Ex-Thai PM Suchinda Kraprayoon, who cracked down on 1992 protests, dies at 91

Suchinda Kraprayoon, an army commander in Thailand who in 1992 followed the Southeast Asian nation's tradition of military strongmen assuming the reins of government, died on Tuesday at the age of 91, the state Thai News Agency reported.
Suchinda, who served just under seven weeks as prime minister, became one of the country's most reviled politicians after the military used lethal force to quash protests alleging he took office by undemocratic means.
The episode became known as 'Black May'.
The violence, during which 52 people were killed according to an official count, ended only when the country's revered monarch, then-King Bhumibol Adulyadej, summoned Suchinda and protest leader Chamlong Srimuang for a scolding on a live television broadcast.
Suchinda stepped down and exited politics, living generally out of the public eye. He was respected by fellow officers and named chairman of a major Thai telecoms company.
Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej (right) urges Suchinda Kraprayoon (centre) and protest leader Chamlong Srimuang (left) to negotiate a settlement and avoid violence at the Royal Palace in Bangkok in May 1992. Photo: AFP
He began his military career by attending Chulachomklao Military Academy, Thailand's West Point, and did two study tours in the United States. He served a stint in a Thai unit supporting the US war effort in Vietnam, and was an assistant military attaché in 1971 at the Thai embassy in Washington.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

South China Morning Post

3 hours ago

• South China Morning Post

Asean credibility at stake amid soaring Thailand-Cambodia border tensions: analysts

Asean risks a fresh blow to its already dented credibility if it fails to de-escalate tensions between Thailand and Cambodia , analysts have warned, as a deadly border skirmish and a political leak threaten to trigger broader regional fallout. Advertisement 'A full-blown border war between Thailand and Cambodia will damage Asean's credibility,' Abdul Rahman Yaacob, a research fellow at the Lowy Institute's Southeast Asia programme, told This Week in Asia. 'The regional organisation is already under fire for being perceived as not effective in dealing with the Myanmar crisis.' Since its founding in 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has been credited with helping avoid conflict among its members. But that legacy now faces a critical test, observers say, amid a weeks-long stand-off following a May 28 clash that left one Cambodian soldier dead – the first fatal border flare-up since 2011. Tensions intensified after a phone call between Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and former Cambodian leader Hun Sen leaked on Wednesday, revealing informal efforts to calm the situation. In the recording, Paetongtarn referred to Hun Sen as 'uncle' and urged him to disregard a Thai military commander, saying: 'He just wants to look cool … but in truth what we want is peace.' 03:41 Thai government hangs by thread as leaked phone call shreds PM Paetongtarn's credibility Thai government hangs by thread as leaked phone call shreds PM Paetongtarn's credibility The leak triggered political backlash in Thailand, where critics accused Paetongtarn of undermining the military and appearing overly deferential to Hun Sen. The uproar led to the withdrawal of a key coalition partner and intensified scrutiny of the Shinawatra family's close personal ties with Cambodia's ruling elite. Advertisement Paetongtarn later defended the call as part of a negotiation tactic but apologised for the resulting 'public resentment'.

The Standard

4 hours ago

• The Standard

Thailand's economy teeters as political turmoil threatens recovery efforts

Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra speaks during a press conference at the Government House, in Bangkok, Thailand, May 19, 2025. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo

South China Morning Post

5 hours ago

• South China Morning Post

Singapore leader's visit gives China chance to pitch itself as reliable partner for Asean

Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will visit China next week, on a trip that is expected to give Beijing a chance to promote itself as a reliable partner for Southeast Asian countries and defender of multilateralism. China will also be keen to reassure Singapore that the Chinese economy is 'back on track' as it gears up for a trade war with the United States, analysts said. It will be Wong's first trip to China since becoming prime minister in May 2024. The visit follows his People's Action Party's decisive win in the country's general election last month. On Friday the Chinese foreign ministry confirmed the visit would start on Sunday and run until Thursday. It added that Wong was visiting at the invitation of Premier Li Qiang 'China looks forward to using this visit to further enhance strategic communication with Singapore, deepen exchanges and cooperation across various fields, jointly uphold multilateralism and free trade and to advance bilateral relations to greater heights,' foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said. Dylan Loh, assistant professor of foreign policy at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, said trade and economic cooperation were expected to dominate the agenda.