Prawit Wongsuwan

General Prawit Wongsuwan ประวิตร วงษ์สุวรรณ
Prawit in 2010
Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand
Incumbent
Assumed office 30 August 2014
Prime Minister	Prayuth Chan-ocha
Minister of Defence
Incumbent
Assumed office 30 August 2014
Prime Minister	Prayuth Chan-ocha
Preceded by	Yingluck Shinawatra
In office 20 December 2008 – 9 August 2011
Prime Minister	Abhisit Vejjajiva
Preceded by	Somchai Wongsawat
Succeeded by	Yuthasak Sasiprapha
Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Army
In office 1 October 2004 – 30 September 2005
Prime Minister	Thaksin Shinawatra
Preceded by	Chaiyasit Shinawatra
Succeeded by	Sonthi Boonyaratglin
Personal details
Born	11 August 1945 Bangkok, Thailand
Alma mater	Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy National Defence College
Religion	Buddhism
Military service
Allegiance	Thailand
Service/branch	Royal Thai Army
Years of service	1969–2005
Rank	General

Prawit Wongsuwan (Thai: ประวิตร วงษ์สุวรรณ; IPA: [prà.wít wōŋ.sù.wān]; born 11 August 1945) is a Thai retired army officer and politician. From 2004 to 2005 he was the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army. From 2008 to 2011 he was the Minister of Defence of Thailand. Since August 2014 he has again been Defence Minister and additionally Deputy Prime Minister in the post-coup government of General Prayuth Chan-ocha. He is also the deputy chairman of the military junta that calls itself the "National Council for Peace and Order".

Life and career

Prawits father was Major General Prasert Wongsuwan. He has four younger brothers: the Senator Admiral Sithawat Wongsuwan, Police General Patcharawat Wongsuwan (the former Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police), deceased football manager Pongphan Wongsuwan, and Phanpong Wongsuwan. Prawit attended Saint Gabriel's College and Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School (class 6, graduated 1965).

After graduating from Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy (class 17) in 1969, he became an officer in the 21st Infantry Regiment (Queen's Guard). In 1978, he completed the Thai Command and General Staff course. In 1984, he was transferred to the 12th Infantry Regiment, of which he became deputy commander in 1986, and commander in 1989. In 1992, he was appointed royal aide-de-camp. In 1996 he was promoted commander of the 2nd Infantry Division. After graduating from the National Defence College of Thailand in 1997, he became deputy commander, and in 1998 commander of the 1st Army Region (responsible for Bangkok and Central Thailand). In 2001, he was appointed assistant Chief-of-staff responsible for the army's operative branch. He returned to command the 1st Army Region, before being promoted Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Army in 2003 and Commander-in-Chief in 2004. After retiring from active military service, he became a judge at the supreme court-martial. After the 2006 coup d'état, he was appointed member of the National Legislative Assembly.^[1]

In December 2008 he was appointed Minister of Defence in Abhisit Vejjajiva's cabinet, serving until August 2011.

Prawit is known as the mentor (or "big brother") of a military clique called the "Eastern Tigers", who usually started their career in the 21st Infantery Regiment (nicknamed the "Queen's Tigers") based in Prachinburi in Eastern Thailand. This group includes former Commander-in-Chief Anupong Paochinda, and his successor Prayuth Chan-ocha.^[2] Prawit is often considered a backer of the anti-government protests during the 2013–14 Thai political crisis, cited as a potential leader in coup rumors (which he denied) or as a possible candidate for Prime Minister in case that the anti-government movement should succeed.^[3][4]

After the 22 May 2014 coup d'état, the junta—led by his "younger brother" General Prayuth—appointed Prawit chairman of its "advisory board".^[5] On 31 August 2014 he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence in Prayuth's cabinet.^[6] On 16 September he was also appointed deputy chairman of the "National Council for Peace and Order".^[7]

References

1. ประวิตร วงษ์สุวรรณ, Thairath.co.th
2. John Cole; Steve Sciacchitano (13 October 2012), "Thai military resists political pressure", Asia Times
3. Wassana Nanuam (12 December 2013), "'Silent' military coup beats having a real one", Bangkok Post
4. Jason Szep; Amy Sawitta Lefevre (13 December 2013), Powerful forces revealed behind Thai protest movement, Reuters
5. "Prawit, Somkid, Pridiyathorn named advisers". Bangkok Post. 27 May 2014.
6. "Prayuth 1 cabinet endorsed". Bangkok Post. 31 August 2014.
7. "Somkid, Meechai sit on NCPO". Bangkok Post. 16 September 2014.