' s ▁Wat ▁Bow on ni w et . ▁Even ▁though ▁he ▁announced ▁he ▁had ▁no ▁desire ▁to ▁enter ▁politics , ▁his ▁return ▁triggered ▁student ▁protest s , ▁which ▁eventually ▁moved ▁onto ▁the ▁campus ▁of ▁Th amm as at ▁University . ▁This ▁was ▁only ▁a ▁year ▁after ▁South ▁Vietnam ▁and ▁Th ailand ' s ▁neighb ors ▁La os ▁and ▁Camb odia ▁had ▁fallen ▁to ▁the ▁commun ists , ▁and ▁right - wing ▁Th ais ▁sus pected ▁the ▁protest ers ▁wished ▁the ▁same ▁fate ▁for ▁their ▁own ▁country . ▁On ▁ 6 ▁October ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁right - wing ▁milit ants , ▁a ided ▁by ▁government ▁security ▁forces , ▁storm ed ▁the ▁Th amm as at ▁campus , ▁viol ently ▁broke ▁up ▁the ▁protest s , ▁and ▁killed ▁many ▁protest ers . ▁That ▁evening , ▁the ▁military ▁seized ▁power ▁from ▁the ▁elected ▁civil ian ▁government ▁of ▁Dem ocrat ▁MR ▁Sen i ▁Pr am oj ▁and ▁installed ▁hard - line ▁royal ist ▁Th an in ▁Kra iv ich ien ▁as ▁premier . ▁ ▁Th an om ▁soon ▁left ▁the ▁mon k hood , ▁but ▁he ▁kept ▁his ▁word ▁never ▁to ▁take ▁part ▁in ▁politics ▁again . ▁Late ▁in ▁his ▁life , ▁he ▁attempted ▁to ▁re h abil itate ▁his ▁t arn ished ▁image ▁and ▁recover ▁properties ▁seized ▁when ▁his ▁government ▁was ▁over th rown . ▁ ▁In ▁March ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁Th an om ▁was ▁nominated ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁honor ary ▁Royal ▁Guard ▁by ▁Prime ▁Minister