Thawan Thamrongnawasawat (also spelt ''Thawal Thamrongnavaswadhi'' or ''Thawal Thamrongnavasawat''; th, ถวัลย์ ธำรงนาวาสวัสดิ์, ; ), born Thawan Tharisawat (, ; 21 November 1901 – 3 December 1988), was the eighth
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
of
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
from 1946–1947. Before becoming a politician, he was a
naval officer
An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service.
Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent cont ...
, holding the rank of
rear admiral
Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star " admiral" rank. It is often rega ...
.
Education
*
Ayutthaya Wittayalai School
*
Debsirin School
*
Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University (CU, th, จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย, ), nicknamed Chula ( th, จุฬาฯ), is a public and autonomous research university in Bangkok, Thailand. The university was originally fo ...
*
Royal Thai Naval Academy
Careers
A career naval officer of Chinese ancestry, Thamrong was a leading member of the anti-Japanese
Free Thai Movement resistance movement during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. He became Thailand's elected prime minister on 23 August 1946, replacing
Pridi Banomyong
Pridi Banomyong ( th, ปรีดี พนมยงค์, , ; 11 May 1900 – 2 May 1983), also known by his noble title Luang Praditmanutham ( th, หลวงประดิษฐ์มนูธรรม) was a Thai politician and professo ...
. However, he was removed from office by a military coup orchestrated by Field Marshal
Plaek Phibunsongkhram
Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram ( th, แปลก พิบูลสงคราม ; alternatively transcribed as ''Pibulsongkram'' or ''Pibulsonggram''; 14 July 1897 – 11 June 1964), locally known as Marshal P. ( th, จอมพล � ...
on 8 November 1947. Khuang Aphaiwong then assumed the post of prime minister.
After
King Rama VII abdicated the throne, Thamrong was appointed by the government to be the leader of a faculty of representatives to travel to invite Prince
Ananda Mahidol
Ananda Mahidol ( th, พระบาทสมเด็จพระปรเมนทรมหาอานันทมหิดล; ; 20 September 1925 – 9 June 1946), posthumous reigning title Phra Athamaramathibodin ( th, พระอั� ...
, who was living in
Switzerland with his mother and two siblings, to ascend to the throne as King Rama VIII of the
Chakri dynasty
The Chakri dynasty ( th, ราชวงศ์ จักรี, , , ) is the current reigning dynasty of the Kingdom of Thailand, the head of the house is the king, who is head of state. The family has ruled Thailand since the founding of the ...
.
However, due to political fluctuations, a coup eventually occurred originating from within a group of soldiers led by
Phin Choonhavan on 8 November 1947, resulting in Thamrong having to leave the country and stay in
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
for a period. When Thamrong later returned to Thailand he was appointed as a member of the Constitutional Drafting Assembly. After that, he lived a relatively quietly life.
Death
Thawan Thamrongnawasawat died on 3 December 1988 at
Phramongkutklao Hospital, aged 87 years, being the first and only naval officer to date who has served as prime minister.
Academic rank
* 1939
Adjunct Professor
An adjunct professor is a type of academic appointment in higher education who does not work at the establishment full-time. The terms of this appointment and
the job security of the tenure vary in different parts of the world, however the gener ...
of
Thammasat University
Thammasat University ( Abrv: TU th, มธ.; th, มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์, , ) is a public research university in Thailand with campuses in Tha Phra Chan area of Phra Nakhon District near the Grand Pala ...
[http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2482/D/809.PDF ]
Royal decorations
Thawan has received the following royal decorations in the
Honours System of Thailand:
* Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Exalted
Order of the White Elephant
__NOTOC__
The Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant ( th, เครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์อันเป็นที่เชิดชูยิ่งช้างเผือก; ) is an order of Thailand. It wa ...
* Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of The Most Noble
Order of the Crown of Thailand
The Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand ( th, เครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์อันมีเกียรติยศยิ่งมงกุฎไทย; ) is a Thai order, established in 1869 by King Rama ...
*

King Rama VIII Royal Cypher Medal
References
1901 births
1988 deaths
Thawan Thamrongnawasawat
Thawan Thamrongnawasawat
Thawan Thamrongnawasawat
Thawan Thamrongnawasawat
Thawan Thamrongnawasawat
Thawan Thamrongnawasawat
Thawan Thamrongnawasawat
Thawan Thamrongnawasawat
Thawan Thamrongnawasawat
Thawan Thamrongnawasawat
Thawan Thamrongnawasawat
Thawan Thamrongnawasawat
Leaders ousted by a coup
{{Thailand-politician-stub