Coups and Rebellions of Thailand
From 1932 to 1973, Thailand saw a variety of governments rise and fall, mostly through military coups and rebellions. The ultimate consequence of this period is the establishment of the monarch and the army's officers as the highest political power.
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Siamese Revolution
The Siamese Revolution was a series of coups and rebellions.
On June 24th, 1932, the People's Party (Khana Ratsadon) seized the capital and arrested most of the royal and noble families. High ranking ministerial officials were arrested but party leaders attempted to persuade them to join the coup. The party issued demands including the establishment of a constitution and democratic rule. King Rama VII accepted on the 26th; the People's Assembly met and elected Phraya Manopakorn Nititada as prime minister on the 28th. Notably, the leader of the People's Party was not elected.
On April 1, 1933, the prime minister ordered the People's Assembly dissolved. On April 2nd, the Anti-Communist Act was proclaimed, outlawing the People's Party.
On June 20th, a military junta seized the capital. Phraya Phahol Pholphayuhasena declared himself prime minister and recalled the People's Assembly.
In October, Prince Bowaradej returned to Siam and led the Bowaradet Rebellion. It quickly failed and the prince sought assylum in Cambodia by October 25th.
King Rama VII died on March 2, 1935. King Rama VIII was too young to assume the figurehead monarchy; Pridi Banomyong, who was a leader of the defunct People's Party and continued to be a political rival of Phraya, was appointed regent.
Kingdom of Thailand
Plaek Phibunsongkhram (Phibun) succeeded Phraya as junta leader and prime minister in 1938. He purged political rivals using the pretext of a Songsuradet rebellion. He launched the Thai Cultural Revolution to promote Thai nationalism and ethnic identity; he officially renamed the kingdom to Thailand. He pursued expansionist and imperial policies through a military alliance with Imperial Japan, chiefly the seizure of Indochinese colonies from the newly-established Vichy France.
Pridi, still King Rama VIII's regent, came to lead the Free Thai (Seri Thai) movement which simultaneously fed information to the Allied Powers and staffed the highest levels of Phibun's government.
Before the war's end, Phibun was forced to resign in favor of Khuang Aphaiwong, a rising Free Thai leader. Khuang cooperated with the Japanese military but, upon their retreat on August 31 1945, declared the war illegal and resigned.
Post-war Thailand
A brief democratic state saw five prime ministers in Thawi Bunyaket, Seni Pramoj, Khuang (second term), Pridi, and Thawan Thamrongnawasawat.
In consideration of the Free Thai movement's role in ending the war, Thailand was not designated by the U.S. as an 'enemy state' in peace negotiations. France still made U.N. membership conditional on the return of territories seized in the Franco-Thai War.
Although King Rama VIII finally became of age in 1945, he died shortly thereafter under mysterious circumstances; King Rama IX succeeded him on June 9, 1946.
National Military Council
On November 8th, 1947, the National Military Council seized power.
The junta first established Khuang as prime minister (third term), but exchanged him for Phibun (second term) on April 8th, 1948. Phibun's second government embraced U.S. influence, modernization, and democratization. A parliament was established with free elections and opposition parties.
This government survived attempted coups on October 1, 1948 (Army General Staff plot); February 26th, 1949 (Palace Rebellion, orchestrated by Free Thai remnants); and June 29th, 1951 (Manhattan Rebellion, orchestrated by officers of the royal navy).
Then, on November 29th, the National Military Council orchestrated a Silent Coup to re-establish the 1932 constitution and legislature. Phibun eventually accepted his role as a figurehead prime minister.
Absolute Monarchy
On September 16th, 1957, Sarit Thanarat led an army coup to re-establish the absolute monarchy under King Rama IX.
Thanom Kittikachorn briefly served as prime minister before handing power to Sarit. Thanom again served as prime minister after Sarit's death in 1963.
The 1970s saw a series of peasant revolts, as well as the rise of the National Student Center of Thailand (NSCT) in political influence. Thanom staged another military takeover in 1971 to re-consolidate power and declare himself chairman of the National Executive Council. Nonetheless, unrest continued and reached a peak in the October 14 Event in 1973. While the protests were violently put down, Thanom was forced to resign.
King Rama IX then assumed the power to appoint prime ministers personally.
Following the October 6 event in 1976, a violent crackdown on protests at Thammasat University, the military conspired with King Rama IX to overthrow the government of Seni (third term). Admiral Sangad Chaloryu established National Administrative Reform Council (NARC) while King Rama IX appointed Thanin Kraivichien as prime minister.
An attempted coup by junior army officers failed on March 26th, 1977. Sangad and General Kriangsak Chamanan initiated a coup against Thanin's government on October 20th, 1977. Kriangsak led this new junta and served as prime minister.
Prem Tinsulanonda inherited the junta leadership from Kriangsak in 1980. His government survived two attempted coups by the same group of junior army officers, first on April 1st, 1981 and again on September 9th, 1985.
Chatichai Choonhavan in turn inherited the junta leadership in 1988. Bolstering the legitimacy of his government, the Thai Nation Party actually won the general election on July 24th, 1988.
On February 19th, 1991, Sunthorn Kongsompong led a coup against Chatichai's government. He established the National Peace Keeping Council (NPKC). King Rama IX approved of the coup on February 26th. A series of interim prime ministers were appointed: Anand Panyarachun on March 2nd, 1991; Suchinda Kraprayoon on April 7th, 1992; Meechai Ruchuphan on May 24th; and finally Anand (second term) on June 10th. In the aftermath of Black May, a violent crackdown on protests, the NPKC organized elections and dissolved.
The government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was overthrown by a military coup on September 19th, 2006. General Sonthi Boonyaratglin formed the Council for Democratic Reform (CDR) but promised to rapidly return power to an appointed government. On October 1st, King Rama IX appointed Surayud Chulanont as prime minister.
The government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was overthrown by a military coup on May 22nd, 2014. On May 26th, King Rama IX endorsed the coup. Prayut Chan-o-cha formed the National Council for Peace and Order and has remained in power since.