Ex-Chart Thai head Somboon, 81, dies
Former leading politician Somboon Rahong died at a Bangkok hospital early yesterday, aged 81.
He had been in Ramathibodi Hospital for the past two months.
Bathing rites will take place at 4pm at Wat Phrasri Mahathat Woramahawihan in Bang Khen district, and prayers will be held every evening until Sunday,
ACM Somboon, born on May 21, 1932, led the Chart Thai Party from 1991-1992.
On June 10, 1992, ACM Somboon was waiting in his white uniform for a royal announcement of his appointment as interim prime minister to succeed Suchinda Kraprayoon, who had led the 1991 coup against the Chatichai Choonhavan government. However, in a surprise move, House Speaker Arthit Ourairat instead nominated Anand Panyarachun as interim premier.
In 1997, ACM Somboon, under the umbrella of the Prachakorn Thai Party, led at the time by Samak Sundaravej, joined fellow party MPs in supporting the Democrats’ Chuan Leekpai to become prime minister.
The incident created the ‘‘Cobra faction’’ within Prachakorn Thai, a term coined by Samak and based on the tale The Farmer and the Cobra, in which a cobra bites and kills a farmer who had helped the snake.