Siamese coup d'état of 1933
Encyclopedia
The Siamese Coup d’état of June 1933 was considered the first time in Thai
history that the Military has successfully overthrown the Constitutional Government. The actual coup took place peacefully on 20 June 1933 in Bangkok
. The Coup was led by Colonel
Phraya Phahol Pholphayuhasena against the premiership
of the Premier Phraya Manopakorn Nititada
. The Coup was in effect a counter-coup against the dictatorial policies of Phraya Mano stemming from the Yellow cover dossier crisis.
On 24 June 1932, the Khana Ratsadon
(or the People's Party) carried out a peaceful Revolution against the rule of King Prajadhipok
(or Rama VII) the absolute Monarch of Siam. The Party forced the King to give up his absolute powers and gave the Siamese people their first written constitution. On the 10 December of that year, a ‘permanent’ charter was promulgated with the blessings of the new constitutional monarch.
The constitution stripped the king of most of his powers, where they were instead exercised by new the Government of Siam; which include the People's Assembly
(the legislature
), the People's Committee (the executive
) and the Supreme Court (the judiciary
) . The President
of this new Public Committee would be the Head of Government
and in effect de facto Prime Minister of Siam
. The role was offered and accepted by the 48 year old former Minister of Justice, Privy Councillor and Middle Temple
lawyer Phraya Manopakorn Nititada. His title was later changed to Prime Minister
after the old title was deemed too communistic
. Phraya Mano was considered at the time the least controversial choice for the post of Prime Minister due to his lack of conflict, neutrality and whose hands were deemed the ‘cleanest’.
ial. On 15 March 1933 Dr. Pridi Phanomyong
, one of the founding members of the People's Party, Revolutionary
and member of the People's Committee and Minister of State submitted to the People's Assembly the ‘Draft National Economic Plan’ or the Yellow Cover Dossier .
The dossier outlined Pridi's plan for the country including the entire overhaul of the county's economic, financial
and social
structure. This extremely ambitious plan would try to overhaul 700 years of feudalism in Siam. In his own words he wrote: "this change of administration is not merely a coup d'état
but an economic revolution
", In Section 1 of the Economic plan he wrote:.jpg)
Pridi tried to bring about this objective by suggesting many socialistic
ideas, namely: national welfare
, the redistribution
of Wealth and Land to the poor, Government guided Economy, subsidies for rural farmers, a progressive taxation system and social assurance and security for the poor. Pridi realised this and argued that these suggestions (socialistic as they were) were merely a means to try and raise the standard of living
for the many rural
poor. He further argued that:
Despite its socialist leanings the dossier nevertheless was in truth a mixture of both liberalism
and socialism
. For instance the Plan guarantees the right of private property
(in Section 1 and 5), the plan also called for the establishment of an independent Central Bank
, both of these components of the liberal economic system.
stoked mostly by the urban
elites
and landed nobility
under the newly formed Khana Chart (or National Party), looking for a way to damage the People's Party. The criticism centred on the socialistic nature of the dossier; including charges of Communism and charges that Pridi was instigating a social revolution
. The criticisms were also laid at Phraya Mano, who allowed Pridi to publish such a plan. Despite these charges the People's party and especially the young revolutionaries and most of the urban middle class
and rural poor stood behind Pridi in his defence. The debate, exploded however into a constitutional crisis
when King Prajadhipok, who had confessed to the nation that he had little knowledge of financial affairs, attacked Pridi verbally and asked whether Pridi copied his Plans from Stalin or Stalin form Pridi's.
The controversial and harsh royal intervention drew even more outrage from the public, this time not directed at Pridi but at the King. For the monarch had violated the constitution and was in effect criticising his own constitutional government. This also led to a lawsuit by a Mr. Thawan Ritthidet, a civilian suing the Monarch on the grounds he has violated the constitution by interfering in political affairs.
(and former revolutionaries); They were Phraya Songsuradet, Phraya Ritthi Akhaney and Phra Prasan Pithayayut. These men threatened Pridi and his supporters, the stated that they would carry weapon
s into the Assembly. After he did not attend the sessions they surround Pridi's house with armed supporters.
Phraya Mano had little choice and was forced to call for the dissolution
of the People's Assembly on 1 April 1933. Under emergency decree
some parts of the constitution including the legislature and the judiciary was suspended. On the 2 April, the government repealed the ‘Anti-Communist Act’, which gave the police executive power
s to arrest without trial, citizens who are considered to be communists. Under this law the People's party was disbanded, The Communist Party of Siam's central committee was arrested as well as numerous others including Vietnamese
exiles accused of having communist sympathies. Many left wing newspapers and publications were also suppressed. This event is called the 'Silent Coup' and is considered by many Thai historians as the first real coup d'état
instigated by the military in Thailand
against a constitutional government. On the 12 April Pridi was exile
d to France.
On the 15 June Army Colonel Phraya Phahol Pholphayuhasena (or Phot Phahonyothin), a member of the People's party and Minister of State
resigned from his seat on the People's Committee, citing health reasons. In fact he and Naval
Commander
Luang Supphachalasai, with the help of young military officers conspired to overthrow Phraya Mano's government. With the support of the Army
, the Navy
and the civilian
factions within the People's party and the support of most of Bangkok
's populace Phraya Phahol was able to act.
On the 20 June Phraya Phahol and Luang Supachalasai, seized the National Assembly building
and proclaiming themselves as the legitimate government. Citing the fact that the present government has acted illegally in dissolving the assembly and that they would return the constitution, in which the previous administration has suspended. Phraya Phahol appointed himself the country's Second Prime Minister and Luang Supachalasai a Minister of State. He immediately recalled the People's Assembly and asked the Speaker
to submit to King Prajadhipok the reasons behind the coup at his Summer Palace
in Hua Hin
, the King duly accepted. He also pardon
ed Pridi and recalled him from exile.
Immediate resistance against the coup was limited and quickly dissolved as Phraya Mano resigned and escaped the capital by rail
to Penang
(then part of British Malaya
), where he died in 1948. Phraya Songsuradet and others were barred from entering politics, this would eventually result in the Songsuradet Rebellion
in 1939.
today. However bloodless the coup was the start of a dictatorial regime worse than the one that it had replaced.
Pridi Phanomyong eventually returned to Siam on 29 September 1933, not returning to government immediately. He instead became an academic and founder of Thammasat University
in 1934. He would eventually become one of the most important players in Thai history during the Second World War becoming Regent of Thailand (1944–1946) and Prime Minister of Thailand
in 1946; however label of communist would never leave him. A Thai central bank, the Bank of Thailand
was in the end founded in 1942, when Pridi was in government.
Many issues, chiefly those concerning the role of Prajadhipok, were however never resolved and would eventually lead to the Boworadet Rebellion
later that year.
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
history that the Military has successfully overthrown the Constitutional Government. The actual coup took place peacefully on 20 June 1933 in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
. The Coup was led by Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Phraya Phahol Pholphayuhasena against the premiership
Prime Minister of Thailand
The Prime Minister of Thailand is the head of government of Thailand. The Prime Minister is also the chairman of the Cabinet of Thailand. The post has existed since the Revolution of 1932, when the country became a constitutional monarchy....
of the Premier Phraya Manopakorn Nititada
Phraya Manopakorn Nititada
Phraya Manopakorn Nititada , born Kon Hutasingha , was the first Prime Minister of Siam after the Siamese Revolution of 1932 as he was selected by the leader of the People's Party - the party that instigated the revolution...
. The Coup was in effect a counter-coup against the dictatorial policies of Phraya Mano stemming from the Yellow cover dossier crisis.
Background
Khana Ratsadon
Khana Ratsadon , frequently mistakenly written as Khana Rat , was a Siamese group of military and civil officers, and later a political party, which staged a bloodless coup against King Prajadhipok and transited the country's absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy on 24 June 1932.-The...
(or the People's Party) carried out a peaceful Revolution against the rule of King Prajadhipok
Prajadhipok
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Prajadhipok Phra Pok Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama VII was the seventh monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri. He was the last absolute monarch and the first constitutional monarch of the country. His reign was a turbulent time for Siam due to huge political...
(or Rama VII) the absolute Monarch of Siam. The Party forced the King to give up his absolute powers and gave the Siamese people their first written constitution. On the 10 December of that year, a ‘permanent’ charter was promulgated with the blessings of the new constitutional monarch.
The constitution stripped the king of most of his powers, where they were instead exercised by new the Government of Siam; which include the People's Assembly
National Assembly of Thailand
The National Assembly of Thailand or the Parliament of Thailand is the legislative branch of the government of Thailand. The National Assembly of Thailand is a bicameral body, consisting of two chambers: the upper house, , and the lower house,...
(the legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
), the People's Committee (the executive
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
) and the Supreme Court (the judiciary
Judiciary
The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
) . The President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of this new Public Committee would be the Head of Government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
and in effect de facto Prime Minister of Siam
Prime Minister of Thailand
The Prime Minister of Thailand is the head of government of Thailand. The Prime Minister is also the chairman of the Cabinet of Thailand. The post has existed since the Revolution of 1932, when the country became a constitutional monarchy....
. The role was offered and accepted by the 48 year old former Minister of Justice, Privy Councillor and Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
lawyer Phraya Manopakorn Nititada. His title was later changed to Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
after the old title was deemed too communistic
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
. Phraya Mano was considered at the time the least controversial choice for the post of Prime Minister due to his lack of conflict, neutrality and whose hands were deemed the ‘cleanest’.
The Yellow Cover Dossier
The new People's Committee (or the Government) was made up of 20 Ministers of State, 10 of whom came from the People's Party while the 10 others (who were high ranking Civil Servants) were picked by the party. In truth the committee quickly turned dictatorDictator
A dictator is a ruler who assumes sole and absolute power but without hereditary ascension such as an absolute monarch. When other states call the head of state of a particular state a dictator, that state is called a dictatorship...
ial. On 15 March 1933 Dr. Pridi Phanomyong
Pridi Phanomyong
Pridi Banomyong was a highly revered Thai politician. He was a former Prime Minister and Senior Statesman of Thailand, and was named one of the world's great personalities of the 20th century by UNESCO in 2000.-Family background:...
, one of the founding members of the People's Party, Revolutionary
Revolutionary
A revolutionary is a person who either actively participates in, or advocates revolution. Also, when used as an adjective, the term revolutionary refers to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor.-Definition:...
and member of the People's Committee and Minister of State submitted to the People's Assembly the ‘Draft National Economic Plan’ or the Yellow Cover Dossier .
The dossier outlined Pridi's plan for the country including the entire overhaul of the county's economic, financial
FINANCIAL
FINANCIAL is the weekly English-language newspaper with offices in Tbilisi, Georgia and Kiev, Ukraine. Published by Intelligence Group LLC, FINANCIAL is focused on opinion leaders and top business decision-makers; It's about world’s largest companies, investing, careers, and small business. It is...
and social
Social
The term social refers to a characteristic of living organisms...
structure. This extremely ambitious plan would try to overhaul 700 years of feudalism in Siam. In his own words he wrote: "this change of administration is not merely a coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
but an economic revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
", In Section 1 of the Economic plan he wrote:
"I remain resolute on this subject, and am of the view that if the government devises an appropriate national economic plan, finding employmentEmploymentEmployment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
for every citizen will not be beyond us. The improvement of the people's welfare is one of the primary goals in the reform of the system. Never was there an intention to transform the political system from a monarchyMonarchyA monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
to an oligarchyOligarchyOligarchy is a form of power structure in which power effectively rests with an elite class distinguished by royalty, wealth, family ties, commercial, and/or military legitimacy...
, which would attempt to be a democracyDemocracyDemocracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
in name only. I focused on the substance, namely, nourishing the welfare of the people. The constitution became the key to open the door of opportunity for the ordinary people to have a voice in the country's administrationPublic administrationPublic Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
according to their needs and aspirations. Once this door has been opened, it is the duty of the government to lead the people through this door into a new land of prosperity.-"
Pridi tried to bring about this objective by suggesting many socialistic
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
ideas, namely: national welfare
Welfare
Welfare refers to a broad discourse which may hold certain implications regarding the provision of a minimal level of wellbeing and social support for all citizens without the stigma of charity. This is termed "social solidarity"...
, the redistribution
Redistribution (economics)
Redistribution of wealth is the transfer of income, wealth or property from some individuals to others caused by a social mechanism such as taxation, monetary policies, welfare, nationalization, charity, divorce or tort law. Most often it refers to progressive redistribution, from the rich to the...
of Wealth and Land to the poor, Government guided Economy, subsidies for rural farmers, a progressive taxation system and social assurance and security for the poor. Pridi realised this and argued that these suggestions (socialistic as they were) were merely a means to try and raise the standard of living
Standard of living
Standard of living is generally measured by standards such as real income per person and poverty rate. Other measures such as access and quality of health care, income growth inequality and educational standards are also used. Examples are access to certain goods , or measures of health such as...
for the many rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
poor. He further argued that:
"Those who read the economic plan with a negativeNegative- Science and mathematics :* Negative number* Negative mass* Negative energy * Electrical polarity* Negative result * Negative lenses, uses to describe diverging optics, see lens - Photography :...
frame of mind would conclude that the government's attempt to run the economic system would de-humanise peoples into animals… I took great caution to prevent such de-humanisation; on the contrary, my desire was to help make people more human by eliminating the dangers to personal welfare brought about by economic factors…"
Despite its socialist leanings the dossier nevertheless was in truth a mixture of both liberalism
Economic liberalism
Economic liberalism is the ideological belief in giving all people economic freedom, and as such granting people with more basis to control their own lives and make their own mistakes. It is an economic philosophy that supports and promotes individual liberty and choice in economic matters and...
and socialism
Socialist economics
Socialist economics are the economic theories and practices of hypothetical and existing socialist economic systems.A socialist economy is based on public ownership or independent cooperative ownership of the means of production, wherein production is carried out to directly produce use-value,...
. For instance the Plan guarantees the right of private property
Private property
Private property is the right of persons and firms to obtain, own, control, employ, dispose of, and bequeath land, capital, and other forms of property. Private property is distinguishable from public property, which refers to assets owned by a state, community or government rather than by...
(in Section 1 and 5), the plan also called for the establishment of an independent Central Bank
Central bank
A central bank, reserve bank, or monetary authority is a public institution that usually issues the currency, regulates the money supply, and controls the interest rates in a country. Central banks often also oversee the commercial banking system of their respective countries...
, both of these components of the liberal economic system.
Backlash
The Plan drew criticism immediately after it was published, including from newspapers, intellectualsIntelligentsia
The intelligentsia is a social class of people engaged in complex, mental and creative labor directed to the development and dissemination of culture, encompassing intellectuals and social groups close to them...
stoked mostly by the urban
Urban culture
Urban culture is the culture of towns and cities. In the United States, Urban culture may also sometimes be used as a euphemistic reference to contemporary African American culture.- African American culture :...
elites
Elitism
Elitism is the belief or attitude that some individuals, who form an elite — a select group of people with intellect, wealth, specialized training or experience, or other distinctive attributes — are those whose views on a matter are to be taken the most seriously or carry the most...
and landed nobility
Thai royal and noble titles
Thai royal and noble titles are the royal and noble styles signifying relationship to the King introduced by King Trailokanat, who reigned 1448 to 1488. The system is rooted in the Thai language equivalent of feudalism, .It is somewhat similar to that of peerage, but is complicated and usually not...
under the newly formed Khana Chart (or National Party), looking for a way to damage the People's Party. The criticism centred on the socialistic nature of the dossier; including charges of Communism and charges that Pridi was instigating a social revolution
Social revolution
The term social revolution may have different connotations depending on the speaker.In the Trotskyist movement, the term "social revolution" refers to an upheaval in which existing property relations are smashed...
. The criticisms were also laid at Phraya Mano, who allowed Pridi to publish such a plan. Despite these charges the People's party and especially the young revolutionaries and most of the urban middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
and rural poor stood behind Pridi in his defence. The debate, exploded however into a constitutional crisis
Constitutional crisis
A constitutional crisis is a situation that the legal system's constitution or other basic principles of operation appear unable to resolve; it often results in a breakdown in the orderly operation of government...
when King Prajadhipok, who had confessed to the nation that he had little knowledge of financial affairs, attacked Pridi verbally and asked whether Pridi copied his Plans from Stalin or Stalin form Pridi's.
The controversial and harsh royal intervention drew even more outrage from the public, this time not directed at Pridi but at the King. For the monarch had violated the constitution and was in effect criticising his own constitutional government. This also led to a lawsuit by a Mr. Thawan Ritthidet, a civilian suing the Monarch on the grounds he has violated the constitution by interfering in political affairs.
Constitutional Crisis and Silent Coup
The People's Committee was split between those who supported Pridi and those who opposed him, led by Phraya Mano himself. Who by now has realised the danger of Pridi's plans. On one side was the revolutionaries and members of the People's party, the other were the civil servants and some elite members of the militaryMilitary
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
(and former revolutionaries); They were Phraya Songsuradet, Phraya Ritthi Akhaney and Phra Prasan Pithayayut. These men threatened Pridi and his supporters, the stated that they would carry weapon
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
s into the Assembly. After he did not attend the sessions they surround Pridi's house with armed supporters.
Phraya Mano had little choice and was forced to call for the dissolution
Dissolution of parliament
In parliamentary systems, a dissolution of parliament is the dispersal of a legislature at the call of an election.Usually there is a maximum length of a legislature, and a dissolution must happen before the maximum time...
of the People's Assembly on 1 April 1933. Under emergency decree
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
some parts of the constitution including the legislature and the judiciary was suspended. On the 2 April, the government repealed the ‘Anti-Communist Act’, which gave the police executive power
Executive Power
Executive Power is Vince Flynn's fifth novel, and the fourth to feature Mitch Rapp, an American agent that works for the CIA as an operative for a covert counter terrorism unit called the "Orion Team."-Plot summary:...
s to arrest without trial, citizens who are considered to be communists. Under this law the People's party was disbanded, The Communist Party of Siam's central committee was arrested as well as numerous others including Vietnamese
Vietnamese people
The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
exiles accused of having communist sympathies. Many left wing newspapers and publications were also suppressed. This event is called the 'Silent Coup' and is considered by many Thai historians as the first real coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
instigated by the military in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
against a constitutional government. On the 12 April Pridi was exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
d to France.
The Coup
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
resigned from his seat on the People's Committee, citing health reasons. In fact he and Naval
Royal Thai Navy
The Royal Thai Navy is the navy of Thailand and part of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, it was established in the late 19th century. Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartiwongse is "The Father of Royal Thai Navy". Similar to the organizational structure of the United States, the Royal Thai Navy includes the...
Commander
Commander (United States)
In the United States, commander is a military rank that is also sometimes used as a military title, depending on the branch of service. It is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the military, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Naval rank:In the United States...
Luang Supphachalasai, with the help of young military officers conspired to overthrow Phraya Mano's government. With the support of the Army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
, the Navy
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
and the civilian
Civilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
factions within the People's party and the support of most of Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
's populace Phraya Phahol was able to act.
On the 20 June Phraya Phahol and Luang Supachalasai, seized the National Assembly building
Ananda Samakhom Throne Hall
The Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall is a former reception hall within Dusit Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. It now serves as a museum and is from time to time employed for certain state occasions....
and proclaiming themselves as the legitimate government. Citing the fact that the present government has acted illegally in dissolving the assembly and that they would return the constitution, in which the previous administration has suspended. Phraya Phahol appointed himself the country's Second Prime Minister and Luang Supachalasai a Minister of State. He immediately recalled the People's Assembly and asked the Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
to submit to King Prajadhipok the reasons behind the coup at his Summer Palace
Summer Palace
The Summer Palace is a palace in Beijing, China. The Summer Palace is mainly dominated by Longevity Hill and the Kunming Lake. It covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometers, three quarters of which is water....
in Hua Hin
Hua Hin
Hua Hin is a famous beach resort town in Thailand, in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula, some 200 km south of Bangkok. It has a population of 84,883 in an area of 911 km², and is one of eight districts of the Prachuap Khiri Khan province.Hua Hin is closely associated with the...
, the King duly accepted. He also pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
ed Pridi and recalled him from exile.
Immediate resistance against the coup was limited and quickly dissolved as Phraya Mano resigned and escaped the capital by rail
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
to Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
(then part of British Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
), where he died in 1948. Phraya Songsuradet and others were barred from entering politics, this would eventually result in the Songsuradet Rebellion
Songsuradet Rebellion
The Songsuradet Rebellion also known as the Rebellion of 18 corpses was an important Thai historical event in 1939. Phraya Songsuradet actually did not instigate the rebellion or coup in any way yet it was named after him...
in 1939.
Aftermath and Legacy
The coup was the first (many would follow in subsequent years) that was successfully instigated or led by the military against a civilian government. A legacy which still looms large over Thai politicsPolitics of Thailand
The politics of Thailand are currently conducted within the framework of a constitutional monarchy, whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government and a hereditary monarch is head of state. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislative branches.Thai kingdoms and late...
today. However bloodless the coup was the start of a dictatorial regime worse than the one that it had replaced.
Pridi Phanomyong eventually returned to Siam on 29 September 1933, not returning to government immediately. He instead became an academic and founder of Thammasat University
Thammasat University
Thammasat University , or in brief TU , is Thailand's second oldest university. Officially established on 27 June 1934, the university was originally named by founder Pridi Banomyong, University of Moral Science and Politics , reflecting the political fervor of the time...
in 1934. He would eventually become one of the most important players in Thai history during the Second World War becoming Regent of Thailand (1944–1946) and Prime Minister of Thailand
Prime Minister of Thailand
The Prime Minister of Thailand is the head of government of Thailand. The Prime Minister is also the chairman of the Cabinet of Thailand. The post has existed since the Revolution of 1932, when the country became a constitutional monarchy....
in 1946; however label of communist would never leave him. A Thai central bank, the Bank of Thailand
Bank of Thailand
- History :The Bank of Thailand was first set up as the Thai National Banking Bureau. The Bank of Thailand Act was promulgated on 28 April 1942 vesting upon the Bank of Thailand the responsibility for all central banking functions...
was in the end founded in 1942, when Pridi was in government.
Many issues, chiefly those concerning the role of Prajadhipok, were however never resolved and would eventually lead to the Boworadet Rebellion
Boworadet Rebellion
The Boworadet Rebellion was a Thai rebellion led by royalist Prince Boworadet in 1933, in consequence of the conflicts between the previous royalist regime and the succeeding constitutional regime following the Revolution in 1932. The Boworadet revolt was eventually defeated by the Siamese...
later that year.
See also
- Siamese Revolution of 1932Siamese Revolution of 1932The Siamese Revolution of 1932 or the Siamese Coup d'état of 1932 was a crucial turning point in Thai history in the 20th century...
- Khana RatsadonKhana RatsadonKhana Ratsadon , frequently mistakenly written as Khana Rat , was a Siamese group of military and civil officers, and later a political party, which staged a bloodless coup against King Prajadhipok and transited the country's absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy on 24 June 1932.-The...
- Phraya Manopakorn NititadaPhraya Manopakorn NititadaPhraya Manopakorn Nititada , born Kon Hutasingha , was the first Prime Minister of Siam after the Siamese Revolution of 1932 as he was selected by the leader of the People's Party - the party that instigated the revolution...
- PrajadhipokPrajadhipokPhra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Prajadhipok Phra Pok Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama VII was the seventh monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri. He was the last absolute monarch and the first constitutional monarch of the country. His reign was a turbulent time for Siam due to huge political...
- Pridi Panomyong
- Phot Phahonyothin
- Constitution of Thailand#1932 Constitution