how to investigate by watching '' Blue Bloods'', a fictional New York Police crime series. Announcing the Public Assembly Act, which took effect on 13 August 2015, Prayut said the law requires that protesters apply for permission from police for rallies at least 24 hours in advance. It bans all demonstrations within 150 m (500 ft) of the government house, the
parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
, royal palaces, and courthouses, unless authorised by authorities. It also bars protesters from blocking entrances or creating a disturbance at government offices, airports, seaports, train and bus stations, hospitals, schools, and embassies. Prayut added that politicians had no right to criticise the draft constitution. Rival politicians have urged the National Reform Council to reject the new charter, citing numerous defects. On the activation of the Article 44, ''Bangkok Post'' commented, "The Article 44 section has no constraint, no oversight, no checks or balances, and no retribution. It says forthrightly that anything done by the NCPO chief is 'legal, constitutional and conclusive'". Pravit Rojanaphruk commented, "Article 44 essentially means Prayut is the law...It needs to be added that the junta leader can also insist on staying on in absolute power indefinitely".
Doug Bandow Douglas Bandow (born April 15, 1957) is an American political writer working as a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute. Bandow regularly writes on military non-interventionism, and is a critic of NATO enlargement. Background Bandow obtained h ...
of
Cato Institute The Cato Institute is an American libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Ed Crane, Murray Rothbard, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Koch Industries.Koch ...
dubbed Prayut as a cartoonish dictator, out of a
Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) and to the works they jointly created. The two men collaborated on fourteen com ...
comic opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a ne ...
, and summed up the military junta first year that Prayut failed to achieve promises, including delivering happiness, prosperity, and security to Thai people.


Denial of human rights concerns

In 2015, Prayut had supported the lèse-majesté law. His idea on 'Thainess' is to make peace and order. In the end of 2015, he warned academics who criticize him, said that it's up to them if they aren't afraid of the laws, and denied that his government committed
human rights abuse Human rights are universally recognized moral principles or norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both national and international laws. These rights are considered inherent and inalienable, meaning t ...
s against its critics. He said that detentions of activists were the fault of his opponents for protesting against his rule. Prayut said that he would no longer put up with criticism from "irresponsible newspaper columnists" and had instructed officials to invite them for "talks". In November, at the
APEC Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC ) is an inter-governmental forum for 21 member economy , economies in the Pacific Rim that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Following the success of Association of Southeast Asia ...
summit at
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
, Prayut told President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
that concerns about Human rights in Thailand were based on
fake news Fake news or information disorder is false or misleading information (misinformation, disinformation, propaganda, and hoaxes) claiming the aesthetics and legitimacy of news. Fake news often has the aim of damaging the reputation of a person ...
staged by people with bad intentions. In January 2016, Prayut dared people to oppose the NCPO, and said that he did not care what the international community would think about it. Prayut also made comments calling for women to look after the home. These comments were condemned as
sexist Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but primarily affects women and girls. It has been linked to gender roles and stereotypes, and may include the belief that one sex or gender is int ...
Prayut promised a
general election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...
in 2015, but he said in February 2016 that it will take place in 2017, amid delays in the drafting of the
constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...
. The first draft was expected to be released in January 2016. At a summit meeting with Southeast Asian leaders in
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, Prayut was invited by US President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
, which was criticized by human rights activists, opposition party leaders and scholars, warning that the invitation will suggest
Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...
's endorsement of the
military dictatorship A military dictatorship, or a military regime, is a type of dictatorship in which Power (social and political), power is held by one or more military officers. Military dictatorships are led by either a single military dictator, known as a Polit ...
. In March, while Prayut attended the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington DC, he gave an interview to the
Voice of America Voice of America (VOA or VoA) is an international broadcasting network funded by the federal government of the United States that by law has editorial independence from the government. It is the largest and oldest of the American internation ...
, where he claimed that disaffected politicians, who had fled Thailand following the 2014 coup, had hired lobbyists in the US to spread propaganda discrediting his government. He cited reports that his government had murdered 400–500 journalists and had imprisoned thousands of Thai citizens, in spite of the fact that there are no reports of such stories. In April, Prayut questioned why people asked for
democracy Democracy (from , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitiv ...
and
human rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...
. In July, Prayut said that if the August draft constitution referendum were to be voted down, he would draft another by himself, adding that he could do anything since he has survived military parachute training. The following day Prayut retracted his statement and blamed the media for highlighting his thoughtless words and putting him in a bad mood. In August, Prayut said the result of 2016 Thai constitutional referendum was a step towards "a bona fide democracy" and free from
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 ...
, even though the NCPO had banned debate and campaigning from the opposition. 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 ...
,
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
, and
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
all criticized the ban.


State control of Buddhism

Buddhism in Thailand Buddhism in Thailand is largely of the Theravada school, which is followed by roughly 93.4 percent of the population. Thailand has the second largest Buddhist population in the world, after China, with approximately 64 million Buddhists. Buddh ...
has come under significantly higher state control during Prayut's premiership. In 2016, Prayut stalled a decision by the
Sangha Supreme Council The Sangha Supreme Council (; ) is the governing body of the Buddhist order ( Sangha) of Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asi ...
by refusing to submit the nomination for Supreme Patriarch of Somdet Chuang, a Maha Nikaya monk who was next in line for the position. The appointment was stalled until a law passed that allowed the Thai government to bypass the Sangha Supreme Council and appoint the Supreme Patriarch directly. This led to the appointment of a monk from the Dhammayuttika Nikaya instead by King Vajiralongkorn, who chose the name out of one of five given to him by Prayut. Prayut also used article 44 to replace the head of the
National Office of Buddhism The National Office of Buddhism ( Abrv: NOB; , ) is an agency of the central government of Thailand. It is a ministry-independent department-level government agency, reporting directly to the prime minister. The National Office of Buddhism is r ...
with a Department of Special Investigation (DSI) official. However, in August, Prayut removed him from the post after religious groups called on the government to fire him because of his reform plans, which were viewed as damaging to the image of monks.


Reign of Vajiralongkorn

On 13 October 2016, 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 ...
died. Prayut said the nation would hold a one-year mourning period. He ordered flags to fly at half-mast, entertainment activities to toned down for one month. He urged people to stay safe and pointed that national security was a top priority before King Vajiralongkorn unofficially become the new monarch. It is believed that Prayut and Privy Council President
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 ...
were largely responsible for ensuring the succession of the widely unpopular Vajiralongkorn, in opposition to elements in the military, government, and the public who preferred his far more popular and respected sister Sirindhorn. In February 2017, Prayut asked the public not to be obsessed with democracy, rights, and liberties. He said people should take into consideration other principles, especially existing laws, to find "proper logic". He stated that the government cannot be swayed by the public's feelings. Prayut said that societal conflicts arise from social and economic disparity and an educational system that fails to instill a proper way of thinking. In December, Prayut defended Deputy Prime Minister
Prawit Wongsuwon Prawit Wongsuwon (, , ; born 11 August 1945) is a Thai politician and retired army officer who served as the First Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, deputy prime minister from 2014 to 2023, Ministry of Defence (Thailand), Minister of Defence fro ...
, blaming the media for asking questions about possible improprieties in order to divide Prayut and Prawit. Prawit was in the media spotlight for wearing a watch and ring worth millions of baht. On 16 July 2017, Prayut and the legislature issued the Crown Property law, making King Vajiralongkorn in control of the world's largest royal fortune. In February 2018, Prayut took steps to end
sex tourism Sex tourism is the practice of traveling to foreign countries, often on a different continent, with the intention of engaging in sexual activity or relationships, in exchange providing money or lifestyle support. This practice predominantly oper ...
in
Pattaya Pattaya is a city in Eastern Thailand, the second-largest city in Chonburi province and the List of municipalities in Thailand, eighth-largest city in Thailand. It is on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about southeast of Bangkok, and h ...
. In May, the NCPO launched raids of temples to arrest several monks, including Buddha Issara, known for his support of Prayut. In November, Prayut claimed that Thailand's economic slowdown was not attributable to his government, but due to the international economic situation. He stated his goal of moving Thailand from a middle income economy to a high income economy through the ''Thailand 4.0 development initiative'' that aims to transform the country into a more value-based and innovation driven society. It's flagship project is the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) in the eastern part of Thailand to attract foreign investment, medical care and renewable energy. On 10 February 2018, Arnon Nampa and two others led 200–500 protesters at the Democracy Monument to demand a general election in 2018 and to criticize Prayut and Prawit Wongsuwan. The police charged them with sedition under the order of Prayut.


Second premiership (2019–2023)


Government formation

Under the 2017 constitution, the
senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
was appointed by the NCPO and would select the prime minister alongside the
House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...
. Political parties were able to nominate anyone as their prime minister candidate, including non-party members, which led commentators to believe that Prayut planned to be selected as prime minister with votes from 250 senators and MPs from pro-junta parties, namely the Phalang Pracharat Party, which has close ties to the junta and is led by Prayut's cabinet ministers. In November 2018, Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak told the audience at a
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
conference that he believes the next prime minister will look like Prayut. In late January 2019, four Prayut cabinet ministers resigned from their government positions to work for Phalang Pracharat full-time. Prayut expressed his desire to continue serving as prime minister after the 2019 election. While he was not a member of any political party or campaigning in any official capacity, many journalists and commentators believed Prayut intended to stay in power using the changes in the new constitution. Phalang Pracharat Party announced that their list of candidates for prime minister included Prayut. After the 2019 election, the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
convened on 5 June and elected Prayut as the next prime minister, defeating
Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit (, ; born 25 November 1978) is a Thai businessman, politician, and activist who served as the leader of the Future Forward Party from 2018 to 2020. From 2002 to 2018, he was the vice president of the Thai Summit ...
of the anti-junta
Future Forward Party The Future Forward Party (FFP; , ; otherwise known as 'New Future Party') was a social democratic and progressive List of political parties in Thailand, Thai political party from March 2018 to February 2020. The party was founded on 14 March 20 ...
500 votes to 244, in which 249 of 500 votes came from a near-unanimous body of senators appointed by the junta (NCPO). The coalition government is composed of pro-Prayut camps and smaller parties who benefited from multiple technical interpretations of the election law by a military-controlled Election Commission, including a 44-day hiatus while the election laws were reinterpreted to pave way for a coalition with the state military party at the helm. Via NCPO mechanisms, Prayut has appointed allies to the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
,
Constitutional Court A constitutional court is a high court that deals primarily with constitutional law. Its main authority is to rule on whether laws that are challenged are in fact unconstitutional, i.e. whether they conflict with constitutionally established ru ...
, various Constitutional organizations, including the
Election Commission An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country. The formal names of election commissions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and may be styled an electoral commission, a c ...
, and the National Anti-Corruption Commission as well as officials at the
local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state. Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of a higher-level political or administrative unit, such a ...
level. Substantively amending the Constitution is almost impossible as it would require both Senate support and a referendum.


Protests

In 2020, major protests broke out again with demonstrations against the government of Prayut. The protests expanded to include unprecedented demands for reform of the
Thai monarchy The monarchy of Thailand is the constitutional monarchy, constitutional form of government of Thailand (formerly ''Siam''). The king of Thailand (, historically, ''king of Siam''; ) is the head of state and head of the ruling Chakri dynasty. ...
. The protests were initially triggered by the dissolution of the
Future Forward Party The Future Forward Party (FFP; , ; otherwise known as 'New Future Party') was a social democratic and progressive List of political parties in Thailand, Thai political party from March 2018 to February 2020. The party was founded on 14 March 20 ...
(FFP), a major opposition party, and the changes to the Thai constitution in 2017 by the NCPO. On 15 July, netizens were infuriated by the privileged treatment of "VIP guests" who were later revealed to have tested positive for Coronavirus, as well as its failure to boost the heavily affected tourism industry. On the same day, Prayut made a visit to Rayong Province. Two protesters, including Panupong Jadnok, held signs calling for his resignation prior to the arrival; both were immediately arrested and reportedly beaten by the police, causing outrage on
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
. In August, Prayut personally ordered Apiwat Kanthong, his lawyer, to file charges against Arnon Nampa and Panupong Jadnok with sedition. In October, ''Khaosod English'' and ''Bangkok Post'' editorials called for Prayut to resign, but both did not press the demands to draft a new constitution and reform the monarchy. Nevertheless, Prayut blamed the protesters for further damaging the country's economy. Patrick Jory, a senior lecturer in Southeast Asian history at the University of Queensland, described the unpredictable nature of the
King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
and "his willingness to use violence," and says that he may have pressured Prayut to suppress the protesters. On 2 December 2020, the Constitutional Court ruled in favor of Prayut in a conflict-of-interest case over his use of military housing. The former army chief had been living in a military residence after retiring from the army in 2014, months after he led the coup over the elected government. The ruling allowed Prayut to remain in power. Thousands of protesters gathered at Lat Phrao Intersection to protest the verdict. On 28 February 2021, as the movement was trying to rebuild momentum since the jailing of core protesters, the Free Youth group held an event at 1st Infantry Regiment, where Prayut's residence and the headquarter of the King's Close Bodyguard are located. The skirmishes between both sides began in the evening, shortly before a decision to disperse. Some hardline protesters held their ground and threw objects at the police. The police retaliated by employing water cannons, tear gas, and rubber bullets. According to Bangkok's emergency medical service, 10 protesters and 22 police officers were injured. On 7 August 2021, the Free Youth group planned a march to Prayut's house again. Thai
riot police Riot police are police who are organized, deployed, trained or equipped to confront crowds, protests or riots. Riot police may be regular police officers who act in the role of riot police in particular situations, or they may be separate unit ...
closed the Din Daeng area to prevent protesters from going near Prayut's house. The police fired tear gas at them. Around 6pm, a police truck was burned near the Victory Monument.


Further human rights suppression

A 2019
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...
reported that as the newly elected government of Prayut assumed power in mid-2019, Thailand's human rights record showed no signs of change. In early 2021, the Thai government, led by Prayut, had adopted a draft law, ''Draft Act on the Operations of Not-for-Profit Organizations'', to regulate
non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...
(NGOs). The bill was mentioned by
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
as an effort to silence civil society groups and NGOs. In September 2021, Nattacha Boonchaiinsawat, a
Move Forward Party The Move Forward Party (MFP; , ) was a major social democratic and progressive political party in Thailand. It was the second incarnation of the progressive Future Forward Party, which was founded in 2018 and dissolved by the Constitutional C ...
MP, released videos, voice clips, and documents regarding military operations creating fake social media accounts to operate information warfare against the people. The
Internal Security Operations Command Internal Security Operations Command (; ) or ISOC (; ) is the internal security agency and political arm of the Royal Thai Armed Forces. It was responsible for the suppression of leftist groups from the 1960s to the 1980s. During this period it ...
, head by Prayut, was also involved in deep monitoring of opposition politicians, seen as Prayut's political enemies, along with Thai activists. In November 2021, Prayut ordered the
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 ...
and the
Ministry of Interior An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement. In some states, th ...
to check if
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
had violated any Thai laws following the campaign's support of the repeal of lèse-majesté law regarding a contentious ruling by the Constitutional Court against the 2020 Thai protests calling for reform of the monarchy. On 1 December, a 28-year-old noodle vendor made headline news by asking Prayut to retire quickly to allow others to perform the duties of his office. She voiced that Thailand needs more development. She was welcomed by people in Ban Dung District in Udon Thani. Later Ban Dung police came to her house, asking to see her so that they could keep a record of her, but she declined to meet them, saying she had done nothing wrong. The police detained her later. On 4 December, Prayut said "The most important thing today is that we do two things. The government does two things. The first is equality and equal opportunity. Every Thai person must have the opportunity to use a car, use the road, use a bridge, and take advantage of anything from basic utilities. Rich people themselves paid for the tollway. Low-income people also use the route below. They will not be crowded with each other. I think this is equality, access to opportunities, and travel, but today, many things have happened in the past two governments.".


Reactivation of lèse-majesté law

In June 2020, Prayut told reporters that King Vajiralongkorn had instructed his government not to use the lèse majesté law. At the time, the lèse majesté law had not been used since 2018, with the government preferring to use the
sedition Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech or organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, establ ...
law and the Computer Crime Act instead. However, later in November 2020, the government resumed its use of the lèse majesté law, filing charges against protesters and activists. Sulak Sivaraksa, a well-known Thai royalist scholar, decried Prayut's using the lèse-majesté law and called for Prayut's removal from office. The leading figures of the monarchy reform protests were all detained and awaited trial in 2021, in a series of detainments and releases, some were imprisoned accumulatively for more than 200 days.


Term limit challenge and suspension

The 2017 constitution, adopted under Prayut's ruling junta, sets a term limit of eight years for prime ministers. If counting from the beginning of Prayut's premiership while he was head of the military junta after the 2014 coup, this eight-year duration ended on 23 August 2022. Accordingly, opposition politicians made legal challenges to his continued government, while pro-democracy protesters and activists again gathered to demand his resignation. His supporters defended a continued premiership, arguing that the eight-year duration should be counted from when the 2017 constitution went into force or from the beginning of Prayut's civilian administration after the
2019 elections The following elections were scheduled to occur in 2019. The International Foundation for Electoral Systems has a calendar of upcoming elections around the world, and the National Democratic Institute also maintains a calendar of elections in cou ...
. On 24 August, the Constitutional Court of Thailand declared that Prayut was suspended as prime minister while it reviewed the issue. As the most senior deputy prime minister, Prawit Wongsuwan was made acting prime minister. On 30 September, the court ruled 6–3 that the eight-year period should be counted from the promulgation of the 2017 constitution, allowing him to continue his premiership, potentially until 2025 had he been re-elected following the election in 2023.


Assassination attempt

On 30 November 2022, a 66-year-old man named Wichan Gaweewong was arrested for attempted assassination after being found with a pen gun at a seminar Prayut was attending. Wichan claimed the weapon belonged to his deceased son.


2023 election and retirement

Prayut joined United Thai Nation Party on 23 December 2022 as Chairman of United Thai Nation Party for Guidelines and Strategic Committee to run 2023 Thai general election. In the 2023 general election, Prayut's coalition won only 15% of the seats. On 11 July 2023, Prayut announced he would retire from politics and resign as a member of the United Thai Nation Party, but he will continue to serve as acting prime minister until a new government is formed to replace him. On 22 August 2023, Prayut stepped down from the position of prime minister as per the law, following the announcement in the Royal Gazette of the appointment of the new prime minister,
Srettha Thavisin Srettha Thavisin (, , ; born 15 February 1962) is a Thai businessman and former politician who served as the 30th Prime Minister of Thailand from 2023
, who had received the king's endorsement. On 24 August 2023 Prayut invited Srettha to join the talk to forward the work at the
Government House of Thailand Government House (; ) refers to the offices of the Prime Minister of Thailand and appointed cabinet ministers. It contains conference rooms and is used for state functions and receptions of foreign guests. It consists of several palace-like stru ...
. This is the first time in Thailand that there was an inviting of the previous prime minister and the new prime minister to talk about handover of work. On 31 August 2023, Prayut worked at Government House for the last day as prime minister. There was a farewell ceremony for government officials and media officials at Government House. Prayut began to live and work as former prime minister in a house located in the area of 1st Infantry Regiment, Phaya Thai District, Bangkok.


Privy Councilor

King Vajiralongkorn has appointed Prayut as a Privy Councilor on 29 November 2023.


Personal life

Prayut's nickname is "Tuu" (; ), and he is known as "Big Tuu" (; ) or "Uncle Tuu" (; ) by his supporters. The opposition has parodied his name, calling him "Toob" (; literally: Dog), sometimes also has parodied his name as "Fishstop Moon O'Tea" (convert words to English by each syllables). He is married to Naraporn Chan-o-cha, a former associate professor at
Chulalongkorn University Chulalongkorn University (CU; ; , ) is a public university, public Autonomous university, autonomous research university in Bangkok, Thailand. The university was originally founded during King Chulalongkorn's reign as a school for training ro ...
's Language Institute. She has served as president of the Army Wives' Association since Prayut's selection as army chief in 2010, and is involved with
distance learning Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance; today, it usually involves online ...
organisations, for whom she teaches English on a long-distance learning television channel. She claimed to have told her husband to cool down when speaking to the media. Moreover, she told reporters that she was "looking after" her husband, taking responsibility for his clothes, makeup and haircut. According to her, Prayut was dressed "in the English style", wore shoes by Church's and suits tailored at "Broadway". Prayut and Naraporn have twin daughters, Thanya () and Nittha (), "...twenty-something twin daughters hoenjoyed brief success a few years ago as a punk-lite pop duo called BADZ—..." Prayut has stated publicly that he consults a fortune teller, Warin Buawiratlert, regularly. He said that there was no harm in seeking advice. When suffering from fever and aches early in his premiership, he blamed his ills on spells cast by his political enemies and combated the malady with holy water. According to the ''Bangkok Post'', Prayut has a collection of lucky rings which he wears daily in accordance with that day's activities. He also wears an elephant hair bracelet to ward off bad luck. He has revived the tradition of wearing the '' phraratchathan'', first popularised by
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 ...
in the 1980s, and has instructed cabinet members to dress in the '' phraratchathan'' at meetings, rather than in Western suits. During the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, Prayut was fined 6,000
baht The baht (; , ; currency sign, sign: ฿; ISO 4217, code: THB) is the official currency of Thailand. It is divided into 100 ''satang'' (, ). Prior to decimalisation, the baht was divided into eight ''fueang'' (, ), each of eight ''at'' (, ). The ...
for not wearing a face mask in an April 2021 meeting on COVID-19 vaccination. As prime minister, General Prayut earned a salary of 75,900
baht The baht (; , ; currency sign, sign: ฿; ISO 4217, code: THB) is the official currency of Thailand. It is divided into 100 ''satang'' (, ). Prior to decimalisation, the baht was divided into eight ''fueang'' (, ), each of eight ''at'' (, ). The ...
per month, plus a "position allowance" of 50,000 baht monthly. He did not receive a salary as defence minister.


Royal decorations

* : ** 2010 – Knight Grand Cordon of the Most Exalted
Order of the White Elephant __NOTOC__ The Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant (; ) is an order (decoration), order of Thailand. It was established in 1861 by King Mongkut, Rama IV of the Thailand, Kingdom of Siam. Along with the Order of the Crown of Thailand, it is r ...
** 2008 – Knight Grand Cordon of the Most Noble
Order of the Crown of Thailand The Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand (; ) is a Thai order, established in 1869 by King Rama V of The Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand) for Thais, the royal family, governmental employees, and foreign dignitaries for their outstanding serv ...
** 2024 – Knight Grand Commander of the Most Illustrious
Order of Chula Chom Klao The Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao (; ) was established on 16 November 1873 by King Rama V of The Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand) to commemorate the 90th Jubilee of the Chakri Dynasty and bears his name (จุลจอมเกล ...
** 2023 – Order of Ramkeerati ** 1990 – Member of the Rama Medal for Gallantry in Action of the Most Honourable Order of Rama ** 1986 – Freemen Safeguarding Medal (Second Class, First Category) ** 1989 – Border Service Medal ** 1989 – Chakra Mala Medal ** 2010 – Boy Scout Citation Medal of Vajira, First Class ** 2024 – King Rama X Royal Cypher Medal, Third Class *: ** 2017 – Recipient of the Sultan of Brunei Golden Jubilee Medal *: ** 2013 – Commander of the
Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...
* : ** 2012 – The Most Gallant Order of Military Service (P.G.A.T.) * : ** 2012 – Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera) * : ** 2012 – Army Meritorious Service Star, Utama Class


Notes


References


External links


"Top 10 Prayuth Moments", ''Khaosod English'', 2015-12-31

"Prayuth's 12 Core Values", ''Asian Correspondent'', 2014-09-22
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chan-o-cha, Prayut
Prayut Chan-o-cha Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; , ; born 21 March 1954) is a former Thai politician, army officer and dictator who became the 29th prime minister of Thailand after seizing power in the 2014 Thai coup d'état, 2014 coup ...
Prayut Chan-o-cha Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; , ; born 21 March 1954) is a former Thai politician, army officer and dictator who became the 29th prime minister of Thailand after seizing power in the 2014 Thai coup d'état, 2014 coup ...
Prayut Chan-o-cha Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; , ; born 21 March 1954) is a former Thai politician, army officer and dictator who became the 29th prime minister of Thailand after seizing power in the 2014 Thai coup d'état, 2014 coup ...
1954 births Living people
Prayut Chan-o-cha Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; , ; born 21 March 1954) is a former Thai politician, army officer and dictator who became the 29th prime minister of Thailand after seizing power in the 2014 Thai coup d'état, 2014 coup ...
Prayut Chan-o-cha Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; , ; born 21 March 1954) is a former Thai politician, army officer and dictator who became the 29th prime minister of Thailand after seizing power in the 2014 Thai coup d'état, 2014 coup ...
Prayut Chan-o-cha Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; , ; born 21 March 1954) is a former Thai politician, army officer and dictator who became the 29th prime minister of Thailand after seizing power in the 2014 Thai coup d'état, 2014 coup ...
Prayut Chan-o-cha Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; , ; born 21 March 1954) is a former Thai politician, army officer and dictator who became the 29th prime minister of Thailand after seizing power in the 2014 Thai coup d'état, 2014 coup ...
Prayut Chan-o-cha Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; , ; born 21 March 1954) is a former Thai politician, army officer and dictator who became the 29th prime minister of Thailand after seizing power in the 2014 Thai coup d'état, 2014 coup ...
Prayut Chan-o-cha Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; , ; born 21 March 1954) is a former Thai politician, army officer and dictator who became the 29th prime minister of Thailand after seizing power in the 2014 Thai coup d'état, 2014 coup ...
Prayut Chan-o-cha Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; , ; born 21 March 1954) is a former Thai politician, army officer and dictator who became the 29th prime minister of Thailand after seizing power in the 2014 Thai coup d'état, 2014 coup ...
Prayut Chan-o-cha Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; , ; born 21 March 1954) is a former Thai politician, army officer and dictator who became the 29th prime minister of Thailand after seizing power in the 2014 Thai coup d'état, 2014 coup ...
Prayut Chan-o-cha Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; , ; born 21 March 1954) is a former Thai politician, army officer and dictator who became the 29th prime minister of Thailand after seizing power in the 2014 Thai coup d'état, 2014 coup ...
Prayut Chan-o-cha Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; , ; born 21 March 1954) is a former Thai politician, army officer and dictator who became the 29th prime minister of Thailand after seizing power in the 2014 Thai coup d'état, 2014 coup ...
Prayut Chan-o-cha Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; , ; born 21 March 1954) is a former Thai politician, army officer and dictator who became the 29th prime minister of Thailand after seizing power in the 2014 Thai coup d'état, 2014 coup ...
Military dictatorship in Thailand
Prayut Chan-o-cha Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; , ; born 21 March 1954) is a former Thai politician, army officer and dictator who became the 29th prime minister of Thailand after seizing power in the 2014 Thai coup d'état, 2014 coup ...
Recipients of the Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera) 20th-century military personnel 21st-century military personnel