Thanom Kittikachorn ( , ; 11 August 1911 – 16 June 2004 ) was a military dictator of Thailand . A staunch anti-communist , Thanom oversaw a decade of military rule in Thailand from 1963 to 1973 , during which he staged a self-coup , until public protests which exploded into violence forced him to step down . His return from exile in 1976 sparked protests which led to a massacre of demonstrators , followed by a military coup
massacre of demonstrators
Thammasat University massacre
Thanom Kittikachorn