The army chief retired on 30 September. Wat Hong Rattanaram Monastery is revered by many senior military officers. General Apirat is considered the worst enemy of recent student protests.
Bangkok (AsiaNews/Agencies) – General Apirat Kongsompong, the outgoing Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Army, has decided to enter a monastery for a month.
In a ceremony held at the Wat Hong Rattanaram temple in Yai, a district in Bangkok, he was ordained a monk in the presence of relatives and friends, as well as military officers and police officials.
General Apirat was retired upon reaching the age limit on 30 September. He had already announced that he would enter the monastery to earn merit for the late King Bhumibol and Queen Mother Sirikit.
Wat Hong Rattanaram Monastery has always been revered by Thai military authorities whose top brass often visit the temple.
Several generals and officers entered it as monks after retirement, including those implicated in the coup that overthrew Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's government in 2006.
General Apirat became Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Army in October 2018. Several of his statements have been contentious.
He has claimed to have fought against those who pretend to be far left and those who want to reform the monarchy, whom he branded as “people who hate their nation”.
On the student protests in Bangkok, he said they were a “proxy war” to provoke young people to protest against the establishment and insult the monarchy.
The general also accused protesters of adopting the so-called "Hong Kong model", and alleged that foreign influence was involved in student demonstrations.
Because of his criticisms, the general is considered the greatest enemy of young protesters and he is often attacked in social media.