Kaset Rojananil
Air Chief Marshal Kaset Rojananil (Thai: เกษตร โรจนนิล, RTGS: Kaset Rochananin; born 27 August 1933) is a Thai retired air force officer. He was the Commander of the Royal Thai Air Force from 1989 to 1992 and briefly held Thailand's most senior military post, the Supreme Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces from April to July 1992.[1]
Kaset Rojananil | |
---|---|
Native name | เกษตร โรจนนิล |
Born | Thailand | 27 August 1933
Allegiance | Thailand |
Service/ | Royal Thai Air Force |
Rank | Air Chief Marshal |
Commands held | Commander-in-Chief |
Other work | Head of Thai Airways International, Founder of the Justice Unity Party |
Kaset was an alumnus of the 5th Class of the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, and one of the leaders of the National Peace Keeping Council's 1991 coup against the government of Chatichai Choonhavan. After the coup he became head of Thai Airways International, and co-founded of the pro-military Justice Unity Party. He was later demoted to general inspector of the Ministry of Defense.
As head of Thai Airways International, he famously noted that "we have received a lot of complaints that our air hostesses are not pretty enough—too old and unsmiling. And we must improve on that". He added that the airline had been hiring too many college-educated women and that "intelligent women tend to not be good looking." He noted that he had ordered airline recruiters to screen flight attendant applications "in the way beauty-pageant judging panels select contestants."[2]
Honours
- 1988 - Knight Grand Cordon of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant
- 1987 - Knight Grand Cordon of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand
- 1992 - Knight Grand Commander of the Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao
- 1962 - Victory Medal - Korean War
- 1968 - Victory Medal - Vietnam War, with flames
- 1990 - Freeman Safeguarding Medal, 1st Class
- 1968 - Chakra Mala Medal
- 1990 - Boy Scout Citation Medal of Vajira, First Class
- 1991 - King Rama IX Royal Cypher Medal, 3rd Class
Foreign Honour
- South Vietnam :
- Armed Forces Honor Medal, First Class
- Vietnam Campaign Medal
- USA :
- Commander of the Legion of Merit (1990)
- Indonesia :
- Bintang Swa Bhuwana Paksa, Utama Class (1991)
- Japan :
- Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure (1993)
References
- Asia yearbook, Far Eastern economic review, 1993, p. 215
- South China Morning Post, 7 September 1991