Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha has signed an order promoting 313 colonels who were commanders of key combat units during the 2010 political violence.
They include army spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd, who becomes the deputy commander of the army's civil affairs school.
Col Sansern was the key spokesman who spoke up for the army during the clashes between troops and the red shirts in April and May in 2010.
The appointment confers on Col Sansern the rank of "deputy general" and he will become a major general in the next army reshuffle.
Gen Prayuth signed the promotion order on Wednesday. It was released yesterday.
An army source said the list of the promoted 313 colonels is known as the list of "deputy generals" who will be promoted to rank of general in the future.
The colonels were commanders of combat units who dealt with the 2010 political violence.
The promotion is seen as a reward for their contributions towards the army's handling of the unrest.
Most of them have been promoted from the position of regiment commanders to become deputy division commanders, the source said.