Manoonkrit Roopkachorn

Major General Manoonkrit Roopkachorn (Thai: มนูญกฤต รูปขจร, RTGS: Manunkrit Rupkhachon; born Manoon Roopkachorn, 13 December 1935 in Ayutthaya province) is a former Thai military officer, Senator and Speaker of the Senate. A leader of the "Young Turks" clique of military officers, he took part in the coups of 1976 and 1977, in the unsuccessful coups of 1981 and 1985, and in the 2002 corruption case of Prime Minister Thaksin.

Manoon graduated from the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy in its 7th Class, along with classmates Sanan Kachornprasart, Chamlong Srimuang, and Pallop Pinmanee.

Important military factions in the early 1980s included the Young Turks; the fifth class of the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy led by Suchinda Kraprayoon; the "Democratic Soldiers", mostly staff officers in counter-insurgency planning; and the military leadership, such as Generals Arthit Kamlang-ek and Pichit Kullavanij, both with close ties to the palace, and Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, a loyalist to Prime Minister General Prem Tinsulanonda. The Young Turks were increasingly frustrated by the military leadership, which they claim had "allowed themselves to be subservient to the rotten political system just to live happily with benefits handed to them by (corrupt) politicians."

On 1 April 1981, the Young Turks took over Bangkok in a bloodless coup of overwhelming military force, without informing King Bhumibol Adulyadej in advance, as had sometimes happened. The Thai royal family immediately fled to Korat province, along with Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda. With royal support for the Government thus made clear, Arthit Kamlang-ek led troops loyal to Chavalit Yongchaiyudh and Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy Class 5 in a bloodless counter-coup that recaptured the capital. The coup attempt later became known as the April Fool's Day Coup or the Mesa Hawaii (Thai: เมษาฮาวาย) Coup.

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