Writer: Paul Chambers, Naresuan College
The judicial suspension of prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on 24 August 2022 catapulted his ‘performing’ successor and former commander, Basic Prawit Wongsuwan, to workplace. The accession marked one other feather within the hat for Prawit, who hails from a Bangkok-based navy elite household and whose political and armed forces connections have transported him to energy.
Prawit established these priceless connections throughout his faculty years. His cadet class connections embrace former military commander common Sonthi Boonyaratglin and former supreme commander common Boonsrang Niempradit. He attended the Royal Thai Military Command and Basic Employees College alongside then Crown Prince and now King Vajiralongkorn. Not a foul circle of acquaintances.
In 1978, Prawit was stationed inside the japanese infantry division — ‘the Jap Tigers’ or Buraphapayak. He was initially a part of the revered twenty first infantry regiment ‘Queen’s Tiger Guards’ however after supporting a failed coup try in 1981 was transferred to the frontier second regiment alongside the war-ravaged Thailand–Cambodia border.
It was there that he befriended native political bigwig Sanoh Thienthong and, via Sanoh, met different politicians together with Newin Chidchob and future prime minister Banharn Silpa-archa. In 1989, Prawit grew to become twelfth infantry regiment commander in Sakaeo province, close to the Aranyaprathet–Poipet border crossing. In Sakaeo, he oversaw commerce alongside the frontier. By 1994, he was peripherally concerned usually Chavalit Yongchaiyudh’s New Aspiration Get together whereas his regiment was rumoured to be taking advantage of the export of blood diamonds from Cambodia.
In 1997, Prawit’s mentor — then military commander common Chetta Thanajaro — appointed him deputy first military commander. However in 2000, underneath military commander common Surayud Chulanond, Prawit fell from grace. He was demoted to military advisor — allegedly as a result of Surayud’s patron, then privy council chair common Prem Tinsulanonda, was sad that Prawit had not sufficiently opposed a 1985 coup try towards then prime minister Prem.
Fortunately for Prawit, following the 2001 election his pal Chavalit grew to become defence minister — appointing him first military commander in 2002 and assistant military commander in 2003. Success once more assisted Prawit in 2004, when the escalating insurgency in Thailand’s deep south led prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to nominate Prawit to the place of military commander. It helped that he had befriended Thaksin’s spouse, Potjaman Na Pombejra, and Thai Rak Thai Get together deputies Sudarat Keyurapan and Wattana Muangsuk. When Prawit retired from the military in 2005, he was in style amongst troopers and parliamentarians.
The 2006 Sonthi-led navy coup hastened Prawit’s ascension to political energy. All however one of many post-putsch junta leaders belonged to Prawit’s pre-cadet class. His ‘youthful brother’ from Buraphapayak, common Anupong Paochinda, grew to become military commander in 2007 and the 2 of them cobbled collectively an anti-Thaksin civilian authorities in December 2008, of which Prawit was made defence minister.
Prawit ensured one other ‘youthful brother’ common Prayut Chan-o-cha’s appointment as military commander and helped coordinate the 2010 bloodbath of pro-democracy pink shirt demonstrators. Although he was dismissed following the 2011 election, Prawit returned to energy on the day of common Prayut Chan-o-cha’s 2014 coup, which Prawit helped plan.
Instantly following the coup, Prawit grew to become junta deputy head, deputy prime minister, defence minister and gained operational management over funding for the counterinsurgency and ‘growth’ effort within the deep south. He was key to establishing the Nationwide Legislative Meeting in 2017, to which a lot of his minions had been appointed, and served as chair of the senate nomination committee, which chosen names for the King’s approval. He exercised maybe the best energy inside the junta right now.
After a farcical 2019 ballot not directly elected Prayut as prime minister, Prawit was appointed deputy prime minister and have become occasion chief of the Palang Pracharat Get together. The 5 Provinces Forest Conservation Basis, created by the military to guard the setting whereas boosting growth in japanese Thailand, has apparently been utilized by Prawit to complement himself and his navy and political pals. Its government committee of 25 incorporates 19 navy members.
Prawit’s kin are additionally highly effective. His brother, common Pacharawat Wongsuwan, leads an influential police faction. One other brother, admiral Sitthawat Wongsuwan, was chairman of the now-defunct 2014–2019 Nationwide Legislative Meeting. The junta appointed each as senators. Pacharawat’s loyalist, former police chief common Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit is now President of Thailand’s Nationwide Anti-Corruption Fee, which cleared Prawit of failing to declare his 22 luxurious watches.
Except for the King, Prawit instructions probably the most navy loyalty and has decided most navy and police reshuffles since 2014 — guaranteeing that the armed forces prolongs its political shadow. He has additionally personally chosen cupboard ministers. Inside the ruling Palang Pracharat Get together, Prawit’s phrase is fiat.
In September 2021, following rumours of dissension between Prawit and Prayut, Prawit’s proxy — Captain Thammanat Prompao — nearly succeeded in masterminding a censure towards the now former prime minister. Since 2022, Thammanat has led what seems to be a back-up occasion for Prawit — the Thai Financial Get together. However hypothesis abounds that he and now-fugitive Thaksin have secretly agreed to kind a coalition with Palang Pracharat and Thaksin’s Pheu Thai Get together following the subsequent common election, with Prawit probably as prime minister.
Prawit stays the essential ‘huge brother’ of the ‘three Ps’ — Prawit, Prayut and Inside Minister Anupong. The one-time platoon commander has now reached the top of Thai political clout. Exterior of the palace, in late 2022, nearly all navy and political roads result in Prawit Wongsuwan.
However Prawit’s ascension to the prime ministership merely solidifies his path to energy. Certainly one of his first acts was to nominate a confidante, Basic Damrongsak Kittiprapas, as Thailand’s new police chief. He may even oversee Thailand’s annual navy reshuffle on 1 October. Prayut could return to energy. Regardless, although his bodily well being could also be deteriorating, Prawit has confirmed that an ageing authoritarian can possess sturdy political well being, and the 77-year outdated is more likely to stay a formidable strongman till his loss of life.
Dr Paul Chambers is Lecturer on the Centre of ASEAN Group Research, Naresuan College, Thailand, and has revealed extensively on navy affairs in Southeast Asia. He’s additionally co-author of Khaki Capital: The Political Financial system of the Army in Southeast Asia.
