Thanom Kittikachorn Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn ( Thai ถนอม กิตติขจร , ; August 11 , 1911 – June 16 , 2004 ) was a military dictator of Thailand . A staunch anti - Communist , Thanom oversaw a decade of military rule in Thailand from 1963 to 1973 , until public protests which exploded into violence forced him to step down . His return from exile in 1976 sparked protests which led to a massacre of demonstrators , followed by a military coup . Early life . Thanom Kittikachorn was born in Tak Province to Khun ( ขุน ) Sopitbannaraksa ( Amphan Kittikachorn ) and his wife , Mrs . Linchee Kittikachorn . He attended Wat Koak Plu Municipal School , then was admitted to the Army Cadet Academy . After receiving his commission , he reported for duty with Infantry Regiment VII in Chiangmai . Thanom later studied at the Cartography School and the Infantry School , and graduated from the National Defense College in its first class . Rise to power . After serving in the Shan States of Burma during World War II , then Lieutenant Colonel Thanom took part in a successful 1947 coup headed by Colonel Sarit Thanarat . He became a regimental commander and was head of the Lopburi military department . He was soon promoted to colonel , commanding the 11th Infantry Division . Thanom was appointed a Member of Parliament in 1951 , his first political role . He was promoted to major general the same year . In February 1953 , Thanom led the suppression of a rebellion against military rule , and was rewarded with promotion to lieutenant general . He represented Thailand at the ceremony to mark the end of the Korean War in July 1953 and was later promoted as Commander of the 1st Region Army . He was appointed Deputy Cooperatives Minister in 1955 . Thanom supported Sarit in his coup against the government of Field Marshal Plaek Pibulsongkram , and was subsequently appointed Defence Minister in Pote Sarasin ' s puppet regime in 1957 . Thanom consolidated his power base as the 2nd military leader behind Sarit . In 1958 , he was appointed a full general and assumed the offices of Prime Minister , Defence Minister , and Army Commander - in - Chief . He was Prime Minister for 9 months , when he was replaced by Sarit himself and made Deputy Prime Minister , Defence Minister , and Armed Forces Deputy Supreme Commander . Prime minister . Thanom was appointed Prime Minister one day after Sarit ' s death in 1963 . He subsequently appointed himself Commander - in - Chief of the Army . One year later , he promoted himself to the concurrent ranks of Field Marshal , Admiral of the Fleet , and Marshal of the Royal Thai Air Force . Thanom continued the pro - American and anti - Communist politics of his predecessor , which helped to ensure massive US economic and financial aid during the Vietnam War . Although he was personally popular , his regime was known for massive corruption . He established and led the Saha Prachathai Party in October 1968 . Thanom reappointed himself Prime Minister in February 1969 after general elections had been completed . Then , in November 1971 , he bizarrely staged a coup against his own government , citing the need to suppress communist infiltration . He dissolved Parliament and appointed himself Chairman of the National Executive Council , and served as a caretaker government for one year . In December 1972 , he appointed himself Prime Minister for a fourth time , also serving as the Defence and Foreign Ministers . Thanom , his son Colonel Narong , and Narong ' s father - in - law General Praphas Charusathien became known as the " Three Tyrants " . Public discontent grew , along with demands for a general election to choose a new Parliament . Student - led demands for a return to constitutional government , the so - called " 14 October 1973 uprising " , led to three days of violence followed by the sudden downfall of his regime . Thanom and the other " Tyrants " flew to exile in the United States and Singapore . Thanom ' s departure was followed by a restoration of a democratic rule in Thailand . 6 October 1976 massacre and aftermath . In October 1976 , Thanom returned to Thailand in the robes of a novice monk to stay at Bangkok ' s Wat Bowonniwet . His return triggered student protests , which eventually moved onto the campus of Thammasat University . This was only a year after South Vietnam and Thailand ' s neighbours Laos and Cambodia had fallen to the communists , and right wing Thais believed the protestors wished the same fate for their country . On 6 October 1976 , right wing militants , aided by government security forces , stormed the Thammasat campus , violently broke up the protests and massacred many protesters . That evening , the military seized power from the elected civilian government of Democrat MR Seni Pramoj . Thanom left the monkhood but never again entered politics . Late in his life , he attempted to rehabilitate his tarnished image and recover properties seized when his government was overthrown . In March 1999 , Thanom was nominated to be a member of the honorary Royal Guard by Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai , which led to controversy . Thanom settled the matter by turning down the appointment . Thanom Kittikachorn died in 2004 the age of 92 in Bangkok General Hospital , after suffering a stroke and a heart attack two years earlier . His family ' s medical expenses were paid by King Bhumibol Adulyadej , which some saw as payback for Thanom ' s agreeing to leave the country to end the violence in 1973 . Thanom ' s cremation was held on 25 February 2007 at Wat Debsirin . Queen Sirikit presided over the cremation ceremony , lighting the royal flame on behalf of King Bhumibol . Her youngest daughter , Princess Chulabhorn , also presided . Royal decorations . Thanom received the following royal decorations in the Honours System of Thailand :