Biography of General Sundhara Kongsompong

Name Sundhara Kongsompong
Corps Infantry
Ranks General (Admiral/Air Chief Marshal)
Position Supreme Commander (Chief of Defence Forces)
Religion Buddhism
Father Captain ศุภชัย Kongsompong
Mother Mrs. ลมูล Kongsompong
Wife Senior Colonel (WAC) Khunying Orachorn Kongsompong
Children General Apirat Kongsompong (DoB: 23 March 1960)
Major General Nattaporn Kongsompong (DoB: 23 August 1968)

Secondary School Suankularb Wittayalai School 1948
Education – Military Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy (5-year program) (Class 1) 1954
Company Commanders Course (Class 14) (Basic Course Class 3),Infantry School, RTA Infantry Center 1954
Airborne and Special Forces Course, Infantry School, RTA Infantry Center 1957
Company Commander and Signal Officer Course, U.S. Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, USA 1958
Battalion Commanders Course (Class 9), Infantry School, RTA Infantry Center 1961
Command and General Staff College (Regular program) (Class 41), RTA 1963
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, USA 1965
Initial Pilot Training, Army Aviation School หลักสูตรศิษย์การบินชั้นปฐม (Class 13) 1973
Advance Pilot Training, Army Aviation School หลักสูตรศิษย์การบินชั้นมัธยม (Class 13) 1973

Registered to military service

ขึ้นทะเบียนทหาร กองประจำการยศทหาร 1 March 1949
Acting Second Lieutenant 25 January 1954
Second Lieutenant 1 January 1955
First Lieutenant 1 January 1956
Captain 1 January 1960
Major 1 October 1963
Lieutenant Colonel 1 October 1967
Colonel 1 October 1970
Senior Colonel 1 December 1974
Major General 1 October 1981
Lieutenant General 1 October 1984
General 1 October 1986
(Admiral/Air Chief Marshal) 22 December 1989

Military Career Positions

Army cadet, Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy 1 March 1949
General Affairs Division, Infantry Regiment 25 January 1954
Headquarter, Infantry Center 27 September 1954
Replacement Unit, 1st Infantry Battalion (อิสระ), 21st Regimental Combat Team 21 June 1955
Upgraded to Replacement Unit, 1st Infantry Battalion, 21st Planning Regiment 15 September 1955
Rifle Platoon Commander, Rifle Company, coalition force in the Korean War 15 September 1955
Aide De Camp to the 1st Infantry Division Deputy Commander 27 June 1956
Aide De Camp to the 2nd Military Circle Commander 24 April 1957
Company Commander, 1st Infantry Division HQ 29 April 1959
Student Officer, Command and General Staff College ชุดที่ 41 10 May 1962
S3, 1st Infantry Regiment, King’s Guard 21 April 1963
Logistics Assistant Staff Officer, 1st Infantry Division 29 April 1965

ประจำ Army Training Command Department 30 June 1965
Acting lecturer (Lieutenant Colonel) at Command and General Staff College 16 May 1966
Chief of Personal Branch, 1st Infantry Division 25 December 1967
Chief of Operation Branch, 1st Infantry Division 15 March 1968
Chief of Operation Branch, Volunteer Defence Division in Vietnam War 17 January 1969
Assistant Chief of Intelligent Department, 1st Army Area 15 August 1970
Deputy Chief of Operations Division, 1st Army Area 2 October 1971
ประจำ Army Aviation Regiment 1 April 1973
Army Aviation Regiment Executive Officer (อัตราพันเอก) 25 March 1974
Chief of Staff, Special Warfare Center 20 August 1974
Army Aviation Regiment Deputy Commander 1 November 1977
Army Aviation Regiment upgraded to Army Aviation Center 13 June 1978
Commander of Army Aviation Center 1 October 1981
Special Warfare Command Deputy Commander 1 October 1983
Commander of Special Warfare Command 1 October 1984
Assistant Commander in Chief, RTA 1 October 1986
Chief of Staff, RTA 1 October 1987
The Chief of Defence Forces 29 March 1990

Other Positions

King’s Guard ราชองครักษ์เวร 20 December 1981
Working group member of Royal Development Projects 28 March 1983
Senator 22 April 1983 – 1989
นายทหารพิเศษประจำ The 1st Infantry Regiment, King’s Guard 28 September 1983
The King’s Guard 11 January 1987
Judge of the Military Supreme Court 13 January 1987
Chairman of the Coordinating Committee of Political Organization, Internal Security Operations Command 1 May 1987
นายทหารพิเศษประจำ 21st Infantry Regiment,
King’s Guard and 1st Field Artillery Regiment, King’s Guard​ ​
30 July 1987
Volunteer Defense Corps Colonel 29 December 1988
Judge of the Military Supreme Court 30 January 1989
นายทหารพิเศษประจำ Naval Cadet Division, King’s Guard,​
Royal Thai Naval Academy, Naval Education Department and Air Force Cadet Regiment, King’s Guard,
Navaminda Kasatriyadhiraj Royal Air Force Academy, Directorate of Educational and Training, RTAF
8 March 1990
นายทหารพิเศษประจำ the 1st Cavalry Regiment, King’s Guard ​ 16 April 1990
Judge of the Military Supreme Court 19 December 1990
Leader, National Peacekeeping Council 24 February 1991
Chairman, National Peacekeeping Council 1 March 1991

Thai Royal Decorations

Victory Medal (Korean War) 11 October 1955
Member (Fifth Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand 5 December 1955
Member (Fifth Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant 5 December 1961
Companion (Fourth Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand 5 December 1962
King Mongkut’s Royal Cypher Medal (Rama IV) 18 August 1964
Companion (Fourth Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant 5 December 1964
Chakra Mala Medal 5 December 1964
Commander (Third Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand 5 December 1968
Victory Medal (Vietnam War) 7 July 1971
Commander (Third Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant 5 December 1971
Freeman Safeguarding Medal (Second Class) 11 October 1972
Knight Commander (Second Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand 5 December 1975
Knight Commander (Second Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant 5 December 1978
Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand 5 December 1981
Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant 5 December 1983
Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand 5 December 1986
Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant 5 December 1987
Freeman Safeguarding Medal (First Class) 15 December 1988
Border Service Medal 16 June 1989
“Asvin” (Companion) of the Honourable Order of Rama 27 March 1990
Grand Companion (Thrid Class, higher grade) of the Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao 5 May 1990
King’s Royal Cypher Medal (Rama III) เหรียญรัตนาภรณ์ ชั้น 3 12 April 1991
Knight Commander (Second Class, lower grade) of the Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao 5 May 1991

Foreign Honour

U.S.A. “THE ARMY COMMENDATION MEDAL” Decorate “V” 21 March 1970
“THE ARMY COMMENDATION MEDAL” Decorate “FIRST OAK LEAF CLUSTER” 11 June 1970
South Vietnam: “GALLANTRY CROSS” with Palm 10 July 1970
“THE BRONZE STAR MEDAL” Decorate “V” 10 November 1970
Malaysia: ORDER OF LOYALTY TO THE CROWN OF MALAYSIA (PANGLIMA SETIA MAHKOTA: P.S.M.) 1989
South Korea: “ORDER OF NATIONAL SECURITY MERIT “TONG-IL” MEDAL” 1 October 1990