Surayud Chulanont (, , ; born 28 August 1943) is a Thai former politician and military officer who was the 24th prime minister of Thailand and head of Thailand's interim government between 2006 and 2008. He is a former supreme commander of the Royal Thai Army and is currently Privy Councilor to King Vajiralongkorn.
Surayud came from a military family, but his father defected from the Royal Thai Army to the Communist Party of Thailand when Surayud was a boy. Surayud joined the Thai Army and rose to power as an aide to General Prem Tinsulanonda. He commanded troops during Bloody May, the violent 1992 crackdown on anti-government protesters, but he denied giving his men the order to shoot protesters. He was promoted to army commander during the government of Chuan Leekpai and was promoted to supreme commander in 2003, under the government of Thaksin Shinawatra. Upon his retirement from the army, he was appointed by King Bhumibol Adulyadej to the Privy Council of Thailand. Surayud and Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda played a key role in the promotion of General Sonthi Boonratklin to the position of army commander.
Sonthi overthrew the government of Thaksin in a coup on 19 September 2006 and implored Surayud to be the head of interim government. Surayud's government was controversial. There was a significant worsening in perceived levels of corruption during his government.Transparency International, 2007 Corruption Perceptions Index Surayud's Deputy Finance Minister, Sommai Pasee, was sentenced to jail for abuse of power.The Nation, Convicted deputy finance minister resigns , 13 December 2007 Surayud raised the military budget by 35% and was accused of economic mismanagement, rampant human rights abuses, and flip-flopping on numerous policies. Article 19 ranked Thailand as falling behind Cambodia and Indonesia in terms of freedom of expression.The Nation, Defamation law decried , 16 October 2007 Thailand's economic growth rate slowed to the lowest level in five years and was ranked the lowest in the region.Bangkok Post, Thailand's economic growth lowest in region, World Bank saysXinhua, World Bank urges Thailand to enhance economy , 15 November 2007 However, Surayud was praised for apologising for atrocities committed by the Thai military fighting the South Thailand insurgency, although the apology was accompanied by a sharp escalation in violence. He has been accused of forest reserve encroachment (a charge that was not investigated since the statute of limitations had run out by two years) and of illegally acquiring train carriages for display in his forest home.
Family and education Surayud came from a long line of military leaders. His maternal grandfather was Phraya Sri Sitthi Songkhram (Din Tharab), a royalist leader during the failed Boworadej Rebellion. Surayud's father was Lt. Colonel Phayom Chulanont, a Royal Thai Army military officer who, as "Comrade Too Khamtan" (), became a member of the Central Committee Communist Party of Thailand and Chief of Staff of the People's Liberation Army of Thailand.The Nation, Comrades-In-Arms: Their war gone by , 12 January 2006
Surayud completed his early education at Saint Gabriel's College and Suankularb Wittayalai School in Bangkok. He graduated from the inaugural class of Armed Forces Preparatory Academy.
As a boy, Surayud's father left his family to go underground to join the Communists. Phayom explained his defection by citing corruption in the army and its inability to defend the powerless.Time Magazine, Surayud Chulanont: A soldier who answered to the people, 28 April 2003 His father's defection to the Communists had a large impact on Surayud. Surayud's son, Non, noted that, "My father always told me that we must help each other redeem the tarnished family name of Chulanont so that Thais can look up to it." Matichon Weekly, "จาก 'ปู่พโยม' ถึง 'พ่ิอสุรยุทธ์' 'จุลานนท์' ในสายตา 'ร.อ.นนท์' 'นายกฯสุรยุทธ์' และการปฏิวัติ ในสายตาลูกทหาร" ("From 'Grandfather Phayom' to 'Father Surayud', 'Chulanont' in the Eyes of 'Captain Non', 'Premier Surayud' and Rebellion in the Eyes of the Son of a Soldier"), 15–21 December 2006
Surayud entered Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy (CRMA) and graduated from Class 12.
Surayud was conferred honorary doctor of philosophy degrees in: 1. Communication Arts in 1995 by Wongchavalidkul University, Thailand. 2. Liberal Arts (Rural Planning and Development) in 2000 by Maejo University, Thailand. 3. Liberal Arts (Political Science) in 2004 by Prince of Songkla University, Thailand. 4. Engineering in April 2007 by Tokai University, Japan. 5. Social Development in December 2008 by Huachiew University, Thailand.
Surayud currently serves as a chancellor of the council of King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) and Phetchaburi Rajabhat University.
Military career Early in his army career, Surayud served in several army divisions including a light artillery unit and a paratrooper unit. He conducted operations against the Communist Party of Thailand (CPT) while his father was a leader of the CPT. From 1972 to 1978, he was an instructor at the Special Warfare School. He was an aide to General Prem Tinsulanonda when Prem was appointed army commander and later Prime Minister of Thailand. Surayud was appointed Commander of the Special Warfare Command in 1992, where he was the commanding officer of Sonthi Boonratklin. Surayud Chulanont's official resume from the Royal Thai Army website
During Bloody May, the violent crackdown 1992 on anti-government protesters, Surayud's men were seen at areas near the Royal Hotel, where protesters were seen being searched for weapons and later dragged into the hotel. He later claimed that he never gave orders for his soldiers to shoot.IHT, Thai junta shores up role in politics, 1 October 2006 According to a later interview, "It convinced me that the army should never be involved in politics." Days later he told a national television audience that he deplored the loss of life and that he had not given any orders to shoot. In 1994, he was appointed commander of the 2nd Army Region.
Surayud was promoted to army commander in late-1998. At the time, his promotion was controversial, as Surayud had been politically "shelved" at a staff position. To secure his vision of a politics-free army, Surayud appointed several of his classmates from Class 12 of the CRMA to key positions. Among these were Lt Gen Sompong Maivichit, who he made head of army-controlled Channel 5 television station, replacing Gen Pang Malakul na Ayudhya, and Lt Gen Boonrod Somtap, who he promoted to a key subordinate position to replace Gen Charn Boonprasert.The Nation, Editorial & Opinion: Surayuth guns for reforms, 18 February 1999 He also ended a policy of deporting Burmese refugees, especially ethnic Karens, back to Burma. "He's been a friend to us," said Pastor Robert Htway of the Karen Refugee Committee. During his term, Thai soldiers took part in the United Nations Peace Keeping Force, assisting UN-PKF efforts in East Timor.
To stop drug and drug cartels into Thailand, Surayud, in March 2002, ordered one of Thailand's largest military operations in recent times, when Thai troops moved deep into Myanmar territory to destroy drug labs and military bases controlled by the United Wa State Army.Asia Times, Unplugging Thailand, Myanmar energy deals, 14 November 2006
In 2003, after over four years as Army Commander, Surayud was promoted to the position of supreme commander, a loftier, but less influential, post, during the government of Thaksin Shinawatra. He was replaced as army commander by Somthad Attanan. His promotion was rumoured to be the result of a conflict with the prime minister, possibly over foreign policy towards Myanmar and the crackdown on drugs.
Privy councilor On 14 November 2003, King Bhumibol Adulyadej appointed Surayud to his Privy Council of personal advisors. Several months later he asked the king for permission to ordain as a monk for a brief period at a forest temple in northeastern Thailand. Surayud and Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda had been perceived to have a key role in the promotion of General Sonthi Boonratklin to the position of army commander.The Statesman, Sonthi: The man who made it happen , 20 September 2006The Nation, Warning from Surayud: Thaksin's return 'a threat' , 28 September 2006
Facing an escalating insurgency in the south of Thailand, Surayud urged the media to paint a more positive picture of the violence. "Truthful words that may not be beneficial nor do any good to the public should be avoided", noted Surayud to the Press Council of Thailand. He was contradicted by Deputy Prime Minister Chaturon Chaisang, who noted that he couldn't think of any news about the conflict in the South that could or should not be reported by the media.The Nation, Media criticised over 'unhelpful news' , 4 July 2005
In response to numerous claims made by anti-Thaksin activist Sondhi Limthongkul that his People's Alliance for Democracy was "fighting for the King", Surayud responded by saying that, "Recent references to the monarchy were inappropriate. The institution should not be involved in politics. Political disputes should be solved in a political way."DPA, New Prime Minister a respected former army commander , 1 October 2006
In January 2008, not long after Surayud ended his term as prime minister, he was again reappointed to King Bhumibol Adulyadej's Privy Council.
In 2020 Surayud stood in for Vajiralongkorn in the Royal Ploughing Ceremony of rice, directing the planting of Dok Mali 105, Pathum Than 1, Kor Khor 43, Kor Khor 6, and Kor Khor 79.
Environmental protection Surayud was chairman of the Khao Yai National Park Protection Foundation.Bangkok Post, New Highway Planned to Let Herds Mingle , 26 April 2004
However, after becoming premier in 2006, he was accused of breaching the Forestry Act and the National Forest Reserves Act by illegally owning forest land in Yaithiang Mountain of Nakhon Ratchasima Province. He vowed to resign and return the land (which he did not deny owning) if found guilty.The Nation, Activists call on Surayud to resign for alleged forest encroachment , 29 December 2006
In February 2010 after demonstrations by "Red Shirts" at Khao Yaithiang Mountain, Surayud, who by then had already left politics, returned the land to the Royal Forestry Department when it was found that the land was within forest reserve land under the ministry's decades old code. The plot of land is now under Royal Forestry Department's care. However, up until now no legal action has been taken by Thai authorities against him or other landowners of similar case around the country. Some opposition pressed him to resign from his post as privy councillor only as to understand later that Surayud "had no ill intention" and that it was highly inappropriate to ask for resignation of the post on such unreasonable ground.
Prime Minister of Thailand (2006–2008)
Surayud was already considered a strong candidate for appointment as civilian prime minister premiership immediately after General Sonthi overthrew the government of Thaksin Shinawatra. Indeed, Surayud's appointment to the Premiership was confirmed by junta leader Sonthi Boonyaratglin on the morning of Sunday 1 October 2006. After a couple imploring asks for Surayud to take the temporary premiership, Sonthi had a formal audience with King Bhumibol Adulyadej at 4 pm that day to nominate Surayud's name to the monarch.The Nation, Sonthi to be granted an audience to nominate interim PM at 4 pm , 1 October 2006The Nation, Sonthi: Surayud to be PM , 1 October 2006 "Security and social unity" were cited by Sonthi as the key reasons for appointing Surayud.Bangkok Post, Surayud's military past posed worry, 2 October 2006