Prayut Chan-o-cha

General
Prayut Chan-o-cha
MPCh MWM TChW RMK PC
ประยุทธ์ จันทร์โอชา
Prayut in 2019
Privy Councillor of Thailand
Incumbent
Assumed office
29 November 2023
MonarchVajiralongkorn
29th Prime Minister of Thailand
In office
24 August 2014 – 22 August 2023[a]
MonarchsBhumibol Adulyadej
Vajiralongkorn
Deputy
See list
Preceded byNiwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan (acting)
Succeeded bySrettha Thavisin
Minister of Defence
In office
10 July 2019 – 1 September 2023
Prime MinisterHimself
Preceded byPrawit Wongsuwon
Succeeded bySutin Klungsang
Leader of the National Council for Peace and Order[b]
In office
22 May 2014 – 16 July 2019
Deputy
See list
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army
In office
1 October 2010 – 30 September 2014
Preceded byAnupong Paochinda
Succeeded byUdomdej Sitabutr
Personal details
Born (1954-03-21) 21 March 1954 (age 70)
Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
Political partyIndependent
Other political
affiliations		Palang Pracharath (2019–2022)[c]
United Thai Nation (2023)
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1984)​
Children2
EducationArmed Forces Academies Preparatory School
Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy
Signature (English)
Signature
NicknameTuu (ตู่)
Military service
Branch/serviceRoyal Thai Army
Years of service1976–2014
RankGeneral
Commands
Battles/wars

Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; Thai: ประยุทธ์ จันทร์โอชา, pronounced [prā.jút tɕān.ʔōː.tɕʰāː] ⓘ; born 21 March 1954) is a former Thai politician and army officer[1] who became the 29th prime minister of Thailand after seizing power in the 2014 coup d'état and served until 2023. He was concurrently the minister of defence in his own government from 2019 to 2023.[2] Prayut served as commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army from 2010 to 2014[3][4] and led the coup d'état which installed the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), the military junta which governed Thailand between 22 May 2014 and 10 July 2019.[5]

After his appointment as army chief in 2010, Prayut was characterised as a royalist and an opponent of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.[6] 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.[7][8] He later sought to moderate his profile, talking to relatives of protesters who were killed in the bloody conflict[9] and cooperating with the government of Yingluck Shinawatra,[10] who won parliamentary elections in July 2011.

During the political crisis that began in November 2013 and involved protests against the caretaker government of Yingluck, Prayut claimed that the army was neutral[11] 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.[12] He later issued an interim constitution, granting himself sweeping powers and giving himself amnesty for staging the coup.[13] In August 2014, an unelected military-dominated national legislature appointed him Prime Minister of Thailand.[14][15]

Prayut led an authoritarian regime in Thailand.[16] After seizing power, Prayut's government oversaw a significant crackdown on dissent.[17] He formulated "twelve values" based on traditional Thai values and suggested that these be included in school lessons.[18][19][20] Measures were implemented to limit public discussions about democracy and criticism of the government, including increases in Internet and media censorship.[21] Prayut was elected as prime minister following the disputed 2019 general election, after having ruled as an unelected strongman since 2014.[22] 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 voted for a new prime minister on 22 August.[23][24] He was succeeded by Srettha Thavisin of the Pheu Thai party, after nine years in power.

After his political retirement, Prayut was appointed a Privy Councilor on 29 November in the same year.[25]


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

  1. ^ "Army chief retires after four turbulent years". The Nation. 30 September 2014. Archived from the original on 12 February 2020. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
  2. ^ "PM Enters Defence Ministry to Start his Concurrent Position as Defence Minister". Thai News Agency. 30 July 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  3. ^ Fredrickson, Terry (1 October 2010). "Gen Prayut takes command". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  4. ^ Corben, Ron (1 October 2010). "Thailand's new army chief takes office". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  5. ^ "Thai coup: Leader Gen Prayuth receives royal endorsement". BBC News. 26 May 2014.
  6. ^ Harlan, Chico (7 June 2014). "Behind Thailand's coup is a fight over the king and his successor. But it's hush-hush". The Washington Post. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
  7. ^ "Thai king appoints hardliner as next army chief". The Hindu. 2 September 2010. Archived from the original on 13 April 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  8. ^ Petty, Martin (17 October 2010). "Q+A: Are Thailand's "red shirts" regrouping?". Reuters. Archived from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  9. ^ "Gen Prayut takes command". Bangkok Post. 1 October 2010. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  10. ^ "No coup, Prayut tells Yingluck". Bangkok Post. 27 May 2013.
  11. ^ "Prayut says army neutral". Bangkok Post. 30 November 2013.
  12. ^ 'ประยุทธ์-เหล่าทัพ'แถลง'ควบคุมอำนาจรัฐ' [Prayut and military chiefs are controlling state powers]. Komchadluek (in Thai). 22 May 2014. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  13. ^ "Military dominates new Thailand legislature". BBC News. 1 August 2014. Archived from the original on 2 August 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
  14. ^ "Prayut elected as 29th PM". The Nation. 21 August 2014. Archived from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  15. ^ "Thailand's Junta Chief Chosen as Prime Minister". Voice of America. 21 August 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  16. ^ Sopranzetti, Claudio (2017). "The Tightening Authoritarian Grip on Thailand". Current History. 116 (791): 230–234. doi:10.1525/curh.2017.116.791.230. ISSN 0011-3530. JSTOR 48614271.
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference dissent was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ Chan-o-cha, Prayut. "National Broadcast, 2014-07-11" (PDF). Royal Thai Embassy, Islamabad. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  19. ^ Fuller, Thomas (15 September 2014). "Loved and Hated, Former Premier of Thailand Is Erased From Textbook". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  20. ^ 'ประยุทธ์' เตรียมปรับ 'ค่านิยม 12 ประการ' ให้คล้องจองท่องแทน 'เด็กเอ๋ยเด็กดี' แย้มมีสอบด้วย. Prachatai (in Thai). 15 September 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  21. ^ "นายกฯ"ยัน"ห้ามพูดเรื่องปชต [PM: discussion prohibited]. Post Today (in Thai). 19 September 2014. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  22. ^ Thai parliament elects Prayuth Chan-ocha as prime minister
  23. ^ Regan, Kocha Olarn,Jake Kwon,Helen (11 July 2023). "Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha announces retirement from politics". CNN. Retrieved 11 July 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  24. ^ "Outgoing Thai Prime Minister Prayut Announces Retirement From Politics". Time. 11 July 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  25. ^ Post Reporter (29 November 2023). "Gen Prayut Becomes Privy Councilor". Bangkok Post. Bangkok Post. Retrieved 29 November 2023.