Sonthi Boonyaratglin
The Muslim general who orchestrated Thailand's 2006 coup, upending its democracy and briefly ruling as the nation's most powerful man.
Born 1946 (age 80)·Thai general·Birthday: October 2·Baby Boomers
Biography
Sonthi Boonyaratglin's rise to power was as unprecedented as it was disruptive. In a kingdom where the military and monarchy are deeply intertwined and the population is overwhelmingly Buddhist, Sonthi broke the mold as the first Muslim to command the Royal Thai Army. His appointment in 2005 was seen as a strategic move to address the simmering insurgency in Thailand's southern Muslim-majority provinces. However, his tenure is defined by the events of September 19, 2006, when he led a bloodless coup that ousted the elected Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra. As head of the junta, the Council for Democratic Reform, he became Thailand's de facto ruler for a year, promising a return to democracy. After retiring from the army, he briefly entered civilian politics as a deputy prime minister. Sonthi's coup opened a period of profound and lasting political instability in Thailand, setting a precedent for military intervention that continues to shadow the country's politics.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Sonthi was born in 1946, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Sonthi Was Born
The biggest hits of 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Sonthi's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1946Born
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1951Started school
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1959Became a teenager
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Could drive
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1964Could vote
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Turned 21
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1976Turned 30
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 40
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 50
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 60
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 70
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 80
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led the bloodless military coup on September 19, 2006, which overthrew the elected government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
- Served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army from 2005 to 2007, the first Muslim to hold the position.
- Acted as the head of the ruling military junta, the Council for Democratic Reform, following the 2006 coup.
Did You Know?
He is a graduate of the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, Thailand's equivalent of West Point.
After the coup, he publicly pledged loyalty to the Thai king, a crucial act to legitimize the military's actions.
He briefly served as Deputy Prime Minister overseeing security in the government of Surayud Chulanont in 2007.
His son, Captain Thanapol Boonyaratglin, is also an officer in the Royal Thai Army.
“The army must remain neutral and serve the nation, not any particular government.”
