Khrong Chandawong

Khrong Chandawong (; 28 January 1908 – 31 May 1961) was a Thai politician and democracy activist who was executed on the orders of dictator Sarit Thanarat. His last words before his execution; “May dictatorship be wrecked. May democracy flourish.” , have been repeatedly quoted in various protests and demonstrations for Thailand’s struggling democracy.

Early life Born to a well-off farming family in Sakon Nakhon Province, Khrong began his career as a teacher in his home region.

Political activities In the post-war era, Khrong's activities attracted the ire of several Thai governments. He was a close friend of Tiang Sirikhanth, who, like Khrong, was a schoolteacher from Sakon Nakhon and former member of Seri Thai, and who was killed in 1952 on orders of the Phibun government. Khrong founded Sammakkhittham ('Solidarity'), a peasant-based group which allegedly attracted thousands of members in northeastern Thailand and was seen as a threat by the central government. Khrong was jailed for five years from 1952 to 1957 on charges of rebellion, before being released as part of a mass amnesty.

After his release, Khrong became a member of parliament for Sakon Nakhon from 1957–1958. A small monument was erected to Khrong and Thongpan in 2003, but was later moved inside a government compound and then had a road built within a meter of the new location.