Clockwise from top left, the Oct 1 army
succession:Gen Thirachai Nakwanich, commander; Gen Pisit Sitthisarn, chief of
staff;
Lt Gen Theppong Tippayajan, 1st Army chief; Maj Gen Apirat Kongsompong, 1stArmy chief; Maj Gen Apirat Kongsompong,
1st Corps commander .
The choice of the new army chief, with his
line of succession
a subject of heavy speculation, looks likely to help Prime
Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha consolidate his power and remain
in the top seat at
least until the next election.
Instrumental in
picking assistant army chief Thirachai
Nakwanich for the army chief post is
Deputy Prime Minister
and Defence Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon, dubbed the
"big brother'' in the National Council for Peace
and Order
(NCPO), according to a military source. Gen Thirachai,
who will start
working as army chief on Oct 1, has been chosen
with future candidates for army
chief visible. The source said
Gen Prayut needs to install men loyal to him who
can keep
the army politically stable.
Stability is the pre-requisite of Gen
Prayut remaining
in the premier's seat at least until early 2017 when the time
is up for the NCPO to execute its
roadmap of national
administration and reforms and a general election is likely
to be held. But the business of finding a trustworthy choice
of army chief, and his future successor,
also fell to Gen Prawit
who commands respect within and outside the army, the
core
of the armed forces' strength. Gen Thirachai is replacing
Gen Udomdej
Sitabutr, concurrently deputy defence minister.
Assistant army chief Preecha Chan-o-cha, who is Gen Prayut's
younger brother,
has been promoted to defence permanent
secretary, despite having been a
contender for the army
chief post.
Gen Thirachai will be
the fourth army chief from the powerful
Burapha Phayak army clique. The three
former army chiefs
from the clique are Gen Anupong Paojinda, Gen Prayut and
Gen
Udomdej. The fraternity runs deeps as they all rose
through the ranks before
heading the 2nd Infantry Division,
Queen's Guard, except for Gen Udomdej, who
has not served
as chief of the division.
Gen Thirachai graduated in Class 14 of the Armed Forces
Academies Preparatory
School (AFAPS) and he is due to
retire September next year. Although Gen
Thirachai and
Gen Udomdej are not close, Gen Udomdej decided to nominate
Gen
Thirachai who is known as one of Gen Prawit's proteges,
according to the
source. When Gen Thirachai takes the helm
of the army, some senior officers close
to Gen Udomdej could
face transfers. Meanwhile those connected to Gen Prawit
are
likely to stay put. Gen Thirachai, a stiff top brass, was trusted
enough by
both Gen Prawit and Gen Prayut to be made
the First Army chief in charge of
combat military forces
during last year's coup. He was later appointed leader
of
the NCPO's peace maintaining forces. Once an army chief,
Gen Thirachai is
expected to appoint Gen Pisit Sitthisarn,
an army special expert and director of the
NCPO's reconciliation
efforts, as the army chief-of-staff who will
automatically become
secretary-general of the Internal Security Operations
Command
(Isoc). If appointed as expected, he will be in line to become
the next
army chief to succeed Gen Thirachai. Gen Pisit,
who is due to retire in 2017,
has a good chance to win over
other candidates including Lt Gen Chalermchai Sitthisat,
head of the Special
Warfare Command, in next year's selection
of army chief because he is also Gen
Prawit's close aide.
Lt Gen Theppong Tippayajan, 1st corps commander, meanwhile,
is expected to be made First Army chief,
placing him in line
for the army chief post later. Lt Gen Theppong is one of
Gen
Prayut's closest aides, the source said. Maj Gen Apirat
Kongsompong, deputy
First deputy First Army chief, is
expected to
succeed Lt Gen Theppong as the new 1st corps
commander in next year's
reshuffle. He could then be
qualified to assume the army chief post in the
future as he
retires in 2019. Also, Gen Sommai Kaodeera, chief of
staff
of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, becomes the new supreme
commander, with
his retirement due next year. Gen Surapong
Suwanna-at will succeed Gen Sommai and
he could be the
next supreme commander. As for the navy, Adm Na Areenij,
chief-of-staff, is to be the new navy chief. His appointment
came as a surprise
as Adm Narongpol na Bangchang, assistant
navychief, was previously expected to
succeed the incumbent
navy chief, Adm Kraisorn Jansuwanich. A source said Adm
Narongpol's nomination as chief faced objection from Gen
Prawit and several
former navy chiefs due to the fact that
the navy had never before appointed
someone who graduated
abroad as its chief. Adm Narongpol graduated from a naval
school in Germany.
Besides, Adm Na and several of his friends from Class 15 of
the AFAPS have
close relations with Gen Prawit. Adm Narongpol
will serve as deputy navy chief.
Adm Narongpol is in charge
of submarine procurement project. The navy plans to
purchase
three submarines from China for 36 billion baht. The purchase
plan now
awaits cabinet approval. In the air force, ACM Jom
Rungsawang, chief of staff,
is in line to succeed air force chief
ACM Treetos Sonjaeng, who retires next
year.
News,Politics,Bangkok Post, 31 August 2015.
In my viewpoint,although all chiefs army have closed
relationship, I believe the new positions appointment are
for the effectiveness of the army and for the benefits of the
country,not for the
benefit of Gen Prayut.
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