Siamese revolution of 1932
Two coups occurred a year later, in April and June amid infighting within the government over Pridi Banomyong's socialist economic plan and a rebellion of the royalists.[2] In 1910s, King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) sought to legitimise absolutism through Thai nationalism, using a Western approach,[3] by appointing more able commoners to the government.Lavish spending on the court, inability to control the corruption of the King's inner circle, and his creation of the Wild Tiger Corps to promote modern-style nationalism were widely deemed as wasteful.In reaction, Vajiravudh abandoned his attempts at constitutional reform and continued with his absolutist rule, with the minor exception of appointing some able commoners to his privy council and government.These include Pridi Banomyong, who was of Sino-Thai descent, and Prayoon Pamornmontri, the half-German son of a junior Thai official at the Siamese legation in Berlin and later a page to the crown prince who would become Rama VI.These Western-educated commoner elites were exposed not just to the latest scientific and technical knowledge in Europe, but also to the ideals of Western democracy, nationalism, and communism.[13] In February 1927, in a hotel on the Rue du Sommerard in Paris, France, a small group of seven military and civilian students assembled to debate the founding of a party to try to bring change to Siam.The Promoters realised, ironically, as the king's advisors had done, that the Siamese people were not yet ready for democracy, and most were illiterate peasants with little concern for affairs in Bangkok.When the Promoters eventually returned to Siam by the end of the 1920s, they quietly expanded their lists of contacts and party membership, mostly using a personal relationship.[16] Pridi became a teacher at the Ministry of Justice's Law School, where he gathered the support of about fifty like-minded men, mostly civilians and civil servants, who also wanted to see the end of absolute monarchy.The second senior officer was Colonel Phraya Songsuradet, considered one of the best minds of his generation and the Director of Education at the Military Academy.By this time, students sent to study abroad had started to return, faced with a lack of opportunity, the entrenchment of the princes, and the comparative backwardness of the country.[22] The King, who openly confessed his own lack of financial knowledge, stating he was just a simple soldier, tried with little success to battle the senior princes over the issue.[22] Meanwhile, the King put his efforts into the drafting of a constitution, with the help of two princes and an American foreign policy advisor, Raymond Bartlett Stevens.The celebration was somewhat muted due to fears stemming from an alleged prophecy dating back to the days of King Rama I, which predicted the end of the dynasty on its 150th anniversary.On the evening of 23 June 1932, the director general of the police made a call to Prince Paribatra, asking for his authorisation to arrest and imprison all involved in the plot.[26] That same evening, one of Luang Sinthu's supporters in the navy commandeered a gunboat from its dock on the Chao Phraya River, and by morning was aiming its guns directly at Prince Paribatra's palace in Bangkok.[26] Luang Sinthu himself mobilised 500 armed sailors ready to take the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, at the centre of the capital and part of Dusit Palace.Having been told weeks before that a military exercise was happening, other troops in the vicinity of Bangkok joined the plotters, thus unknowingly participating in a revolution.[29] By the time the infantry and cavalry arrived in the Royal Plaza in front of the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall at about 06:00, there was already a crowd watching the assembled military.Phraya Phahon climbed onto a tank and read the Khana Ratsadon Manifesto, a declaration proclaiming the end of the absolute monarchy and the establishment of a new constitutional state in Siam.Despite the language, the telegram warned the monarch in strong terms that if any member of the Khana Ratsadon was hurt, the princes in custody would suffer.[41] The resulting unhappiness at the status quo due to the awareness of the ideals of Western democracy, nationalism, and communism, coupled with the mismanagement by the absolute monarchy and the deteriorating economic conditions caused by the Great Depression, triggered the 1932 revolution.Second, a period when the mostly ignorant populace would learn about democracy and elections; the assembly would then be changed to be composed of half-appointed members by the Musketeers, and the other half through indirect representation.[48] However, Khana Ratsadon showed their bipartisanship when they recommended the appointment of lawyer and Privy Councillor Phraya Manopakorn Nititada as the first President of the People's Committee and in effect the first Prime Minister of Siam.[45] However, infighting within the government over Pridi's "Draft National Economic Plan", the so-called "Yellow Cover Dossier",[49] and the actions of the conservative prime minister would eventually lead to the first coup d'état by Phraya Manopakorn Nititada on 1 April 1933."[38] The many unsettled constitutional roles of the crown and the dissatisfaction with Phraya Phahon's seizure of power culminated in October 1933 in a counter-coup, the Boworadet Rebellion staged by royalist factions.The rebellion was a failure, and although there is no evidence whatsoever that Prajadhipok was involved, his neutrality and indecisiveness during the brief conflict led to the loss of his credibility and prestige.
Interwar PeriodBangkokconstitutional monarchyabsolute monarchyKings of SiamPeople's Party (Khana Ratsadon)Monarchy of SiamSupreme Council of StatePhraya PhahonphonphayuhasenaPhraya SongsuradetLuang PhibulsongkhramLuang SinthusongkhramchaiLuang PraditmanuthamPrayoon PamornmontriLuang Kowit-aphaiwongPrajadhipokParibatra SukhumbandhuDamrong Rajanubhabcoup d'étatPeople's PartyChakri dynastydemocracyNational AssemblyPridi Banomyongsocialisteconomic planrebellion of the royalistsKingdom of SiamChulalongkornmedievalkingdommonarchynobilitySakdinacriticalpolitical systemEuropeinitiationmodern cultureEnglandAnglo-SaxonVajiravudhlegitimiseThai nationalismWesterncommonersgovernmentaristocracyroyal familyKing Rama VIWild Tiger Corpsnationalismpalace revoltmilitary officersconstitutional reformabsolutistprivy councilPhibun SongkramKhana RatsadonPlaek PhibunsongkhramRue du Sommerard1912 plotPlaek Khittasangkhavanguard partyMinistry of Justice's Law SchoolPhraya SongsuradejPhraya Phahol Pholpayuhasenachang kbenPrince of Nakorn SawanPrajadhipok SakdidejMinister of the Interiorthe Wall Street Crasheconomic meltdownBoworadejMinister of DefenceRaymond Bartlett Stevensa bridgeChao Phraya RiverKlai Kangwon PalaceHua HinPrachuap Khiri Khan ProvinceleakedpoliceAnanta Samakhom Throne HallDusit PalaceKhuang AbhaiwongsePhraya PhahonFirst Cavalry Regiment of the Royal GuardsChinese uprisingRoyal PlazaconstitutionalThe PromotersPrince ParibatraThai Royal FamilynobilitiesPurachatra JayakaraKamphaeng PhetThe Timesthe queenPrince Purachatraconstitutional monarchBandungPeople's CommitteeAssembly of People's RepresentativesSiam's first electionPhraya Manopakorn NititadaPrime Minister of SiamChula ChakrabongseBoworadet RebellionPrince BoworadetWorld War IIAnanda MahidolLausanneSarit ThanaratBanomyong, PridiLandon, Kenneth PerryStevens, Raymond BartlettWinichakul, ThongchaiWayback MachineRattanakosin Period (1782–1932)Phutthayotfa ChulalokPhutthaloetla NaphalaiNangklaoMongkutViceroysMaha Sura Singhanat