Pallop was a member of Class Seven of the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, the "young Turks", where he befriended classmate Chamlong Srimuang. He began his military career as a commando and self-professed assassin. With his young Turk classmates, Pallop was involved in successful military coups against the governments of Seni Pramoj and Tanin Kraivixien and an unsuccessful April Fool's Day 1981 coup against the government of Prem Tinsulanonda. He also admitted masterminding a number of assassination attempts against General Arthit Kamlang-ek, commander of the Army under Prem.