The story
On June 24, 1932, a group calling itself the People's Party (Khana Ratsadon) seized key points in Bangkok, arrested princes and demanded that King Prajadhipok (Rama VII) accept a constitution. The coup was almost bloodless. The king agreed, a temporary charter followed within days, and a fuller constitution was signed in December 1932.
The plotters were civilian and military officials, many educated in Europe. The lawyer Pridi Banomyong led the civilians, and Phraya Phahon and Plaek Phibunsongkhram led the army officers. They resented the high posts held by princes and the court's handling of the Great Depression, which cut revenue and brought layoffs. King Chulalongkorn's earlier modernization of the army and bureaucracy had created the very class of officials who now ended absolute monarchy. Stable democracy did not follow. The king left in 1934 and abdicated in 1935, the military became dominant, and Phibun renamed the country Thailand in 1939. Since 1932 Thailand has had about a dozen successful coups and many constitutions.
Why it mattered
- Ended absolute monarchy in Siam, after centuries of kings with unlimited power.
- Created Thailand's first constitution and parliament, and its pattern of constitutional change.
- Opened a long period of military influence, with a dozen or more successful coups since 1932.
- Led to the renaming of Siam as Thailand in 1939 under a nationalist government.
- Left the role of the monarchy in politics a continuing question, which returned after the 1950s.
Sources
- Promoters Revolution Britannica
- Thailand: Security, Military, Politics Britannica
- Luang Phibunsongkhram Britannica
- Chakkri dynasty Britannica
Drafted by AI (Claude) from the sources above and checked against them by AI; no historian has reviewed this page. Spot a mistake? Suggest a correction. How pages are made
Community notes
Loading notes…