Suchinda Kraprayoon

Suchinda Kraprayoon (, ; 6 August 1933 – 10 June 2025) was a Thai military officer and politician who was the 19th prime minister of Thailand for several weeks in 1992.

As the commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army (1990–1992), Suchinda led the 1991 Thai coup d'état in February and was a member of the junta called "National Peace Keeping Council". A year after the coup on 7 April 1992, he was appointed prime minister. This sparked mass protests that were violently suppressed during Black May which finally led to his resignation on 24 May 1992.

Early life and education Suchinda, son of Juang and Sompong Kraprayoon, was born on 6 August 1933, in Thonburi, Siam, and was of mixed Chinese and Mon descent.

Suchinda first attended Wat Rajabopit School and later Amnuayslip School. 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 National Peace Keeping Council. He also attended the US Army Command and General Staff Course at the Artillery Regiment, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and the US Army Command and General Staff Course at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Lecturer at Army Command and General Staff College Director-General of Operations Department Assisting Chief of Staff (Army Operations) of the Royal Thai Army Deputy Chief of Staff of the Royal Thai Army Sub-Commander of the Royal Thai Army Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army (29 April 1990) Commander-in-Chief of the Supreme Command Headquarters (1 October 1991)

During the Vietnam War, Suchinda was posted to a Thai unit supporting the U.S. war effort and later became an assistant military attaché in 1971 at the Thai Embassy in Washington. Royal intervention on the night of 20 May. Chamlong Srimuang (left) and Suchinda Kraprayoon (middle) submit to the King (seated) After the general election on 22 March 1992, five parties (Rassadorn, Justice Unity, Social Action, Thai Citizen, Chart Thai) designated Suchinda as the prime minister. His appointment as prime minister on 7 April 1992 resulted in large protests, culminating in a general curfew and military deployment in Bangkok. In the event known as Black May, hundreds of people are believed to have died when soldiers opened fire on unarmed students and demonstrators during the protests. Further escalation was avoided by the intervention of King Bhumibol.

Suchinda resigned from the premiership on 24 May 1992. The Deputy Prime Minister, Meechai Ruchuphan, became caretaker prime minister for an interim period until the new government was assigned. He was succeeded by Anand Panyarachun.

Post-downfall After resigning, General Suchinda was appointed Chairman of Telecom Holdings, the holding company of Telecom Asia. Telecom Asia was awarded an unprecedented concession to build 2 million telephone lines in Bangkok after the NPKC seized power.

Personal life and death Suchinda married Khunying Wannee Kraprayoon (née Noonpakdee), sister of Isarapong Noonpakdee, Suchinda's classmate from military academy. The couple had two sons:

Suchinda died of natural causes at Phramongkutklao Hospital in Bangkok, on 10 June 2025, at the age of 91.

Honours

Foreign Honours

Military rank General, Admiral and Air Chief Marshal

Volunteer Defense Corps of Thailand rank Volunteer Defense Corps Colonel