Surayud Chulanont

General Surayud Chulanont TCh MPCh MWM PC
สุรยุทธ์ จุลานนท์
Surayud in 2007
7th President of the Privy Council
Incumbent
Assumed office 2 January 2020 Acting: 27 May 2019 — 2 January 2020
Monarch	Vajiralongkorn
Preceded by	Prem Tinsulanonda
Privy Councillor
In office 29 December 2016 – 2 January 2020
Monarch	Vajiralongkorn
24th Prime Minister of Thailand
In office 1 October 2006 – 29 January 2008
Monarch	Bhumibol Adulyadej
Deputy	Pridiyathorn Devakula Kosit Panpiemras Phaiboon Watthanasiritham Sonthi Boonyaratglin
Preceded by	Sonthi Boonyaratglin (provisional)
Succeeded by	Samak Sundaravej
Minister of Interior
In office 3 October 2007 – 6 February 2008
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Aree Wong-araya
Succeeded by	Chalerm Yubamrung
Supreme Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces
In office 1 October 2002 – 30 September 2003
Preceded by	Narong Yuthavong
Succeeded by	Somtat Attanand
Commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army
In office 1 October 1998 – 30 September 2002
Preceded by	Chettha Thannajaro
Succeeded by	Somtat Attanand
Personal details
Born	(1943-08-28) 28 August 1943 (age 80) Chakrapong Camp, Mueang Prachinburi, Prachinburi, Thailand
Height	1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Spouse(s)	Duangphon Rattanakri (div.) Chitravadee Chulanont
Children	3
Parent	Phayom Chulanont (father)
Alma mater	Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy National Defence College of Thailand
Profession	Soldier
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Thailand
Branch/service	Royal Thai Army
Years of service	1965–2003
Rank	General Admiral Air Chief Marshal
Commands	Supreme Commander Commander-in-Chief: Army Commanding General of the Army Special Warfare
Battles/wars	Cold War Communist insurgency in Thailand Black May 1999 East Timorese crisis International Force East Timor Operation Pochentong 1 War on Drugs
Awards	Rama Medal Freemen Safeguarding Medal (First Class) Border Service Medal Chakra Mala Medal Darjah Kepahlawanan Angkatan Tentera Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang (Tentera) Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera) Legion of Merit Commander Bintang Kartika Eka Paksi Utama Tongil Medal

Surayud Chulanont (Thai: สุรยุทธ์ จุลานนท์, RTGS: Surayut Chulanon, IPA: [sù.rá.jút t͡ɕù.laː.non]; born 28 August 1943) is a Thai politician. He was the 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 Shinawatra 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.^[1] Surayud's Deputy Finance Minister, Sommai Pasee, was sentenced to jail for abuse of power.^[2] 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.^[3] Thailand's economic growth rate slowed to the lowest level in five years and was ranked the lowest in the region.^[4][5] 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.

He is married to Chitravadi Santhadwet Chulanont (Thai: จิตรวดี สันทัดเวช) and has three sons namely Captain Non, Khao and Nam.