Arthit Kamlang - ek General Arthit Kamlang - ek ( born 31 August 1925 ; , ) is a retired Thai general . He was the Commander - in - Chief of the Royal Thai Army from 1982 to 1986 and parallel the Supreme Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces from 1983 to 1986 . He was particularly influential during the 1980s during the government of Prem Tinsulanonda . Education and early career . Arthit graduated from the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy . He later attended the Royal Thai Army ' s Staff College . Family . General Arthit has two sons , one daughter and one stepson . His youngest son , Titiwat Kamlang - ek , has two children : Peerawut Kamlang - ek and Athittaya Kamlang - ek . 1981 Young Turk coup . General Arthit was a leader of the counter - coup against the Young Turk coup of 1981 . Afterwards , he was promoted to Commander of the First Army Region , traditionally regarded as the most strategic post for coups and counter - coups . Clash with Prem . General Arthit ' s subsequent rapid rise to the post of Commander - in - Chief of the Royal Thai Army in October 1982 was unprecedented . Also serving as the Supreme Commander starting September 1983 , General Arthit at times challenged the propriety of key government policies . In November 1984 , for example , he made a televised condemnation of the government ' s currency devaluation policy . Also in 1984 , apparently with General Arthit ' s blessing , some active - duty and retired army officers pressed for constitutional amendments aimed at enhancing their political influence . A showdown between Arthit ' s camp and Prem ' s ruling coalition was narrowly averted when General Arthit urged the officers to abandon the amendments . General Arthit also played a role in the 1985 election which brought Chamlong Srimuang to the governorship of Bangkok . Arthit urged his subordinates and their families to vote against any party that had an anti - military orientation , particularly the Democrats . Downfall . In 1986 , General Arthit lobbied vigorously to extend his term as Army Commander another year to September 1987 , which would allow him to retain influence after the expiration of Prem ' s term as Prime Minister . But on March 24 , 1986 , the government announced that Arthit would be retired as scheduled on September 1 , 1986 . Then on 27 May , Prem stunned the nation by dismissing Arthit from his position as Army chief and replacing him with General Chaovalit Yongchaiyut a Prem loyalist . Prior to that , no Army Chief had ever been fired . This unprecedented action came amid the flurry of rumours that the general was involved in behind - the - scenes manoeuvres to undermine Prem ' s chances for another premiership after the July 1986 parliamentary elections . General Arthit , whose largely ceremonial post as Supreme Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces until September 1986 was not affected by the dismissal order , denied any role in such maneuvers . Post - military career . In early 1991 , Arthit was appointed by Prime Minister Chatichai Choonhavan was appointed as Deputy Defense Minister . Early rumors of his appointed seriously angered many military leaders , especially Army chief Suchinda Kraprayoon and his former classmates from the 5th Class of the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy . A military coup led by Suchinda and the National Peace Keeping Council soon overthrew Chatichai ' s government .