Navy Seal ditches politics for paddy
Retired vice admiral turns back on ‘ protest protection’ to help locals pursue late King’s sufficiency economy philosophy, writes Nauvarat Suksamran
Aretired vice admiral who fought a battle on the Bangkok streets at the height of the anti-Yingluck Shinawatra protest more than three years ago has vowed to live by his personal motto: “I cannot stand watching people get harmed.”
Vice Admiral Winai Klom-in, the ex- chief of the Naval Special Warfare Command (Seals), and some of his subordinates decided they could not stand by during the yellow shirt- protests against the Yingluck government in 2013.
They formed a unit of guards to “protect” the protesters, and subsequently fell out of favour with their political masters.
While his exact role in the protests is unclear, VAdm Winai took his personal motto a step further some time later when he quit as Seals commander after eight years in the top job.
He now pursues the gentler art of farming, where he passes on the King’s sufficiency economy philosophy to locals and even shares with them the rice he harvests from his farm.
But returning first to his role in the protests, VAdm Winai recalls the increasingly tense political gridlock of the time, resulting from the street protests by the People’s Democratic Reform Committee seeking the removal of Yingluck Shinawatra as prime minister, and counter- protests by the red- shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship.
The government was facing a crisis of confidence from members and sympathisers of the PDRC whose protest had swelled after government MPs were accused of trying to rush through during a night session in parliament a bill to grant an amnesty with a broad coverage to wrongdoers of political violence.
Critics said the bill was designed to benefit former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Ms Yingluck’s brother and de facto leader of the Pheu Thai Party, who is in self-exile overseas facing more graft charges.
They saw the bill as a tool to absolve offenders of all crimes and corruption cases from 2006 onward without clear and justifiable reason.
From the street protests and counter protests which were coming to a head emerged the socalled men in black shirts who were armed and alleged to be fighting on the UDD’s side. They were accused of firing on the soldiers deployed to contain the intensifying conflicts which were playing out on the streets of the capital.
It was at that juncture that VAdm Winai told himself he would no longer sit on the sidelines. Although he was serving as the Seal commander at the time, he decided to gather some of his subordinates and volunteered to be guards for the PDRC protesters.
VAdm Winai felt the violence was spinning out of control as protesters grew more vulnerable to mortal danger by the day. The men in black shirts were believed to be carrying war weapons.
“I couldn’t stand watching innocent people, who attended the political movement, harmed in front of me. That would be wrong,” he said.
His guards mingled with the PDRC members who occupied several rally venues during the course of the protest.
His security protection role at the PDRC protest, however, would have severe consequences for his career. VAdm Winai eventually quit his position, reportedly under duress, during the Ms Yingluck administration due to his political stand which contradicted that of the government.
Hailing from a humble family background in Lop Buri, VAdm Winai followed in his father’s footsteps by serving the country as a naval officer. He was trained in physically demanding, tough courses and graduated from the United States Navy Seals.
Speaking of his time in the Seals, VAdm Winai said they must possess the courage to confront problems as well as decisiveness.
In dire situations, they must protect themselves and not leave their fellow Seals behind. Also, they must selflessly execute their duties and dedicate themselves to preserving the nation, religion and monarchy. “We have to keep secrets which we take to our graves. We are devoted to service, not to compliments or promotion,” he said.
VAdm Winai said Seals are taught to value sacrifice above all else, which in turn helps deepen the sense of fraternity among members.
To the rank-and-file, VAdm Winai is a nononsense and strict commander, an attribute which is needed to keep his unit functioning like clockwork and with adherence to discipline.
VAdm Winai said he has a habit of speaking his mind although his frankness could be a little too much to take for his superiors.
Now he has left the elite navy unit, VAdm Winai has turned to more simple pleasures.
He was instrumental in starting the green sea turtle preservation centre which resulted from a project to conserve the marine animal in Chon Buri’s Sattahip district and Thap Lamu in Phangnga.
The project has been implemented under the patronage of the late King and Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.
His love affair with the turtle conservation campaign goes back to his years as a junior officer assigned to record the behaviour of turtles which were laying eggs on the beach on Koh Tarutao in Satun. He and fellow officers kept their eyes peeled for the animals around the clock.
They walked along the beach to learn the animal’s food chain and figure out how to preserve them.
As a former soldier, VAdm Winai also stresses how the past can shape the future of the armed forces.
History and heritage must be upheld and so he put together a naval project which raised 20 million baht in donations towards the construction of the King Taksin Monument in Sattahip district.
Now that he has plenty of time on his hands, VAdm Winai works his 20-rai rice farm in Ban Koh Khanoon in Phanom Sarakham district, Chachoengsao. He lives with his wife in a small house on the farm inherited from his in-laws.
“I have developed the farmland myself, step by step, over the past couple of years. I distribute rice from my plantation to villagers,” he said.
Besides his rice f arm i n Chachoengsao, VAdm Winai and his son have begun another family farm project spanning over 100 rai in Loei province.
VAdm Winai said he purchased the land in Loei mostly with the money he earned from his naval salary. It was all about planning ahead as he wanted to live his dream as a farmer after retirement. He has turned one corner of the farm into an orchard and vegetable plots.
He draws inspiration from the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s philosophy that centres on sufficiency, contentment, generosity and a good quality of life.
“Some people said that I must be out of my mind to have started farming in a part of the province where electricity had yet to arrive,” he said, adding that it took not only time but perseverance and persistence to change barren to arable land.
Originally, the first time he contemplated farming was back in the days when he was studying as a Seal in the US.
He was keen to emulate farmers in the state of Texas who managed to maximise land usage. They were living proof that farming, with the aid of modern agricultural technology, can be a stable job bringing in a reasonable income.
VAdm Winai said he was working with residents and farmers to observe modern farming practices in accordance of the late King’s principles, aiming for chemical-free agricultural seeds and yields for local markets.
The ex-naval officer’s goal is to wean farmers off growing crops using chemicals. He also delivers lectures about modern agriculture and advises on a project to produce potable tap water in the seaside provinces along the Andaman coast.
I couldn’t stand watching innocent people, who attended the political movement, harmed in front of me. That would be wrong. VADM WINAI KLOM- IN FORMER CHIEF OF THE NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE COMMAND ( SEALS)