Natthaphon Narkphanit

Natthaphon Nakphanit was born on February 13, 1961. He graduated from the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School (Class 20) and then Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy (Class 31).^[4] He also studied at the Royal Thai Army Command and General Staff College and the National Defence College of Thailand.^[5]

Natthaphon previously served in the Royal Thai Army as a Light Weapons Company Commander of 2nd Infantry Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, King Bhumibol's Guard in 1988, later became a teacher at the Royal Thai Army Command and General Staff College and Royal Thai Army War College.^[6]

He was the Director of the Directorate of Operations in 2015 and became the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army in 2016.^[7]

The following year he became Chief of Staff of the Army and was Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army from 2018 to 2020, then transferred to be Secretary-General of the National Security Council in 2020.^[8] He played a huge role in solving the problem of the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand as Vice Chairman of the Ad hoc committee considering the relaxation of enforcement of measures to prevent and stop the spread of COVID-19 and is also the main leader in the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).^[9][10] He is also the one who developed the role of the National Security Council to be able to deal with a wider variety of threats to the country, such as the threat from COVID-19.^[11][12]