Gen Suchinda Kraprayoon, a noted architect of the 1991 military coup and a former prime minister of Thailand, died on Tuesday at the age of 91 from natural causes.
He was pronounced dead at 1.57am at Phramongkutklao Hospital in Bangkok. Details of a religious ceremony will be announced later.
Gen Suchinda was a significant figure in Thai history, notably as the army chief who ousted prime minister Gen Chatichai Choonhavan in 1991 and subsequently became the 19th premier in 1992. He was a member of the National Peacekeeping Council (NPKC), the junta formed following the coup.
He is best remembered for his role during the May 1992 uprising, when protests against his government resulted in the deaths of more than 50 students and injuries or disappearances of hundreds more.
This event, also called the Black May uprising, led to his resignation and remains a pivotal moment in Thailand’s democratic development.
Born on Aug 6, 1933, Suchinda was the youngest child of Chuang and Sompong Kraprayoon. He had two elder sisters.
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 NPKC.
He also attended the US Army Command and General Staff Course at the Artillery Regiment in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and the US Army Command and General Staff Course at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
After returning to Thailand in 1953, Suchinda served as a second lieutenant in the army, and moved steadily up the ranks, becoming commander-in-chief in April 1990.
After stepping down from the prime ministership in 1992, Suchinda largely withdrew from public life, though he remained a respected elder within military circles.
His wife, Khunying Wannee, passed away last year. He is survived by two sons.
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His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej summons then Prime Minister Gen Suchinda Kraprayoon and Maj Gen Chamlong Srimuang to Chitralada Palace, Bangkok, on May 20, 1992. (File photo)