Page 16 - Prinya Wanchupela Memorial

General suggested the students return to their university
where he would join them to discuss the situation.

He convinced them to trust him, which they did, and
thus began his historic rise to power as one of Thailand’s

most feared and respected dictators.

One of Prinya’s friends at Chula was Jit Poommisak.
Together they published a newsletter which was

circulated to Chula students. Jit became known as a
leftist sympathizer and was held in contempt by some
members of the student body. Prinya’s classmate, M.R.
Duangcaj Chumbala, fiercely defended him as he was

being abused by fellow students at an evening gathering
by bravely taking the stage to demand that they stop
their attack. Jit went on to become a member of the
Communist Party where after Prinya lost touch with him. He did try to visit him upon learning

that he was incarcerated by the police in Bangkok. Jit, however, refused to see him. Upon his
release he was hunted down and killed in Sakorn Nakorn Province. Prinya lost a friend, and
the nation lost an exceptional intellectual.

Field trip to Nokorn Pathom with friends from Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn
University on August 19, 1956, led by M.R.W. Sumonchat Sawatikun.

Photo taken near the Sanctuary of Phra Ruang Rojanarit, Wat Pra Pathom Chedi.
Prinya standing on the far right of the back row.

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16 Memories of Prinya Wanchupela