UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                   -------------------------------------------

                                    FORM 8-K
                                 CURRENT REPORT
                       Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                       the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                              Date of Report (Date
                          of earliest event reported):

                                November 18, 2005
                    ----------------------------------------

                           THERMO ELECTRON CORPORATION
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its Charter)


                                                                                                  
                   Delaware                                  1-8002                                04-2209186
       (State or other jurisdiction of              (Commission File Number)            (I.R.S. Employer Identification
        incorporation or organization)                                                              Number)

              81 Wyman Street, P.O. Box 9046
                  Waltham, Massachusetts                                           02454-9046
         (Address of principal executive offices)                                  (Zip Code)

                                                            (781) 622-1000
                                                    (Registrant's telephone
                                                    number
                                                         including area code)

Check  the  appropriate  box  below  if the  Form  8-K  filing  is  intended  to
simultaneously  satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

     |_|  Written  communications  pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act
          (17 CFR 230.425)

     |_|  Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17
          CFR 240.14a-12)

     |_|  Pre-commencement  communications  pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b)  under the
          Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

     |_|  Pre-commencement  communications  pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c)  under the
          Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))


Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

     On November 17, 2005, the Compensation  Committee of the Board of Directors
of Thermo Electron  Corporation  (the "Company")  approved,  and the Company and
Marijn E. Dekkers, the Company's chief executive officer, entered into, a letter
agreement  dated as of November 17,  2005,  in order to comply with the proposed
regulations  issued by the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury  Department
under  Section  409A of the Internal  Revenue  Code,  that amended Mr.  Dekkers'
Amended and Restated  Employment  Agreement  dated as of November  21, 2002,  as
amended,  to provide that any payments  that may be made to him in the nature of
severance  pay will be made by the  Company in a lump sum within  thirty days of
termination of employment.





                                    SIGNATURE

     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized, on this 18th day of November, 2005.


                                        THERMO ELECTRON CORPORATION


                                        By:     /s/ Seth H. Hoogasian
                                        ----------------------------------------
                                        Seth H. Hoogasian
                                        Vice President, General Counsel and     
                                        Secretary