In February 1953, Thanom led the suppression of a rebellion against military rule, and was rewarded with promotion to lieutenant general.

He represented Thailand at the ceremony to mark the end of the Korean War in July 1953 and was later promoted as commander of the 1st Region Army.

Thanom supported Sarit in his coup against the government of Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram, and was subsequently appointed defence minister in Pote Sarasin's puppet regime in 1957.

Thanom continued the pro-American and anti-communist politics of his predecessor, which helped to ensure massive US economic and financial aid during the Vietnam War.

He dissolved parliament and appointed himself Chairman of the National Executive Council, and served as a caretaker government for one year.

[3] In October 1976, Thanom returned to Thailand in the robes of a novice monk,[4] to stay at Bangkok's Wat Bowonniwet.

Even though he announced he had no desire to enter politics, his return triggered student protests, which eventually moved onto the campus of Thammasat University.

This was only a year after South Vietnam and Thailand's neighbors Laos and Cambodia had fallen to the communists, and right-wing Thais suspected the protesters wished the same fate for their own country.

That evening, the military seized power from the elected civilian government of Democrat MR Seni Pramoj and installed hard-line royalist Thanin Kraivichien as premier.

Controversy arose in early 1999 when it became known that Thanom was appointed as an honorary officer of the Royal Guard by prime minister Chuan Leekpai as recommended by the military.

[6][7] Thanom Kittikachorn died in 2004 the age of 92 in Bangkok General Hospital, after suffering a stroke and a heart attack two years earlier.