Assistant army chief Apirat Kongsompong has been promoted to take the army's top post in the annual military reshuffle which further cements the regime's power to run the country, observers said.
The appointment of 935 military officers for new positions was royally endorsed and published in the Royal Gazette yesterday. The appointment will take effect on Oct 1.
Apirat: Key mover in coup
The end of September will see the retirement of several high-ranking commanders. They include army chief Gen Chalermchai Sitthisad, defence permanent secretary Gen Theppong Thippayachan, Supreme Commander Gen Thanchaiyan Srisuwan, navy commander Adm Naris Prathumsuwan and air force commander ACM Johm Rungswang.
Gen Apirat, a member of Class 20 of the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School, has two years to serve before his mandatory retirement in 2020. The son of the late strongman Gen Apirak Kongsomboon who engineered the coup that seized power from the Chatichai Choonhavan government in 1991, Gen Apirat was one of the movers of the May 22, 2014 coup when he supervised the 1st Division, King's Guard, which was a key unit in the putsch.
Deputy permanent secretary for defence Gen Nat Intharacharoen has been made permanent secretary for defence while the Supreme Command's chief-of-staff Gen Pornpipat Benyasri has clinched the supreme commander post. Gen Nat's mandatory retirement is in 2021 while Gen Pornpipat has two years to serve until his retirement in 2020.
Navy deputy commander Adm Luechai Ruddit has taken the navy's top post and he also has two years until his retirement in 2020. Air force assistant chief ACM Chaipruek Dissayasarin has become the new commander. He will retire September next year.
After the new commanders take their new posts on Oct 1, all will be appointed by Prime Minister and National Council for Peace and Order (NCOP) chief Prayut Chan-o-cha as members of the NCPO, replacing the armed forces leaders who retire on Sept 30. The new commanders will play a prominent role in maintaining security in the lead-up to next year's poll.
