BANGKOK: Former Thai prime minister and influential royal adviser General Prem Tinsulanonda, a towering figure over decades of turbulent politics and military interventions, died on Sunday at age 98 of heart failure, the royal palace said.

In a career that spanned decades, Prem most recently played a role in organising the ornate coronation of King Maha Vajiralongkorn this month. He served briefly as the country’s regent shortly after King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the current monarchs father, died in 2016 after a 70-year reign.

As chairman of the prestigious Privy Council of royal advisers, Prem held one of the country’s most powerful unelected positions. He also sat as honorary adviser on the board of several of the country’s most prominent businesses including its largest bank, Bangkok Bank and its largest conglomeration, Charoen Pokphand Group.

Having served as army chief, he was seen by political analysts as having significant influence with Thailand’s powerful royalist military which has staged 13 coups since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932.

His death comes as Thailand prepares to form a new government after the first elections since a 2014 coup, with a pro-military political party expected to keep current junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha on as prime minister over the objections of opposition parties who say the new junta-written constitution nearly guaranteed army proxies would retain power.

Prem became Thailands 16th prime minister in 1980, appointed by parliament to replace a predecessor who had been installed by a military coup leader.

Published in Dawn, May 27th, 2019