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Siddhi Savetsila

Thai air force officer and politician (1919–2015) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Siddhi Savetsila
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Siddhi Savetsila (Thai: สิทธิ เศวตศิลา, RTGS: Sit Sawetsila, Thai pronunciation: [sìt sàʔwèːtsìʔlaː], 7 January 1919 – 5 December 2015) was a Thai air force officer and politician. After finishing his military career with the rank of air chief marshal, he served as the foreign minister of Thailand from 1980 to 1990. In 1991, he became a member of the Privy Council of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. He was the president of the united nations security council in 1985 with Mom Luang Birabhongse Kasemsri.[2]

Quick Facts Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, Prime Minister ...
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Life and education

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Siddhi and Group of Free Thais who received the Medal of Freedom from the U.S. government on September 2, 1945

Siddhi Savetsila was born in Bangkok. He is a member of the Thai aristocracy. His father was a high-ranking official in the royal government. His paternal grandfather was Henry Alabaster who was the British consul in Siam during the reign of King Rama IV (Mongkut) and then served as an advisor to King Rama V (Chulalongkorn).[3] His mother was an offspring of the influential Bunnag family. He is a direct descendant of Somdet Chao Phraya Borom Maha Prayurawongse.[4]

Siddhi studied metallurgic engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), graduating with an S.B. degree in 1943. During the Second World War, he joined the Free Thai Movement (Seri Thai) which resisted against the de facto occupation of Thailand by Japanese forces. He collected data for the US foreign-intelligence agency OSS (predecessor of the CIA) and was temporarily detained by the Japanese.[5] Two of Siddhis sisters married US intelligence operatives, one was the wife of former OSS agent Willis Bird and one of CIA officer William Lair.[6] After the end of the war, he returned to the MIT and received his S.M. degree in 1947.

Siddhi holds honorary doctorate degrees from the University of the Philippines, the National University of Singapore and five universities in Thailand.

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Air Force career

He then served in the Royal Thai Air Force and rose up to the rank of air chief marshal (phon akat ek).

Security career

From 1975 to 1980 he served as secretary-general of the National Security Council. In this position he assisted Prime Minister Kriangsak Chomanan at the time of the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia during 1978 to 1979.

Political career

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Prime Minister Dries van Agt with Siddhi Savetsila in 1980

In 1980, Kriangsak appointed him minister of foreign affairs. He kept this position when Prem Tinsulanonda took over the premiership a few months later. As Thailand' representative in the United Nations (UN) and ASEAN, Siddhi advocated a tough line towards Vietnam which was occupying Cambodia after 1979. In 1983, Siddhi was elected member of parliament and in 1985 he took over the leadership of the Social Action Party (SAP) following the retirement of Kukrit Pramoj. The party did well in the 1986 election and Siddhi additionally became deputy prime minister for a short time.

In August 1990, the new Prime Minister Chatichai Choonhavan dismissed Siddhi as he sought a more pragmatic relationship with the communist-ruled countries of Southeast Asia. Siddhi's SAP was in great difficulties during the late 1980s and, in September 1990, Siddhi gave up his leadership. One month later, he completely retired from the parliament and the party, stating that he was tired of politics.[7] In 1991 King Bhumibol appointed him to his privy council.[8]

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Legacy

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Siddhi Savetsila is widely regarded as a symbol of restraint, technocratic integrity, and traditional diplomatic poise in modern Thai history. A descendant of both the Alabaster and Bunnag families, Siddhi’s background embodied the synthesis of Western education and aristocratic Thai values. As Thailand's foreign minister and ASEAN statesman during the Cold War, he played a pivotal role in shaping regional diplomacy, emphasizing negotiation, consensus, and alignment with international norms, while maintaining Thailand’s autonomy and cultural identity.[9]

During his tenure as foreign minister, Siddhi was instrumental in reinforcing ASEAN’s collective stance during a period of geopolitical volatility in Southeast Asia. In the aftermath of Vietnam’s invasion of Cambodia, he advocated for a unified ASEAN response and maintained firm opposition to foreign occupation, while avoiding direct military confrontation. His steady diplomacy helped shape ASEAN’s reputation as a cohesive regional bloc and reinforced Thailand’s position as a key diplomatic actor balancing relations between Western allies and neighboring communist regimes.[10]

Siddhi’s personal and familial ties to American intelligence added a layer of strategic importance to his role during the Cold War. Two of his sisters married senior U.S. operatives, one an OSS agent and another a high-ranking CIA officer, reflecting deep trust between Thailand’s elite and U.S. foreign policy circles. Siddhi himself was active in the Free Thai Movement during World War II, serving as an OSS intelligence contact, which laid the groundwork for decades of cooperation between Thailand and American security agencies.[11]

Unlike many of his military contemporaries, Siddhi operated with a technocratic, non-populist style that emphasized discretion, continuity, and institutional loyalty. Though a senior officer and advisor to multiple prime ministers, he avoided direct involvement in military coups and instead pursued influence through formal roles in diplomacy and national security. His later appointment to the Privy Council reflected his enduring reputation as a statesman of discipline and balance, earning respect across political divides for his commitment to national stability over personal ambition.[9]

Retrospective assessments often contrast Siddhi’s modest, duty-driven statesmanship with the more populist or transactional leadership styles of later decades. He has been praised for his moral clarity, his lack of self-promotion, and his steady stewardship of Thai diplomacy during a volatile regional and international period.[12][13]

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Died

He died on 5 December 2015 at the age of 96.[14]

Honour

He was decorated with the Order of Chula Chom Klao (first class), the Order of the White Elephant (special class) and the Order of the Crown of Thailand (special class), as well as foreign decorations from 14 countries.[8]

On 8 May 2000, he was among the five Free Thai veterans who were awarded the Agency Seal Medallion by CIA director George Tenet.

Foreign Honours

Foreign honour

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References

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