Word: phao
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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Time of Decision. Last week Pibul achieved exile. With him into discard, but in a different direction, went the more powerful of his two oldest and closest political cronies, Police Chief General Phao Sriyanond. His second longtime crony, Army Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat, stayed on in Bangkok, comfortably ensconced as the new political leader of Thailand...
Knights with Armor. Pink-cheeked General Phao invested his top lieutenants as "knights." The knights and all their lesser cops survived charge after charge of corruption and opium smuggling, activities which got particularly careful coverage in Marshal Sarit's own personal chain of newspapers, while Marshal Sarit's commercial connections were discussed in the columns of General Phao's papers. The activities of both Phao and Sarit, in turn, were dutifully reported by Premier Pibul's string of newspapers, and with this delicate system of checks and balances, Thailand's government has survived an impressive...
When Thailand held its national election this year, General Phao's police force was highly active in its support of Pibul's government. Pibul declared martial law when it became apparent his majority was going to be less than he had hoped, and called out the army and air force to see that the election itself did not get out of hand. Afterwards Marshal Sarit let it be known that he was "the only good man left." He demanded, as a slap meant for Phao, a new government in which Cabinet ministers would not maintain private commercial connections...
...this an excellent suggestion-and appointed Simple Soldier Sarit to his Cabinet as Defense Minister. Then he ordered all Cabinet ministers to forsake their commercial interests. Marshal Sarit and some of his supporters resigned both their political posts and-in theory at least-their positions in private enterprises. General Phao resigned from his various directorships, but held firmly to his position as police chief...
These maneuvers troubled Pibul, because Sarit's resignation was followed by so many resignations from the National Assembly that it left the government's majority in doubt. Sarit & Co. insisted they would not cooperate with Pibul unless Phao resigned as police chief. At week's end, General Phao did just that, but remained on as Minister of Interior. This pleased everyone; it also served to strengthen a growing conviction that Premier Pibul, though his troubles with Marshal Sarit were far from over, was still pretty firmly in control, as he has been for 15 of the last...