Charun Rattanakun Seriroengrit

General Charun Rattanakun Seriroengrit (Luang Seriroengrit) (Thai: จรูญ รัตนกุล เสรีเริงฤทธิ์), [t͡ɕàruːn ráttànákun sěːriːrɤːŋrít] ; October 27, 1895 – July 19, 1983) was a Thai army officer, civil servant and politician. He was a general of the Phayap Army in the government of Plaek Phibunsongkhram in World War II.

Charun Rattanakun Seriroengrit MWM PCh ThChW
จรูญ รัตนกุล เสรีเริงฤทธิ์
Charun c.1940
Minister of Transport
In office 8 September 1942 – 1 August 1944
Prime Minister	Plaek Phibunsongkhram
Preceded by	Khuang Aphaiwong
Succeeded by	Khuang Aphaiwong
Minister of Commerce
In office 10 March – 8 September 1942
Prime Minister	Plaek Phibunsongkhram
Preceded by	Sindh Kamalanavin
Succeeded by	Khuang Aphaiwong
Deputy Minister of Defence of Thailand
In office 26 September 1941 – 7 March 1942 Serving with Mangkon Phomyothi
Prime Minister	Plaek Phibunsongkhram
Preceded by	Mangkon Phomyothi
Succeeded by	Phichit Kriangsakphichit
Other offices 1934–1946 Governor of the State Railway of Thailand In office 1 July 1951 – 10 September 1959 Preceded by himself as Director-General Succeeded by Sawai Sawaisanyakon Director-General of the State Railway of Thailand In office 11 November 1949 – 30 June 1951 Preceded by Pun Sakuntanak Succeeded by himself as Governor In office 6 May – 30 July 1942 Preceded by Khuang Aphaiwong (acting) Succeeded by Chalo Sithanakon In office 1 February 1936 – 10 March 1942 Preceded by Phraya Udomyothathiyut Succeeded by Khuang Aphaiwong (acting)
Personal details
Born	Charun[lower-alpha 1] (1895-10-27)27 October 1895 Bangkok, Siam
Died	19 July 1983(1983-07-19) (aged 87) Bangkok, Thailand
Nationality	Thai
Political party	Khana Ratsadon
Spouses	Oep Komalavardhana ​ ​ (m. 1919; died 1949)​ [1] Paphai Setthawat ​ ​ (m. 1952)​
Children	2
Military service
Allegiance	Siam  Thailand
Branch/service	Royal Thai Army
Years of service	1904–1944
Rank	General[2]
Commands	Phayap Army
Battles/wars	Siamese Revolution World War II Franco-Thai War Burma Campaign

Careers

In the days of absolute monarchy, the captain Charun Rattanakun got the feudal title of honor Luang Seriroengrit awarded. He joined the Khana Ratsadon, which mean a Coup d'état in 1932 ended the absolute monarchy and replaced Thailand with a constitutional monarchy.

At the meantime Seriroengrit became a colonel and took off in 1938 an important position in the government of Plaek Phibunsongkhram. Later, he became head of the State Railway of Thailand.,^[3][4][5]

After the end of Franco-Thai War, he was promoted to Lieutenant general in February 1942 and moved to the head of Phayap Army (Northeast Army). He was involved to the Burma Campaign and held in the connection part of the occupation of Shan State.^[6]

Family

A son from his marriage with Eop Komalavardhana was Colonel Aram Rattanakul Serireongrit [th]. Colonel Aram married Princess Galyani Vadhana in 1944; their daughter is Thanpuying Dhasanawalaya Sornsongkram.

Notes

1. At that time, Thailand did not have surnames

References

1. ราชกิจจานุเบกษา, แจ้งความสำนักนายกรัฐมนตรี เรื่อง พระราชทานเครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์ Archived 2012-05-28 at the Wayback Machine, เล่ม 58, ตอน 0 ง, 18 กันยายน พ.ศ. 2484, หน้า 2942
2. Ratchakitcha
3. Direk Jayanama: Thailand and World War II. Silkworm Books, Bangkok 2008, S. 5.
4. "หนังสืออนุสรณ์ พลเอกจรูญ รัตนกุล เสรีเริงฤทธิ์ (หลวงเสรีเริงฤทธิ์)-order 247286- #4917035".
5. "ลำดับความเป็นมาของคณะรัฐมนตรีไทย คณะที่ 10 – สำนักเลขาธิการคณะรัฐมนตรี".
6. ""เหมือนขีดชื่อทวดผมออกจากประวัติศาสตร์" พริษฐ์ รัตนกุล เสรีเริงฤทธิ์ ทายาทคณะราษฎร". April 22, 2017.