General Ruangroj Mahasaranon (born 28 March 1946; ) is the Supreme Commander General of the Royal Thai Armed Forces. Following the 2006 Thailand coup d'état

2006 Thailand coup d'état

The 2006 Thai coup d'état took place on Tuesday 19 September 2006, when the Royal Thai Army staged a coup d'état against the elected caretaker government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra...

, ousted Prime Minister

Prime Minister of Thailand

The Prime Minister of Thailand is the head of government of Thailand. The Prime Minister is also the chairman of the Cabinet of Thailand. The post has existed since the Revolution of 1932, when the country became a constitutional monarchy....

 Thaksin Shinawatra

Thaksin Shinawatra

Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....

 attempted to put Ruangroj in power until Thaksin returned. However, Ruangroj was later named the Chief Advisor to the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy

Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy

The Council for National Security or, in brief, CNS , formerly known as the Council for Democratic Reform or, in brief, CDR , also translated as the Council for Democratic Reform under the Constitutional Monarchy, was the name of the military regime that governed Thailand following the 2006...

 (CDRM). In August 2006, Ruangroj visited junta leader Than Shwe

Than Shwe

Senior General Than Shwe is a Burmese military leader and politician who was chairman of the State Peace and Development Council from 1992 to 2011. During the period, he held key positions of power including commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces and head of Union Solidarity and...

 in Myanmar

Myanmar

Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....

, ostensibly to discuss border issues.

In August 2007, he surprised everyone – especially the junta – by his new political career as one of vice-leaders of People's Power Party

People's Power Party (Thailand)

The People's Power Party was a Thai political party founded on November 9, 1998 by Police Lieutenant Colonel Garn Tienkaew. The party leader was Somchai Wongsawat, the Party Secretary General was Surapong Suebwonglee, and the Party Spokesperson was Kuthep Saikrajarng...

.