1966 Laotian coup

Part of Laotian Civil War

Date	October 21–22, 1966
Location	Laos
Result	General Thao Ma forced into exile

Belligerents

Forces of Ouane and Bounthone Marthepharak

Forces of Thao Ma

Commanders and leaders

General Ouane
General Bounthone Marthepharak

General Thao Ma

Casualties and losses

23 dead

The 1966 Laotian coup was brought about by political infighting concerning control of the Royal Lao Air Force, and use of its transports for smuggling. General Thao Ma, who wished to reserve the transports for strictly military use, was forced into exile on 22 October 1966 by fellow generals angling to use the transports for smuggling opium and gold.

The 1966 coup grew out of political factionalism in the military high command of the Kingdom of Laos. When General Phoumi Nosavan was forced into exile in February 1965, he no longer could use his influence to shield the subordinates in his faction. Brigadier General Thao Ma, commander of the Royal Lao Air Force (RLAF), was one of them.

Generals Kouprasith Abhay, Oudone Sananikone, and Ouane Rattikone plotted against the air force head. On 3 July 1965, a land mine blew up a jeep in Thao Ma's entourage in an attempted assassination. There was widespread agreement that his rivals were responsible. Later in the year, controversy flared over usage of the RLAF's transports. When three C-47s were delivered to air force headquarters in Savannakhet, Kouprasith and Ouane demanded their transfer to Wattay, where they would be available to the generals. Thao Ma refused the transfer on the grounds that the transports would be used for smuggling gold and opium instead of military use. To retaliate, promotions within the RLAF were limited.

On 1 April 1966, the General Staff held a planning meeting. After informing Kong Le that the RLA was about to absorb his Neutralist troops, they chastised Thao Ma for his independence, noting that the RLAF was a Royal Lao Army unit. His emphasis on raiding the Ho Chi Minh Trail instead of flying close air support for the infantry was criticized. On 21 April, General Ouane announced that Sourith Don Sasorith would be appointed to command the RLAF. A mutiny was then fomented within the RLAF in early May 1966, with the Chief of Staff and several fighter pilots bribed to cause trouble. By 12 May, the General Staff ordered Thao Ma to pass command to the RLAF Chief of Staff, take up staff duties in a new job, and move RLAF headquarters to Wattay Airbase outside Vientiane. In mid-May, the air force general met fellow conspirators Bounleut Saycocie, Thao Ty, and Nouphet Daoheuang on five consecutive nights. They decided to rebel against the General Staff on 4 June, the day before Thao Ma would pass command to his Chief of Staff.

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