Thanin Kraivichien | |
|---|---|
ธานินทร์ กรัยวิเชียร | |
 Thanin in 2011 | |
| ActingPresident of the Privy Council | |
| In office 13 October 2016 – 1 December 2016 | |
| Monarchs | Vajiralongkorn (King) Prem Tinsulanonda (Regent) |
| Preceded by | Prem Tinsulanonda |
| Succeeded by | Prem Tinsulanonda |
| 14th Prime Minister of Thailand | |
| In office 8 October 1976 – 20 October 1977 | |
| Monarch | Bhumibol Adulyadej |
| Preceded by | Sangad Chaloryu (de facto) |
| Succeeded by | Sangad Chaloryu (de facto) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1927-04-05)5 April 1927 Bangkok,Siam |
| Died | 23 February 2025(2025-02-23) (aged 97) |
| Spouse | Karen Andersen (1928–1995)[1] |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater | |
| Profession |
|
| Signature |  |
Thanin Kraivichien (first name also spelledTanin, last nameKraivixien orKraivichian;Thai:ธานินทร์ กรัยวิเชียร,RTGS: Thanin Kraiwichian,IPA:[tʰaː.ninkrai.wí.t͡ɕʰian]; 5 April 1927 – 23 February 2025) was a Thai judge, politician and law professor. He was the prime minister ofThailand between 1976 and 1977. He was then appointed to thePrivy Council[2] and became its president in 2016.[3] With the death ofPrem Tinsulanonda in May 2019, he became the oldest living former Thai Prime Minister.[4] Kraivichien died on 23 February 2025, at the age of 97.[5][6][7]
Thanin was a son of Hae and Pa-ob Kraivichien. He was born inBangkok. His father was a Chinese-born merchant and owner of one of the biggestpawnshops in Bangkok.[8] Thanin studiedlaw atThammasat University, graduating in 1948. He then went to theLondon School of Economics to continue with his law studies. He graduated in 1953, and in 1958 was called to the Bar atGray's Inn. In Great Britain, Thanin met Karen Andersen, a native of Denmark, whom he married. They had five children.[8]
After Thanin returned to Thailand in 1954, Thanin worked in theMinistry of Justice, becoming an associate judge. He rose quickly, finally becoming President of theSupreme Court of Thailand. Additionally, he taught law atThammasat andChulalongkorn universities and the Thai Bar Association. He was appointed adjunct professor to the Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy at Chulalongkorn University in 1972.[9] As an avocation, he published books that warned of the dangers ofcommunism.[8]
After thedemocratic uprising against military dictatorship in 1973, Thanin was a member of the transitional legislative assembly appointed by the king. He became a member of the far-right anti-communistNawaphon movement.[10] He had a TV show in which he attacked communism, the students' movement, and progressive politicians.[11]
After theThammasat University massacre of 6 October 1976, the democratically elected prime ministerSeni Pramoj was toppled by a military coup led by AdmiralSangad Chaloryu. Two days later, KingBhumibol Adulyadej appointed his favourite, Thanin, to be interim prime minister. Thanin insisted on selecting his cabinet himself and rejected most of the military junta's nominations. The military occupied only the positions of deputy prime minister and deputy minister of defence. Thanin led the first Thai cabinet in which several women, including Wimolsiri Chamnarnvej andLursakdi Sampatisiri, held ministerial posts. Thanin was seen as honest and intelligent but also eminently ideological and politically extreme.[8] After his taking office, he sent police special forces to notoriously liberal book shops, and ordered the confiscation and burning of 45,000 books, including those written byThomas More,George Orwell, andMaxim Gorky.[12]
Thanin announced that Thailand could return to democratic rule only after 12 years. The parliament was dissolved and all political parties outlawed. Thanin's crackdown on trade unions, progressive students' and farmers' associations drove activists into the underground structures of theCommunist Party of Thailand. Instead of weakening the communists, it fuelled their armed struggle against the government.[13] At the same time, Thanin became the first prime minister of Thailand to appoint women to his cabinet.[5]
In March 1977, a group of younger army officers known as the"Young Turks", who had an interest in political matters, tried to topple Thanin. Their attempted coup failed. On 20 October 1977, however, Admiral Sangad againseized power and pressed Thanin to resign. The military justified their intervention because Thanin's government had divided the country and had virtually no public support, the economic situation had worsened, and people in general disagreed with such a long-term suspension of democracy.[14]
King Bhumibol Adulyadej immediately appointed Thanin to hisPrivy Council. During the vacancy of the throne after Bhumibol's death on 13 October 2016, the former President of the Privy Council,Prem Tinsulanonda, served as regent and interim head of state. Thanin temporarily assumed the office of President of the Privy Council during this period. After KingVajiralongkorn's accession to the throne on 1 December 2016, Prem returned to his earlier position, while Thanin was not reappointed to the Privy Council at all.[15]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Prime Minister of Thailand 1976–1977 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Acting President of the Privy Council 2016 | Succeeded by |
