Thanom Kittikachorn, a former prime minister whose military regime was ousted from office by a popular uprising in 1973, has died, the state-run news agency said. He was 92.
Thanom died of shock and heart failure late Wednesday after spending five months at Bangkok Hospital, the Thai News Agency reported, citing a hospital announcement early yesterday morning.
Thanom came to be popularly reviled as one of the country's "Three Tyrants" when he ran the country as a military dictatorship in a triumvirate in the 1960s and early 1970s with Field Marshal Praphas Charusathien and Colonel Narong Kittikachorn, Thanom's son and Praphas' son-in-law.
PHOTO: AFP
Thanom, who also held the rank of field marshal, was generally seen as the more conciliatory partner, and Praphas the hardliner.
The three were driven into exile following a bloody student-led uprising in October 1973.
They were accused of nepotism, massive corruption and ordering the massacre of protesters in the streets of Bangkok during the uprising.
A brief period of raucous democracy followed, which many influential and conservative Thais found unsettling, and feared would lead to a communist takeover similar to those that occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in 1975.
Thanom was allowed to return to Thailand in late 1976 to serve as a Buddhist monk, sparking new demonstrations by pro-democracy protesters. Many believe his return was meant to set the stage for a counterrevolution, and on Oct. 6, 1976, a massacre of student protesters by police and the army took place at Bangkok's Thammasat University, and a coup installed a new, military-guided right-wing government.
Neither Thanom nor his two former partners in rule resumed any public political role. Thanom generally kept a low public profile afterward, though over the past decade, he made an effort to rehabilitate his public image -- arguing that he was not responsible for the violence unleashed on the 1973 protesters -- and sought to recover some property seized when he was overthrown. Praphas died in 1997.
Thanom was born Aug. 11, 1911 in the northern province of Tak. He attended Army Cadet Academy and his move up the ranks was accelerated after he took part in a 1947 coup.
During the 1950s Thanom served as deputy defense minister and defense minister, and was appointed a figurehead prime minister for nine months in 1958 before military strongman Sarit Thanarat assumed dictatorial powers until his death in 1963.
Thanom's regime -- like Sarit's -- was close to the US because of their shared drive against communism, and massive corruption. During the Vietnam War, his government allowed tens of thousands of US servicemen to be stationed in the country. The US bases were closed after his government was overthrown.
His government allowed a veneer of democracy, but even the mild dissent proved unacceptable to it, and it staged a coup against itself in 1971 to sweep away peaceful but pesky opponents in parliament. However, the high-handed tactic sharpened opposition to his rule, leading to the 1973 student revolution.
Seven people sustained mostly minor injuries in an airplane fire in South Korea, authorities said yesterday, with local media suggesting the blaze might have been caused by a portable battery stored in the overhead bin. The Air Busan plane, an Airbus A321, was set to fly to Hong Kong from Gimhae International Airport in southeastern Busan, but caught fire in the rear section on Tuesday night, the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said. A total of 169 passengers and seven flight attendants and staff were evacuated down inflatable slides, it said. Authorities initially reported three injuries, but revised the number
‘BALD-FACED LIE’: The woman is accused of administering non-prescribed drugs to the one-year-old and filmed the toddler’s distress to solicit donations online A social media influencer accused of filming the torture of her baby to gain money allegedly manufactured symptoms causing the toddler to have brain surgery, a magistrate has heard. The 34-year-old Queensland woman is charged with torturing an infant and posting videos of the little girl online to build a social media following and solicit donations. A decision on her bail application in a Brisbane court was yesterday postponed after the magistrate opted to take more time before making a decision in an effort “not to be overwhelmed” by the nature of allegations “so offensive to right-thinking people.” The Sunshine Coast woman —
BORDER SERVICES: With the US-funded International Rescue Committee telling clinics to shut by tomorrow, Burmese refugees face sudden discharge from Thai hospitals Healthcare centers serving tens of thousands of refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border have been ordered shut after US President Donald Trump froze most foreign aid last week, forcing Thai officials to transport the sickest patients to other facilities. The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which funds the clinics with US support, told the facilities to shut by tomorrow, a local official and two camp committee members said. The IRC did not respond to a request for comment. Trump last week paused development assistance from the US Agency for International Development for 90 days to assess compatibility with his “America First” policy. The freeze has thrown
PINEAPPLE DEBATE: While the owners of the pizzeria dislike pineapple on pizza, a survey last year showed that over 50% of Britons either love or like the topping A trendy pizzeria in the English city of Norwich has declared war on pineapples, charging an eye-watering ￡100 (US$124) for a Hawaiian in a bid to put customers off the disputed topping. Lupa Pizza recently added pizza topped with ham and pineapple to its account on a food delivery app, writing in the description: “Yeah, for ￡100 you can have it. Order the champagne too! Go on, you monster!” “[We] vehemently dislike pineapple on pizza,” Lupa co-owner Francis Wolf said. “We feel like it doesn’t suit pizza at all,” he said. The other co-owner, head chef Quin Jianoran, said they kept tinned pineapple
RSS