Siamese Revolution of 1932

On 24 June 1932 a group of officers and civilians known as the Khana Ratsadon ended absolute monarchy in Siam in a nearly bloodless coup.

Overview

The Great Depression, budget cuts, and frustration among Western educated officials with royal absolutism led to the formation of the Peoples Party, or Khana Ratsadon, whose leaders included Pridi Banomyong and Plaek Phibunsongkhram. In the early morning of 24 June 1932 they seized key points in Bangkok and detained senior princes. King Prajadhipok accepted a provisional constitution, and a permanent constitution followed in December 1932. A royalist counter revolt was defeated in 1933, and Prajadhipok abdicated in 1935. The revolution created a constitutional monarchy, though Thai politics came to be dominated by the military and repeated coups.