- Phayom Chulanont
Lieutenant Colonel Phayom Chulanont ( _th. พ.ท.พโยม จุลานนท์) was a Thai military officer, politician, leader of the
Communist Party of Thailand , and father of former Prime MinisterSurayud Chulanont .The son of Phraya
Wiset Singhanat of Phetburi, and son-in-law of PhrayaSri Sitthi Songkhram , Phayom became an ally of MarshalPlaek Pibulsonggram in his coup against the government ofThawal Thamrong Navaswadhi andPridi Bhanomyong in 1947. He later disagreed with the leaders of the junta and started a failed coup of his own, the so-called Army Staff School coup. When the coup failed, he fled toRed China viaMae Sai andBurma . At the time, his son, Surayud, was only 6 years old.Phayom returned to Thailand in 1957 to run in general elections in March, becoming MP of
Phetburi . In the very same year,Sarit Dhanarajata seized power from the government ofPlaek Pibulsonggram . Phayom said goodbye to his family, went underground and took the name Comrade Too Khamtan ( _th. สหายตู้คำตัน). He later became a member of the Central Committee of theCommunist Party of Thailand and Chief of Staff of the People's Liberation Army of Thailand. His son, Surayud, later joined the Royal Thai Army and led operations against the Communists.After decades of hiding and guerilla warfare, Phayom's health failed him. He was sent to recuperate in Beijing in 1978. He died some time in the early 1980s.
References
* Nation Weekender, 'สหายคำตัน' คนดีในหัวใจ พล.อ.สุรยุทธ์ ('Comrade Khamtan', A Good Man in the Heart of General Surayud), 9 December 2005
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