Suchinda Kraprayoon

Suchinda Kraprayoon (Thai: สุจินดา คราประยูร, RTGS: Suchinda Khraprayun; born 6 August 1933)[1] is a Thai retired army general and politician. As the commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army (1990–1992) he led the 1991 Thai coup d'état in February and was a member of the junta called "National Peace Keeping Council". A year after the coup, on 7 April 1992 he was appointed Prime Minister of Thailand. This sparked mass protests that were violently suppressed during Black May which finally led to his resignation on 24 May 1992.

General
Suchinda Kraprayoon
MPCh MWM ThChW
สุจินดา คราประยูร
19th Prime Minister of Thailand
In office
7 April 1992 – 24 May 1992
MonarchBhumibol Adulyadej
Deputy
Preceded byAnand Panyarachun
Succeeded byMeechai Ruchuphan (Acting)
Minister of Defence
In office
17 April 1992 – 24 May 1992
Prime Ministerhimself
DeputyChatchom Kanlong
Preceded byPraphat Kritsanajun
Succeeded byBanjob Bunnag
Supreme Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces
In office
1 October 1991 – 4 April 1992
MinisterPraphat Kritsanajun
Preceded bySunthorn Kongsompong
Succeeded byKaset Rojananil
Commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army
In office
29 April 1990 – 7 April 1992
Preceded byChavalit Yongchaiyudh
Succeeded byIsarapong Noonpakdee
Personal details
Born (1933-08-06) 6 August 1933
Thonburi, Krung Thep, Siam (now Bangkok Noi, Bangkok, Thailand)
SpouseWannee Noonpakdee
Children2
Alma materRoyal Military Academy
Military service
Allegiance Thailand
Branch/service Royal Thai Army
Years of service1953–1992
Rank
Commands
Battles/wars
Awards
  • Victory Medal - Vietnam War, with flames
  • Freemen Safeguarding Medal (First Class)
  • Border Service Medal
  • Chakra Mala Medal

Early life and education

Suchinda, son of Juang and Sompong Kraprayoon, was born on 6 August 1933, in Thonburi, Siam, and is of mixed Chinese[2][3][4] and Mon descent.[5]

Suchinda first attended Wat Rajabopit School and later Amnuayslip School. He studied medicine at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok for 12 months before entering the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy. He graduated from Class 5 of the Academy, of which many students would join the National Peace Keeping Council. He also attended the US Army Command and General Staff Course at the Artillery Regiment, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and the US Army Command and General Staff Course at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Military career

Suchinda returned to Thailand in 1953 to serve as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Thai Army. On 25 January 1958 he became Troop Leader in an artillery infantry regiment. He was gradually promoted and given more responsibilities including:[6]

Coup, NPKC and premiership

Suchinda was a leader of the National Peace Keeping Council (NPKC), which conducted the 1991 Thai coup d'état that ousted the elected government of Prime Minister Chatichai Choonhavan on 23 February 1991. The NPKC installed former diplomat Anand Panyarachun as Prime Minister.

After the general election on 22 March 1992, five parties (Rassadorn, Justice Unity, Social Action, Thai Citizen, Chart Thai) designated Suchinda as the prime minister. His appointment as Prime Minister on 7 April 1992 resulted in large protests, culminating in a general curfew and military deployment in Bangkok. In the event known as Black May, hundreds of people are believed to have died when soldiers opened fire on unarmed students and demonstrators during the protests.[7] Further escalation was avoided by the intervention of King Bhumibol.

Suchinda resigned from the Premiership on 24 May 1992. The Deputy Prime Minister, Meechai Ruchuphan, became caretaker Prime Minister for an interim period until the new government was assigned. He was succeeded by Anand Panyarachun.

Post-downfall

After resigning, General Suchinda was appointed Chairman of Telecom Holdings, the holding company of Telecom Asia.[8] Telecom Asia was awarded an unprecedented concession to build 2 million telephone lines in Bangkok after the NPKC seized power.

Personal life

Suchinda is married to Khunying Wannee Kraprayoon (née Noonpakdee), sister of Isarapong Noonpakdee, Suchinda's classmate from military academy. The couple has two sons: Jerdwut Kraprayoon, currently an advisor to the Royal Thai Army and Janewit “Jack” Kraprayoon.

Honours

Foreign Honour

Military rank

Volunteer Defense Corps of Thailand rank

References
  1. Profile of Suchinda Kraprayoon
  2. (in Chinese) 泰国华裔总理不忘“本” Archived 22 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine;
  3. (in Thai) บิ๊กสรรพากรแท็คทีม ยืนความเห็นเคลียร์สตง. สู้ข้อครหาภาษีหุ้นชินฯ; พลิกแฟ้ม NGO ตอบคำถาม เงิน - ผลประโยชน์เพื่อใคร?? Archived 7 November 2017 at the Wayback Machine
  4. [泰国] 洪林, 黎道纲主编 (April 2006). 泰国华侨华人研究. 香港社会科学出版社有限公司. p. 185. ISBN 962-620-127-4.
  5. The days before ceasefire between SLORC AND NMSP on 25 June 1995 Archived 17 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "General Suchinda Kraprayoon". soc.go.th. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  7. "You Wonder What he Knows". Asiaweek. 2000. Archived from the original on 22 March 2006. Retrieved 4 May 2006.
  8. Glen Lewis, The Asian Economic Crisis and Thai Communications Policy Archived 19 September 2006 at the Wayback Machine
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