Marshal of the Royal Thai Air Force Chalermkiat Watanangura (, ; 15 August 1914 – 14 April 1960) was a Thai air force officer and the Commander of the Royal Thai Air Force from 1957 until his death in an aircraft crash in

Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...

, Taiwan. He briefly held cabinet level offices in 1957. Chalermkiat was briefly the Thai Deputy Minister of Transport from 21 March to 10 August 1957. He then took up the post of Deputy Minister of Agriculture, serving from 10 August to 12 September 1957. In 1960 Chalermkiat, his wife and sixteen other individuals were killed when the Royal Thai Air Force C-54 they were flying in crashed into Mount Wu Tse near

Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

after takeoff. Chalermkiat had been in Taipei attending a meeting of air chiefs from

anti-communist Anti-communism is political and ideological opposition to communist beliefs, groups, and individuals. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, when th ...

governments from around the

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...

Decorations

* 1959 - Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of The Most Exalted

Order of the White Elephant __NOTOC__ The Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant (; ) is an order (decoration), order of Thailand. It was established in 1861 by King Mongkut, Rama IV of the Thailand, Kingdom of Siam. Along with the Order of the Crown of Thailand, it is r ...

* 1958 - Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of The Most Noble

Order of the Crown of Thailand The Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand (; ) is a Thai order, established in 1869 by King Rama V of The Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand) for Thais, the royal family, governmental employees, and foreign dignitaries for their outstanding serv ...

* 1959 - Knight Commander of the Most Illustrious

Order of Chula Chom Klao The Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao (; ) was established on 16 November 1873 by King Rama V of The Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand) to commemorate the 90th Jubilee of the Chakri Dynasty and bears his name (จุลจอมเกล� ...

* 1944 - Bravery Medal with wreath * 1941 - Victory Medal -

Franco-Thai War The Franco-Thai War (October 1940 – 28 January 1941, ; ) was fought between Thailand and Vichy France over certain areas of French Indochina. Negotiations shortly before World War II had shown that the French government was willing to alter th ...

* 1962 - Victory Medal -

Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War or the Pacific Theatre, was the Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II fought between the Empire of Japan and the Allies of World War II, Allies in East Asia, East and Southeast As ...

* 1934 - Safeguarding the Constitution Medal * 1947 - Chakra Mala Medal * 1960 - King

Rama IX Bhumibol Adulyadej (5 December 192713 October 2016), titled Rama IX, was King of Thailand from 1946 until Death and funeral of Bhumibol Adulyadej, his death in 2016. His reign of 70 years and 126 days is the longest of any List of Thai mo ...

Royal Cypher Medal, 2nd

References

, - Chalermkiat Watanangura Chalermkiat Watanangura Chalermkiat Watanangura Chalermkiat Watanangura Chalermkiat Watanangura 1914 births 1960 deaths Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Taiwan {{thailand-mil-bio-stub Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1960