Siamese Revolution of 1932

A largely bloodless coup on 24 June 1932 that ended Siam’s absolute monarchy and established constitutional government under a military-civilian coalition.

Khana Ratsadon: A coalition of civilian officials and military officers that seized power in Siam in 1932. Its coordinated action in Bangkok made the revolution possible.
Great Depression: A worldwide economic crisis beginning in 1929 that caused severe declines in production, trade, and employment. Its effects intensified Siam’s budget crisis and made government retrenchment politically contentious.
Constitutional monarchy in Thailand: Thailand’s system of government, in which a monarch reigns under a constitution and elected or appointed institutions exercise political authority. The 1932 settlement established the enduring constitutional form, despite later interruptions.
Plaek Phibunsongkhram: A Thai military officer and politician who became prime minister and later ruled as a nationalist strongman. His rise after the coup showed how its military faction gained political dominance.
1932 Siamese Constitution: Siam’s first constitution, promulgated in December 1932, establishing a constitutional monarchy and a National Assembly. It gave the new political order a formal legal framework.
Siamese revolutionaries in France: A group of Siamese students and officials in France who discussed political reform before the 1932 revolution. Their meetings helped form the network that became Khana Ratsadon.
Boworadet Rebellion: A royalist uprising against the Siamese government in October 1933, led by Prince Boworadet. Its defeat consolidated the revolutionary government and weakened royalist opposition.
Ritthithey Khamhaeng: A Siamese military officer associated with the People’s Party and the 1932 revolution. He represents the officer network that joined civilian organizers in the coup.
Pridi Banomyong: A Thai jurist and politician who helped lead the 1932 revolution and later shaped its constitutional and economic program. He drafted the provisional constitution and articulated the civilian wing’s ambitions.
Absolute monarchy in Siam: A system in which Siam’s king held supreme political authority, especially after the centralizing reforms of the late nineteenth century. The revolution targeted this concentration of power.

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