Kowit Wattana | |
|---|---|
โกวิท วัฒนะ | |
 | |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand | |
| In office 9 August 2011 – 18 January 2012 | |
| Prime Minister | Yingluck Shinawatra |
| In office 2 August 2008 – 9 September 2008 | |
| Prime Minister | Samak Sundaravej |
| Minister of Interior | |
| In office 2 August 2008 – 2 December 2008 | |
| Prime Minister | |
| Preceded by | Chalerm Yubamrung |
| Succeeded by | Chaovarat Chanweerakul |
| Commissioner-General of theRoyal Thai Police | |
| In office 1 October 2004 – 2 December 2007 | |
| Preceded by | San Sarutanon |
| Succeeded by | Seripisut Temiyavet |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1947-03-11)11 March 1947 Phak Hai, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, Thailand |
| Died | 15 December 2025(2025-12-15) (aged 79) Bangkok, Thailand |
| Party | Pheu Thai Party |
| Alma mater | Royal Thai Police Cadet Academy |
| Profession | Police officer |
Kowit Wattana (Thai:โกวิท วัฒนะ; 11 March 1947 – 15 December 2025) was a Thai police general and politician. From 2004 to 2007, he was the Commissioner-General of theRoyal Thai Police. In 2008, he was Minister of the Interior, and from 2011 to 2012 Deputy Prime Minister underYingluck Shinawatra. Kowit was a member of the rulingPheu Thai Party.
Kowit Wattana's father was a teacher and prefect ofPhak Hai District. Kowit graduated from theArmed Forces Academies Preparatory School (class 6) and the Royal Thai Police Cadet Academy (class 22). He started his career in public service as an officer of theBorder Patrol Police. He served in this paramilitary unit for 27 years.
From 1970 to 1975, he was on the Border Patrol Police special company fighting thecommunist insurgency in Thailand. Later he commanded the troops responsible for a 120 kilometres (75 mi) section of the Thai-Burmese border. Later he was leader of the Border Patrol Police in the wholenorthern sector. In this position his main challenges were fightingdrug-related crime, shutting down severalheroin factories inChiang Mai,Chiang Rai,Phayao andMae Hong Son, andcounter-insurgency. In 1994, he was promoted to national commander of the Border Patrol.
In 2004, he was named Commissioner-General of theRoyal Thai Police.
Following the2006 coup d'état, Kowit was named third deputy chief of theCouncil for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy.[1]On 22 September, the council gave Police General Wattana absolute power over all police matters. He was also made Chair of a new National Police Commission. The commission will be assigned to amend the 2004 National Police Bill over the next year; the bill had been originally been approved by the elected parliament. Under the pre-coup legal framework, the premier had been responsible for chairing the commission.[2] So far, two members of the new police commission have been announced, Pol GenPhatcharawat Wongsuwan and Pol GenIssaraphan Sanitwong.[3] He was replaced bySeripisut Temiyavet in 2007. There was speculation about the motivation behind the replacement, as Kowit had earlier arrested several military personnel for alleged involvement in the2006 Bangkok New Year's Eve bombings.
On 2 August 2008, Kowit Wattana was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, replacing Chalerm Yubamrung for the latter position. On 24 September 2008, Kowit was appointed Minister of Interior inSomchai Wongsawat's cabinet, serving until the government broke apart on 2 December 2008.
He was an executive member of thePheu Thai Party, successor of the dissolved and bannedPeople's Power Party. In September 2010, he was expected to replaceYongyuth Wichaidit as the party's chairman,[4] but he demurred and asked Yongyuth to carry on.
On 9 August 2011, Kowit was appointed Deputy Prime Minister inYingluck Shinawatra's cabinet. He resigned from the office due to a major reshuffle of the Yingluck cabinet on 18 January 2012.[5]
Wattana died at thePolice General Hospital inBangkok, on 15 December 2025, at the age of 78.[6]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand 2011–2012 withYongyuth Wichaidit (2011–2012) Chalerm Yubamrung (2011–2012) Kittiratt Na-Ranong (2011–2012) Chumpol Silpa-archa (2011–2012) | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister ofInterior 2008 | Succeeded by |
| Police appointments | ||
| Preceded by | Commissioner-General of theRoyal Thai Police 2004–2007 | Succeeded by |