Major general Kouprasith Abhay was a prominent military leader of the Kingdom of Laos during the Laotian Civil War.
21 Facts About Kouprasith Abhay
1.
2.
Kouprasith Abhay would hold the post until 1 July 1971, thus controlling the troops in and around the capital.
3.
Kouprasith Abhay's service was marked by a deadly feud with another Laotian general, Thao Ma; the feud was largely responsible for the latter two coup attempts against the government.
4.
Kouprasith Abhay was related to the influential Sananikone family, since his own mother came from that family.
5.
Kouprasith Abhay followed Colonel Phoumi Nosavan and his aide de camp Lieutenant colonel Siho Lamphouthacoul to France, where they attended staff courses at the School of Advanced Military Studies in Paris, followed by a posting as the Royal Lao Government's first military attache to France.
6.
Kouprasith Abhay returned to Laos early in 1960 to take command of the Royal Lao Army troops in Military Region 5, headquartered in Vientiane.
7.
When Captain Kong Le seized power in his August 1960 coup, Kouprasith Abhay made a weak offer of support to the new satrap.
8.
Kouprasith Abhay retained the command in Military Region 5, which included Vientiane.
9.
At one point during the counter-coup, Kouprasith Abhay made his own bid for power.
10.
Kouprasith Abhay's cause was not aided when he took to his sick bed upon relief from the command.
11.
Kouprasith Abhay was appointed to command it, and between 7 and 17 January 1961, the GMV followed the retreating FAN as far as Vang Viang.
12.
Colonel Kouprasith Abhay helicoptered in and recovered the two surviving USSF team members.
13.
At about the same time, Siho approached Kouprasith Abhay about using the DNC Security Agency to take over the kingdom in a military coup.
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Kouprasith Abhay agreed, and on 18 April 1964, Siho seized the key national government buildings when he seized control of Vientiane.
15.
Kouprasith Abhay withdrew GM 17 from the Plain of Jars to reinforce the coup, abandoning a defensive line on the Plain to the communists.
16.
Kouprasith Abhay was on the air long enough to broadcast five radio communiques.
17.
In that time, Kouprasith Abhay turned out the remainder of GM 17; the dissidents promptly rejoined the ranks of the RLA as Bounleut made peace with Kouprasith Abhay.
18.
Kouprasith Abhay then dealt with the troops coming to Phoumi's aid, attacking and dispersing them.
19.
Kouprasith Abhay placed constraints on Kouprasith's command of MR 5.
20.
When Khong Island was threatened by the communists in October 1972, Kouprasith Abhay took charge of the relief expedition.
21.
Kouprasith Abhay was hauled wounded from his crash-landed plane and taken to Kouprasith's headquarters.