Privy councillor Air Chief Marshal Siddhi Savetsila died of natural causes yesterday morning. He was 96.
The former foreign affairs minister passed away peacefully at 5am yesterday. A bathing ritual will be held tomorrow at Wat Benchamabophit, where funeral rites will start later in the day.
Born in Bangkok on Jan 7, 1919, ACM Siddhiheld several key including deputy prime minister and the top post the National Security Council.
The privy councillor was a son of MahaAmnart Tri Phraya Wannapruekpicharn (Thongkham Sawetsila) and Khunying Khlip Wannapruekpicharn (Thes Bunnag)
He and his wife Khunying Thida had four children, including Tada, the husband of
well-known actress and TV host Mayura.
ACM Siddhi studied at St Gabriel College, Wat Ratchabophit, Suan Kularb Wittayalai and Mahavajiravudh Songkhla schools before pursuing his tertiary education at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Engineering in 1938, where he ranked first in his class.
He later won an air force scholarship to further his studies in metallurgy neering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US. During his oversea studies, he joined the Seri Thai (Free Thai movement during World War II.