Kriangsak Chamanan

Kriangsak Chamanan
Name	Kriangsak Chamanan
Native name	เกรียงศักดิ์ ชมะนันทน์
Birth date	8 August 1917
Birth place	Nakon Sawan, Siam
Death date	23 August 2003
Death place	Bangkok, Thailand
Nationality	Thai
Occupation	Soldier, Politician
Known for	Prime Minister of Thailand (1977–1980)
Office	Prime Minister of Thailand
Term start	19 November 1977
Term end	3 March 1980
Predecessor	Thanin Kraivichien
Successor	Prem Tinsulanonda

Kriangsak Chamanan was a Thai general and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Thailand from 1977 to 1980. A career officer of the Royal Thai Army, he became head of government after a coup d'état that deposed Thanin Kraivichien and presided over a period of political stabilization, normalization of relations with neighboring states, and economic management during the late Cold War era. His premiership intersected with major regional issues involving Vietnam, the People's Republic of China, the United States, and the ASEAN.

Early life and education

Born in Nakhon Sawan Province in 1917, he attended primary schooling in provincial institutions before entering military education paths associated with the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy. He furthered professional training through staff courses linked to the Royal Thai Army and participated in seminars and exchanges associated with the United States Military Academy, the Indian Military Academy, and staff colleges in United Kingdom and United States military systems. His formative years overlapped with political transitions involving the Constitution of Thailand and monarchic institutions tied to King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Military career

Kriangsak rose through the ranks of the Royal Thai Army with postings in infantry formations aligned with the Royal Thai Armed Forces structure and commands involved in border security along frontiers near Laos and Cambodia. He served in roles connected to military administrations that interacted with leaders such as Sarit Thanarat, Thanom Kittikachorn, and Praphas Charusathien, and later aligned with junta figures of the 1970s like Sanya Dharmasakti and Kukrit Pramoj in periods of national crisis. Internationally, his military career intersected with military diplomacy involving the United States Department of Defense, Central Intelligence Agency, and defense relations with Australia, Japan, and France.

Premiership (1977–1980)

Assuming office after the November 1977 coup that deposed Thanin Kraivichien, he formed a cabinet including former military and civilian figures with links to institutions such as the Parliament of Thailand, the Thai Senate, and key ministries like the Ministry of Finance (Thailand), the Ministry of Interior (Thailand), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Thailand). His government confronted crises stemming from the fall of Saigon, the Khmer Rouge, and the Vietnam War aftermath, with refugee flows affecting borders with Thailand and prompting international appeals to the United Nations and interaction with the International Red Cross. During his term he worked with regional counterparts in ASEAN—including leaders from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Singapore—and negotiated security and economic arrangements with the United States and China.

Domestic policies and reforms

Domestically, his administration moved to relax measures imposed by the preceding Thanin Kraivichien government, including changes in censorship policies that engaged institutions such as the Thai press and cultural bodies linked to Chulalongkorn University and Thammasat University. Economic stewardship involved coordination among the Bank of Thailand, the Ministry of Commerce (Thailand), and international lenders such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to manage inflation and growth affected by global oil shocks tied to events in the Middle East and policies of the OPEC. In response to internal security challenges posed by the Communist Party of Thailand and insurgencies in rural provinces, his policies combined military strategies with amnesty programs and development initiatives in cooperation with provincial administrations and agencies like the Royal Thai Police and the Ministry of Defence (Thailand).

Foreign relations and diplomacy

Kriangsak’s foreign policy navigated tensions after the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia and the rise of Vietnamese influence in Indochina; he sought international support from the United States Department of State, the United Nations Security Council, and Western capitals including Washington, D.C., London, and Paris. He engaged in rapprochement with the People's Republic of China and established pragmatic ties aimed at border stability with Laos and Cambodia, while coordinating refugee responses with agencies such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). His government participated in multilateral forums like ASEAN summits and worked with neighboring leaders including Suharto, Lee Kuan Yew, Ferdinand Marcos, and Mahathir Mohamad to articulate regional responses to the Cambodian conflict and Cold War alignments.

Later life and legacy

After resigning in March 1980, he remained active as an elder statesman engaging with monarchy-linked institutions around King Bhumibol Adulyadej and participating in advisory roles that intersected with figures such as Prem Tinsulanonda and later prime ministers connected to the House of Representatives (Thailand). His legacy is debated among historians who reference archives in Thai national institutions and analyses published by scholars associated with universities including Chulalongkorn University, Thammasat University, Johns Hopkins University, and Australian National University. He died in 2003 in Bangkok, leaving a record tied to Cold War-era Southeast Asian security, refugee diplomacy, and transitional politics that subsequent leaders—such as Anand Panyarachun and Chuan Leekpai—would navigate in later decades. His career is noted in studies involving the Cold War, ASEAN, the Vietnam War, and regional refugee jurisprudence handled by the United Nations and humanitarian organizations.

Category:Prime Ministers of Thailand Category:Thai military personnel Category:1917 births Category:2003 deaths