Sanan Kachornprasart

Sanan Kachornprasart (Thai: สนั่น ขจรประศาสน์, RTGS: Sanan Khachonprasat, Thai pronunciation: [sà.nàn khà.tɕɔːn.prà.sàːt]; born 7 September 1935 – 15 February 2013)[3] was a Thai politician and military officer (Major General). He was deputy prime minister in the cabinet of Abhisit Vejjajiva,[4] and was chief advisor of Chartthaipattana Party.

Sanan Kachornprasart
สนั่น ขจรประศาสน์
Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand
In office
6 February 2008 – 9 August 2011
Prime MinisterSamak Sundaravej
Somchai Wongsawat
Abhisit Vejjajiva
In office
5 October 1998 – 29 March 2000
Prime MinisterChuan Leekpai
In office
26 August 1990 – 9 December 1990
Prime MinisterChatichai Choonhavan
Minister of Interior
In office
14 November 1997 – 29 March 2000
Prime MinisterChuan Leekpai
Preceded bySanoh Thienthong
Succeeded byBanyat Bantadtan
In office
17 December 1994 – 9 December 1995
Prime MinisterChuan Leekpai
Preceded byChavalit Yongchaiyudh
Succeeded byBanharn Silpa-archa
Minister of Industry
In office
29 September 1992 – 13 December 1995
Prime MinisterChuan Leekpai
Preceded bySippanon Ketthat
Succeeded byTrairong Suwankiri
Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives
In office
4 August 1988 – 26 August 1990
Prime MinisterChatichai Choonhavan
Preceded byHarn Leenanon
Succeeded byChuan Leekpai
Personal details
Born(1935-09-07)7 September 1935
Phichit, Thailand
Died15 February 2013(2013-02-15) (aged 77)
Bangkok, Thailand
NationalityThai
Political partyChartthaipattana Party (2008-2013)
Chart Thai Party (2007-2008)
Mahachon Party (2004-2007)
Democrat Party (1983-2000)
Spouse(s)Chawiwan Kachornprasart
Children4
ProfessionPolitician, Soldier
Signature
Military service
Allegiance Thailand
Branch/service Royal Thai Army
Volunteer Defense Corps
RankMajor General[1]
VDC Gen.[2]

Early life and military service

Sanan Kachornprasart was born in Pho Thale, Phichit. He graduated from Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy and United States Army Armor School, at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Afterwards he served as an officer in the tank force (in Thailand traditionally "cavalry") of the Royal Thai Army until he was dismissed for supporting the coup d'état of 26 March 1977, led by General Chalard Hiransiri against the Thanin Kraivichien government. Sanan, by that time a lieutenant colonel, was imprisoned in Lat Yao prison charged with treason, just like his academy and Fort Knox mate Manoonkrit Roopkachorn. He was released when General Kriangsak Chomanan took power in 1979.[5] He was later rehabilitated and promoted to major general.

Political career

Later, Sanan entered politics. He became a member of the Democrat Party. From 1988 until his leave in 2000, he held the position of Secretary-General of the party. He served as Minister of Agriculture from 1988 to 1990 and Deputy Prime Minister for three months in autumn 1990 under Chatichai Choonhavan,[6] as Minister of Industry from 1992 to 1994 and as Interior Minister from 1994 to 1995 in Chuan Leekpai's first government, notable for forbidding the police to pursue lèse-majesté cases.[7][8] When, after two years of opposition, the Democrats regained government in 1997, Premier Chuan re-appointed Sanan Minister of Interior for a second term until 2000. He was Chuan's Deputy Prime Minister from 1998 to 2000.[9]

In 2000 Sanan came under the suspicion of corruption. The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) initiated investigations on the hint by an opposition MP, that a 45 million baht loan by A.A.S. Autoservice, in fact was no loan.[10] On 23 August the Constitutional Court ruled that Sanan had given false information about his assets and banned him from politics for five years in accordance with article 295 of the 1997 Constitution.[10][11][12]

After his ban expired, Sanan left the Democrat Party. In 2004 he founded the Mahachon Party, together with Anek Laothamatas.[13] Sanan served as the secretary of the party.[14] The Mahachon Party won 8.3% of the votes and two of the 500 seats in the 2005 election. In 2007 Sanan and his son Siriwat left the party for the conservative-populist Thai Nation Party, coalition partner of the People's Power Party (PPP) in the Somchai Wongsawat government. In early-December 2008, the Constitutional Court dissolved all governing parties, the Nation Party was mostly reborn as the Thai Nation Development Party (Chartthaipattana Party, CTP), of which Sanan is the chief adviser.

On 15 December 2008 the CTP joined the Democrat-led coalition government under Abhisit and Sanan was appointed Deputy Prime Minister with focus on social policies. After the 2011 election, he resigned from the cabinet, even though the CTP was also part of the new Pheu Thai Party-led coalition.

Sanan Kachornprasart died in Bangkok on 15 February 2013 at the age of 77.

Private life

Sanan was married to Chawiwan Kachornprasart and they had four children. His third son is also a CTP politician, Siriwat Kachornprasart, who was deputy minister of commerce in Yingluck Shinawatra's cabinet. Sanan owned the biggest ostrich farm in Thailand, called "Kajorn Farm" and a vineyard in Dong Charoen District, Phichit Province, where he cultivated the wine "Chateau de Shala One".[15][16]

Honours

Royal decorations

Sanan has received the following royal decorations in the Honours System of Thailand:

References
  1. http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2532/D/077/3199.PDF
  2. http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2538/B/007/213_1.PDF
  3. ด่วน!ปิดตำนานชาละวัน'เสธ.หนั่น'สิ้นแล้ว [Urgent news! 'General Sanan', the Legend of Phichit, died] (in Thai). Bangkok Biz News. February 15, 2013. Retrieved February 15, 2013.
  4. "Cabinet of Abhisit government announced". The Nation. December 20, 2008. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2011.
  5. James R. Klein (2003), The Battle for Rule of Law in Thailand: The Constitutional Court of Thailand (PDF), Centre for Democratic Institutions, Australian National University, p. 65, retrieved 8 November 2012
  6. Assembly XLV Archived 2012-03-24 at the Wayback Machine, The Cabinet, Retrieved 8 November 2012
  7. Phaholtap, Hathairat (16 November 2019). "Sulak Sivaraksa: Behind the audience with the King". The Isaan Record. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  8. Assembly L Archived 2012-03-24 at the Wayback Machine, The Cabinet, retrieved 8 November 2012
  9. Assembly LIII Archived 2012-03-24 at the Wayback Machine, The Cabinet, Retrieved 8 November 2012
  10. James R. Klein (2003), The Battle for Rule of Law in Thailand: The Constitutional Court of Thailand (PDF), Centre for Democratic Institutions, Australian National University, p. 41, retrieved 8 November 2012
  11. Nualnoi Treerat (2005), "Combating corruption in the transformation of Thailand", Corruption and Good Governance in Asia, Routledge, p. 259
  12. Sheila S. Coronel (2008), "Investigative Reporting and the Struggle for the Public Sphere", Free Markets Free Media?: Reflections on the political economy of the press in Asia, Asian Media and Communication Centre, p. 101
  13. Michael Kelly Connors (2005), "Thailand: The Facts and F(r)ictions of Ruling", Southeast Asian Affairs 2005, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, p. 374
  14. "Sanan voted new Mahachon Party leader". The Nation. Archived from the original on February 18, 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
  15. "Sanan's girls play key roles". The Nation. Archived from the original on May 12, 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
  16. "Sanan's red wine hits the shelves". The Nation. Archived from the original on May 12, 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2012.
  17. http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2532/D/214/1.PDF
  18. http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2531/D/201/1.PDF
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