Siamese coup d'état of 1947

On 1 August 1944, as the Allies were winning the Second World War, the pro-Japanese strongman Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram {better known in the West as "Phibun") was forced by parliament to resign his premiership. He was replaced by Khuang Aphaiwong, a civilian who had the backing of Pridi Phanomyong, regent for the absent King Ananda Mahidol and head of the Seri Thai underground resistance. For the next three years civilian cabinets, led behind the scenes by Pridi, governed the kingdom.[1]

For a brief while the various elements of the anti-Phibun coalition – Pridi and his supporters in the bureaucracy, politicians from the northeast, and conservative royalists – retained their unity. All hoped to see constitutional government succeed, and all feared a resurgence of the military.[1] Having established a civilian government, Khuang resigned in August 1945 to make way for a better qualified person to negotiate with the allies.[2] The most obvious choice was the leader of the US-supported Seri Thai, Seni Pramot, who Pridi invited to become prime minister.[3]

In January 1946, Seni resigned and asked for the dissolution of parliament to pave the way for elections.[2] Khuang and his new royalist allies were elected to power. But because Pridi chose to support Direk Chaiyanam as his personal candidate, Khuang included none of the former regent's allies in his cabinet, but placed many of his opponents, including Seni.[4] Pridi's followers immediately sought revenge, continually harassing the government, further intensifying the bitterness between themselves and the conservatives. Within six weeks Khuang abruptly resigned, forcing Pridi to reluctantly step in and risk his personal prestige.[1][5] Up until the resignation of his wartime ally, Pridi had enjoyed the prestige of his position as a senior statesman without having to involve himself in everyday politics.[1] Pridi's failure to control inflation tarnished his reputation for competence, while official corruption bedeviled his governments.[1]

On 9 June 1946, the 20 year-old King Ananda Mahidol, who had restored popularity to the monarchy,[5] was found dead in his bedroom of a gunshot wound to the head. Khuang, Seni, and the royalists who dominated their newly formed Democrat Party were quick to blame Pridi, spreading the rumour that the prime minister and his supporters had assassinated the monarch for their own political purposes and possibly to establish a republic.[1][6][4][5] Conservative newspapers criticised the government for failing to protect the monarch, provoking Pridi to use repressive measures: he declared a state of emergency, censored newspapers, and arrested two editors and two opposition MPs.[1]

In an attempt to preserve his political influence, Pridi resigned on 21 August 1946. He was replaced five days later by Rear Admiral Thamrong, who would serve as Pridi's front man.[2]

The plotters planned the coup to begin at 05:00 on 8 November. Their plot, however, was discovered days earlier by the commander-in-chief of the army who, in an effort to thwart the attempt, ordered all senior officers to report for duty at army headquarters immediately. The plotters accordingly changed their plan to start the coup at 23:00 on 7 November instead.

They began by sending a squadron of tanks to Amphorn Gardens (Thai: สวนอัมพร) near the centre of government. They immediately arrested Prime Minister Thamrong and held him hostage. Another tank squadron went to search for Pridi. After arriving at his riverside residence they found that he has escaped (he was told of the plot beforehand by an informant), leaving only his wife and children who were arrested. Unbeknownst to them, Pridi was hiding under the protection of Admiral Luang Sinthusongkramchai (Thai: หลวงสินธุสงครามชัย), commander of the Royal Thai Navy at his base.

On the morning of 8 November, General Choonhavan read a declaration to the press and broadcast by radio outlining the plotter's reasoning. They claimed they were right to remove the government as people were suffering under high prices and the general lack of foods and goods. This they considered a grievous lack of competence by the government. Finally they reckoned that the government was unable to solve the problem and must be removed by force. During the speech he cried profusely and was dubbed sarcastically by the press as the "hero of tears" (Thai: วีรบุรุษเจ้าน้ำตา), or the "crying patriot" (Thai: บุรุษผู้รักชาติจนน้ำตาไหล).

The National Soldier's Committee then called for Khuang, the Leader of the Opposition to take over as prime minister. He assumed the position on 12 November, becoming prime minister for the third time. The committee set up their own legislative assembly called the "Council of Ministers of the Assembly" (Thai: คณะรัฐมนตรีสภา), making a deal with Khaung that, if he stayed out of their business, they would stay out of his.

On 25 November 1947, Prince Rangsit of Chainant the Regent of Siam signed a provisional charter or the Constitution of 1947. King Bhumibol, who was studying in Lausanne, Switzerland at the time endorsed him.

On 29 January 1948 elections were held in which Khuang and his party won the majority of the votes and seats in the new assembly. Later Khuang was confirmed as prime minister. But on 6 April, the committee, under the leadership of Kardsonggram, forced Khuang to resign his post. They instead invited Field Marshal Phibun to return to the post. He became prime minister for the second time on 8 April 1948.

Pridi escaped the plotters and went into exile, never to return.

The most obvious legacy of the coup was the reinstatement of Phibun and his dictatorship. The coup also increased the role of the Royal Thai Army, and gave it a model of how to carry out coups in the future. Henceforth, under the pretext of saving the nation, the military would topple any democratic government it pleased. The coup elicited little response from the populace. The Democrat Party remained in opposition until 1975. Phibun would resume his dictatorship and rule until 1957. The plotters from then on were known as the Coup Group.

The coup inadvertently led to the draft and signing of the 1949 Constitution. The most Royalist constitution to date, it gave the monarchy back almost all of the powers that were taken away from it by the 1932 Revolution.

The coup also brought an end to Pridi's career and any dreams his supporters might have of his resuming the premiership. On 20 November 1948 Pridi was spirited out of the country by British and American agents never to return to Thailand. He died in Paris in 1983, aged 83.

The coup proved to be a stepping stone for three individuals involved, whose names would later become common in the politics of Thailand. They would all become prime ministers and two of them would go on to one day lead coups of their own. They were, Sarit Dhanarajata, Thanom Kittikachorn, and Chatichai Choonhavan.

• 1947 Coup Group (Thailand)
• Military of Thailand
• Politics of Thailand
• History of Thailand (1932–1973)