itt ik ach orn . ▁His ▁family ▁was ▁of ▁Th ai - Ch inese ▁descent . ▁He ▁attended ▁Wat ▁Ko ak ▁Pl u ▁Municipal ▁School , ▁then ▁was ▁admitted ▁to ▁the ▁Army ▁Cad et ▁Academy . ▁After ▁receiving ▁his ▁commission , ▁he ▁reported ▁for ▁duty ▁with ▁Infantry ▁Regiment ▁VII ▁in ▁Chi ang ▁Mai . ▁Th an om ▁later ▁studied ▁at ▁the ▁Cart ography ▁School ▁and ▁the ▁Infantry ▁School , ▁and ▁graduated ▁from ▁the ▁National ▁Def ense ▁College ▁in ▁its ▁first ▁class . ▁ ▁R ise ▁to ▁power ▁After ▁serving ▁in ▁the ▁Sh an ▁States ▁of ▁Bur ma ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁then ▁Lieutenant ▁Colonel ▁Th an om ▁took ▁part ▁in ▁a ▁successful ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁coup ▁head ed ▁by ▁Colonel ▁Sar it ▁Th an ar at . ▁He ▁became ▁a ▁regiment al ▁commander ▁and ▁was ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁L op b uri ▁military ▁department . ▁He ▁was ▁soon ▁promoted ▁to ▁colon el , ▁command ing ▁the ▁ 1 1 th ▁Infantry ▁Division . ▁Th an om ▁was ▁appointed ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁parliament ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 1 , ▁his ▁first ▁political ▁role . ▁He ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁major ▁general ▁the ▁same ▁year . ▁ ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 9 5 3 , ▁Th an om ▁led ▁the ▁supp ression ▁of ▁a ▁re bell ion ▁against ▁military ▁rule , ▁and ▁was ▁reward ed ▁with ▁promotion ▁to ▁lieutenant ▁general . ▁He ▁represented ▁Th ailand ▁at ▁the ▁ceremony ▁to ▁mark ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Korean ▁War ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 5