Prayut’s Privy Council role is a sign of stability and continuity. The appointment of former Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to the Privy Council is celebrated as a symbol of political stability.
The appointment of former Prime Minister Prayut Chan Ocha to the Privy Council has been warmly welcomed this week by observers as a sign of political stability and more importantly, an endorsement of the role played by General Prayut during his career and as the country’s 29th prime minister or government leader from 2014 to 2023.
This week, Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn appointed former Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to the Privy Council, as revealed in the Royal Gazette on Wednesday.
The strategic move, which took effect on November 30th, marks Prayut’s transition from political leadership to an advisory role within the country’s powerful monarchy.
General Prayut led the 2014 coup d’état in Thailand which came in response to serious political disturbances on the streets that threatened to escalate
69-year-old General Prayut assumed the position of 29th Prime Minister in Thailand, rising to power after orchestrating the coup d’état that ousted what was left of Yingluck Shinawatra’s government in 2014 in response to debilitating street protests caused by rival groups that closed down the kingdom’s capital Bangkok and threatened a wider conflagration across the country.
He was Commander-in-chief of the army when he carried out the coup.
His political journey continued with his election as prime minister in the subsequent General Election in 2019 under a complex constitution introduced by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) or military junta in 2017 which imposes onerous obligations on public representatives or politicians.
General Prayut for the first time, just this year, tried his hand at politics while campaigning for the United Thai Nation (Ruam Thai Sang Chart) Party
At length, he left office in August this year having for the first time, associated himself with a political party, the newly formed United Thai Nation (Ruam Thai Sang Chart) Party as a key advisor in the runup to the May 14th General Election.
In the days during that campaign, the Prime Minister was sometimes visibly irritated by the pressure of dealing with public relations and public campaigning but also, at times, was touchingly frank and endearing about what the new experiences meant to him.
PM Prayut gets back to his youth on Friday in water gun battles on Bangkok’s Khao San Road
One particular exchange with reporters occurred when the former PM engaged in Songkran water fights this April, something he admitted he had not done since before he joined the army many years previously.
Presently, the UTN party is a constituent of the coalition government of PM Srettha Thavisin and is led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Pirapan Salirathavibhaga.
New era in an illustrious career of service begins with his appointment this week to the Privy Council
At any rate, General Prayut now adds another layer to his political legacy by joining the Privy Council.
The Privy Council, dating back to the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), has a critical role as the personal advisory body to the King.
It acts as a coordinator between the Crown, the government, Parliament, the Courts of Justice, the private sector, and the people, addressing matters within its jurisdiction.
Significantly, General Prayut’s appointment makes him the fifth former prime minister to assume a post in the Privy Council. Notable predecessors in this advisory body include Sanya Dharmasakti, Prem Tinsulanonda, Thanin Kraivichien, and Surayud Chulanont.
In a constitutional context, this move is noteworthy. Thailand, since 1932, has seen 30 prime ministers, but only five have been appointed to the Privy Council.
General Prayut’s inclusion aligns with the constitutional provision that allows the council to have one president and a maximum of 18 councillors.
Prayut always seen as above politics and did not put himself forward as a list MP candidate this year
Meanwhile, the current president of the Privy Council is General Surayud, who assumed office on May 27, 2019, following the passing of General Prem, the former president. General Prayut’s appointment completes the council’s composition, and it now stands as a full team under the leadership of General Surayud.
General Prayut’s successor as Prime Minister, real estate tycoon Srettha Thavisin, assumed office in August after the former prime minister declared his exit from politics.
The United Thai Nation (UTN) Party, which General Prayut led as the prime ministerial candidate in the 2023 election, plays a pivotal role in the political landscape.
However, General Prayut who significantly did not put himself forward as a list MP for the party this year unlike his ‘brother in arms’ in the 2014 coup, General Prawit Wongsuwan, the leader of the larger Palang Pracharat Party, currently in government.
He has always been seen and considers himself above politics.
Newly created UTN party represented traditional and conservative values in this year’s General Election
The importance of General Prayut’s latest appointment was emphasised by UTN leader Pirapan Salirathavibhaga this week when he congratulated General Prayut and highlighted the significance of the position for the nation, religion, and monarchy—the three core institutions of Thailand.
This was the theme of the United Thai Nation (Ruam Thai Sang Chart) Party’s election campaign as it appealed to more conservative Thai voters warning of the dangers of new Western politics and the threat it poses to the country’s traditional values.
The election of 36 MPs by a new political party which later ended up in government has been seen in hindsight as a moderate success.
Key role played by General Prayut in the installation of Srettha Thavisin as Prime Minister in August paving the way for a badly needed political compromise
At the same time, General Prayut played a key role in the last-minute behind-the-scenes political compromise which saw Pheu Thai’s Srettha Thavisin elected as Prime Minister by parliament this August on the same day that former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the former government leader, ousted in the 2006 coup d’état and whose sister had led the 2011 to 2014 government, the remnants of which General Prayut himself ousted in the May 2014 coup, returned to Thailand.
This meeting of minds which allowed the government from across the political divide which excludes the more radical Move Forward Party is thought to have prevented a political crisis in which elements from the outgoing government together with the junta-appointed senate may have tried to install an unpopular and divisive government under the provisions of the 2017 constitution.
New cabinet and government by mid-September as Srettha meets Prayut at Government House in Bangkok
In any event, General Prayut is reported to have thwarted the move by using his influence among senators to vote for a broad coalition of the Pheu Thai Party and parties from his outgoing government.
Retains friends across the political establishment
After over nine years in office the former Prime Minister, despite losing the election, has his own support base among the public as well as among key political players.
At the present time, responding this week to well-wishes from the United Thai Nation (Ruam Thai Sang Chart) Party list-MP and his former protégé Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, General Prayut expressed his gratitude, stating: ‘Thank you. And please help me work to protect the nation.’
As General Prayut transitions into this advisory role, the Thai political landscape continues to evolve, setting the stage for a new chapter in the delicate balance of power in the country.
The strategic placement of former leaders in advisory roles linked to the country’s highest institution brings experience and continuity to Thailand’s political narrative.
Join the Thai News forum, follow Thai Examiner on Facebook here
Receive all our stories as they come out on Telegram here
Follow Thai Examiner here
Further reading:
New cabinet and government by mid-September as Srettha meets Prayut at Government House in Bangkok
Srettha Royally endorsed after being elected as Prime Minister and now moves to form a cabinet
Thaksin helicoptered to Police Hospital at 3am after feeling ill says Department of Corrections
Police concerned for Thaksin’s safety on Tuesday after he lands at Don Mueang and is arrested
Move Forward Party’s good election result leaves uncertainty as to who will form the government
