-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----
Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR
Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov
Originator-Key-Asymmetric:
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MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA,
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 4tCHHGhqhJ4onl3lrRiIdg==

<SEC-DOCUMENT>0000097745-03-000122.txt : 20030728
<SEC-HEADER>0000097745-03-000122.hdr.sgml : 20030728
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20030728181337
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0000097745-03-000122
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	4
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT:	20030725
FILED AS OF DATE:		20030728

ISSUER:		

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			THERMO ELECTRON CORP
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0000097745
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	MEASURING & CONTROLLING DEVICES, NEC [3829]
		IRS NUMBER:				042209186
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			DE
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		81 WYMAN ST
		STREET 2:		PO BOX 9046
		CITY:			WALTHAM
		STATE:			MA
		ZIP:			02451
		BUSINESS PHONE:		7816221000

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		81 WYMAN ST
		STREET 2:		PO BOX 9046
		CITY:			WALTHAM
		STATE:			MA
		ZIP:			02451

REPORTING-OWNER:	

	OWNER DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			DEKKERS MARIJN E
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001216068

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		4
		SEC ACT:		1934 Act
		SEC FILE NUMBER:	001-08002
		FILM NUMBER:		03806865

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		81 WYMAN ST
		STREET 2:		POST OFFICE BOX 9046
		CITY:			WALTHAM
		STATE:			MA
		ZIP:			02454
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>dek121.xml
<TEXT>
<XML>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>
	<periodOfReport>2003-07-25</periodOfReport>
	<notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000097745</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>THERMO ELECTRON CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>TMO</issuerTradingSymbol>
	</issuer>
	<reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001216068</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>DEKKERS MARIJN E</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>81 WYMAN ST</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>POST OFFICE BOX 9046</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>WALTHAM</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>02454</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
			<isDirector>1</isDirector>
			<isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
			<isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
			<isOther>0</isOther>
			<officerTitle>Chief Executive Officer</officerTitle>
		</reportingOwnerRelationship>
	</reportingOwner>
	<nonDerivativeTable>
		<nonDerivativeTransaction>
			<securityTitle>
				<value>Common Stock</value>
			</securityTitle>
			<transactionDate>
				<value>2003-07-25</value>
			</transactionDate>
			<deemedExecutionDate>
			</deemedExecutionDate>
			<transactionCoding>
				<transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
				<transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
				<equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
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			<transactionAmounts>
				<transactionShares>
					<value>7200</value>
				</transactionShares>
				<transactionPricePerShare>
					<value>22.10</value>
				</transactionPricePerShare>
				<transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
					<value>D</value>
				</transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
			</transactionAmounts>
			<postTransactionAmounts>
				<sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
					<value>41574.00</value>
				</sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
			</postTransactionAmounts>
			<ownershipNature>
				<directOrIndirectOwnership>
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			<transactionAmounts>
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				<transactionPricePerShare>
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				<transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
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			</transactionAmounts>
			<postTransactionAmounts>
				<sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
					<value>34774.00</value>
				</sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
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			<ownershipNature>
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		<nonDerivativeTransaction>
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			<transactionAmounts>
				<transactionShares>
					<value>1900</value>
				</transactionShares>
				<transactionPricePerShare>
					<value>22.12</value>
				</transactionPricePerShare>
				<transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
					<value>D</value>
				</transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
			</transactionAmounts>
			<postTransactionAmounts>
				<sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
					<value>32874.00</value>
				</sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
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			<ownershipNature>
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				<equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
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			<transactionAmounts>
				<transactionShares>
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				</transactionShares>
				<transactionPricePerShare>
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				</transactionPricePerShare>
				<transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
					<value>D</value>
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			</transactionAmounts>
			<postTransactionAmounts>
				<sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
					<value>32774.00</value>
				</sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
			</postTransactionAmounts>
			<ownershipNature>
				<directOrIndirectOwnership>
					<value>D</value>
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					<value/>
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		<nonDerivativeTransaction>
			<securityTitle>
				<value>Common Stock</value>
			</securityTitle>
			<transactionDate>
				<value>2003-07-25</value>
			</transactionDate>
			<deemedExecutionDate>
			</deemedExecutionDate>
			<transactionCoding>
				<transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
				<transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
				<equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
			</transactionCoding>
			<transactionAmounts>
				<transactionShares>
					<value>2700</value>
				</transactionShares>
				<transactionPricePerShare>
					<value>22.14</value>
				</transactionPricePerShare>
				<transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
					<value>D</value>
				</transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
			</transactionAmounts>
			<postTransactionAmounts>
				<sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
					<value>30074.00</value>
				</sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
			</postTransactionAmounts>
			<ownershipNature>
				<directOrIndirectOwnership>
					<value>D</value>
				</directOrIndirectOwnership>
				<natureOfOwnership>
					<value/>
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		</nonDerivativeTransaction>
		<nonDerivativeTransaction>
			<securityTitle>
				<value>Common Stock</value>
			</securityTitle>
			<transactionDate>
				<value>2003-07-25</value>
			</transactionDate>
			<deemedExecutionDate>
			</deemedExecutionDate>
			<transactionCoding>
				<transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
				<transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
				<equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
			</transactionCoding>
			<transactionAmounts>
				<transactionShares>
					<value>100</value>
				</transactionShares>
				<transactionPricePerShare>
					<value>22.02</value>
				</transactionPricePerShare>
				<transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
					<value>D</value>
				</transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
			</transactionAmounts>
			<postTransactionAmounts>
				<sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
					<value>29974.00</value>
				</sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
			</postTransactionAmounts>
			<ownershipNature>
				<directOrIndirectOwnership>
					<value>D</value>
				</directOrIndirectOwnership>
				<natureOfOwnership>
					<value/>
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		</nonDerivativeTransaction>
		<nonDerivativeTransaction>
			<securityTitle>
				<value>Common Stock</value>
			</securityTitle>
			<transactionDate>
				<value>2003-07-25</value>
			</transactionDate>
			<deemedExecutionDate>
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			<transactionCoding>
				<transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
				<transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
				<equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
			</transactionCoding>
			<transactionAmounts>
				<transactionShares>
					<value>3916</value>
				</transactionShares>
				<transactionPricePerShare>
					<value>22.03</value>
				</transactionPricePerShare>
				<transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
					<value>D</value>
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			</transactionAmounts>
			<postTransactionAmounts>
				<sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
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				</sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
			</postTransactionAmounts>
			<ownershipNature>
				<directOrIndirectOwnership>
					<value>D</value>
				</directOrIndirectOwnership>
				<natureOfOwnership>
					<value/>
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		</nonDerivativeTransaction>
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			<securityTitle>
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			<transactionDate>
				<value>2003-07-25</value>
			</transactionDate>
			<deemedExecutionDate>
			</deemedExecutionDate>
			<transactionCoding>
				<transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
				<transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
				<equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
			</transactionCoding>
			<transactionAmounts>
				<transactionShares>
					<value>8900</value>
				</transactionShares>
				<transactionPricePerShare>
					<value>22.04</value>
				</transactionPricePerShare>
				<transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
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			</transactionAmounts>
			<postTransactionAmounts>
				<sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
					<value>17158.00</value>
				</sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
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			<ownershipNature>
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					<value/>
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				<equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
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				<transactionPricePerShare>
					<value>22.07</value>
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				<transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
					<value>D</value>
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					<value>10058.00</value>
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				<directOrIndirectOwnership>
					<value>D</value>
				</directOrIndirectOwnership>
				<natureOfOwnership>
					<value/>
				</natureOfOwnership>
			</ownershipNature>
		</nonDerivativeTransaction>
		<nonDerivativeTransaction>
			<securityTitle>
				<value>Common Stock</value>
			</securityTitle>
			<transactionDate>
				<value>2003-07-25</value>
			</transactionDate>
			<deemedExecutionDate>
			</deemedExecutionDate>
			<transactionCoding>
				<transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
				<transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
				<equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
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			<transactionAmounts>
				<transactionShares>
					<value>2100</value>
				</transactionShares>
				<transactionPricePerShare>
					<value>22.08</value>
				</transactionPricePerShare>
				<transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
					<value>D</value>
				</transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
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			<postTransactionAmounts>
				<sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
					<value>7958.00</value>
				</sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
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			<ownershipNature>
				<directOrIndirectOwnership>
					<value>D</value>
				</directOrIndirectOwnership>
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					<value/>
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			</ownershipNature>
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		<nonDerivativeTransaction>
			<securityTitle>
				<value>Common Stock</value>
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			<transactionDate>
				<value>2003-07-25</value>
			</transactionDate>
			<deemedExecutionDate>
			</deemedExecutionDate>
			<transactionCoding>
				<transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
				<transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
				<equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
			</transactionCoding>
			<transactionAmounts>
				<transactionShares>
					<value>4500</value>
				</transactionShares>
				<transactionPricePerShare>
					<value>22.09</value>
				</transactionPricePerShare>
				<transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
					<value>D</value>
				</transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
			</transactionAmounts>
			<postTransactionAmounts>
				<sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
					<value>3458.00</value>
				</sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
			</postTransactionAmounts>
			<ownershipNature>
				<directOrIndirectOwnership>
					<value>D</value>
				</directOrIndirectOwnership>
				<natureOfOwnership>
					<value/>
				</natureOfOwnership>
			</ownershipNature>
		</nonDerivativeTransaction>
	</nonDerivativeTable>
	<footnotes>
	</footnotes>
	<remarks>
	</remarks>
	<ownerSignature>
		<signatureName>By: Barbara J. Lucas, Attorney-in-Fact for M. Dekkers</signatureName>
		<signatureDate>2003-07-28</signatureDate>
	</ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>

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</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SEC-DOCUMENT>
-----END PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----