Other Royal Pardons without process: General Suchinda and General Manoonkrit

Here is an article in The Nation that briefly mentions that General Manoonkrit received a royal pardon while in exile.

General Manoonkrit was responsible for trying to overthrow Prem during the eighties.

Also, back in 1992, General Suchinda received a Royal Pardon in return for resigning.

If you want to go back even farther, the 1932 revolutionaries were also given a royal pardon for their overthrow of the absolute monarchy.

So all these pontificaters, crying about process in the royal pardon, are basically lying.

There is precedent for a Royal Pardon without process.

By the way, General Suchinda and General Manoonkrit's crimes were far worse than Thaksin signing the land title documents for his wife.

General Suchinda basically got away with murder and was rewarded for his crimes with state concessions(Telecom Asia/True Corporation) and became filthy rich. His cohorts, such as General Surayud, who were shooting protesters in the streets were also given royal amnesty. General Manoonkrit became a successful politician. His cohorts in the coup against Prem were also given royal amnesty.

By the way, there was a pooyaism in Pornpimol's column today:


The antecedent of a pardon, even in the United States - the beacon of liberal democracy, is remorse, and not entitlement. The former president Bush decided not to grant Scooter Libby a parting presidential pardon in spite of an almighty lobbying push from vice president Cheney. Bush, by his own account, was bothered by Libby's lack of repentance.


Pornpimol should look back further in US history.

Richard Nixon was given a full pardon by Gerald Ford before there was even a prosecution.

The US military personal and draft dodgers were given a blanket amnesty by Jimmy Carter after the Vietnam War for fleeing abroad in a time of war.


Bangkok Pundit as some analysis on the royal pardons.


I believe that HMTK has the power of pardon that is unconditional and absolute. This is usually an inherent power invested in most sovereigns and heads of state unless the constitution/law stipulates otherwise.