Plaek Pibulsonggram
Encyclopedia
Field Marshal Plaek Pibunsongkhram ( plɛ̀ːk pʰí.būːnsǒŋkʰrāːm; July 14, 1897-June 11, 1964) , often known as Phibun Songkhram or simply Phibun in English, was Prime Minister and virtual military dictator of Thailand
from 1938 to 1944 and 1948 to 1957.
to Keed Khittasangkha and his wife Thanphuying La-iad (Bhandhukravi) Pibunsonggram Sam-Ang. Keed was of Chinese-Thai heritage; his father was a Cantonese-speaking Chinese immigrant. His parents owned a durian
orchard. He received his given name - Plaek, meaning "strange" in Thai - because of his unusual appearance as a child. Plaek Khittasangkha studied at Buddhist temple schools, then was appointed to Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy
. He graduated in 1914 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the artillery
. Following World War I
, he was sent to study artillery tactics in France
. In 1928, as he rose in rank, he received the honorary title of Luang
from King Prajadhipok
and became Luang Pibunsongkhram. He would later adopt Pibunsongkram as his surname.
.
. This was a royalist revolt led by Prince Boworadet. While King Prajadhipok was never directly involved in the rebellion, it marked the beginning of a slide which ended in his 1935 abdication and replacement by King Ananda Mahidol
. As the new King was still a child and studying in Switzerland
, the parliament appointed Colonel Prince Anuwatjaturong, Lieutenant Commander Prince Artit Thip-apa, and Chao Phraya Yommaraj (Pun Sukhum) as his Regent
s.
as Prime Minister, and consolidated his position by rewarding several members of his own army clique with influential positions in his government.
Pibulsonggram began to increase the pace of modernisation in Thailand. By manipulating the mass media, Pibulsonggram supported fascism and nationalism. Together with Luang Wichitwathakan
, the Minister of Propaganda, he built a leadership cult
in 1938 and thereafter. Photographs of Pibulsonggram were to be found everywhere, and those of the abdicated King Prajadhipok were banned. His quotes appeared in newspapers, were plastered on billboards and were repeated over the radio.
"Aimed to uplift the national spirit and moral code of the nation and instilling progressive tendencies and a newness into Thai life", a series of Cultural Mandates
were issued by the government. These mandates encouraged that all Thais were to salute the flag in public places, know the new national anthem, and use the Thai language
, not regional dialects. People were encouraged to adopt western attire, as opposed to the traditional dress of Thai men and women. Similarly, people were encouraged to eat with a fork and spoon, rather than their traditional hands. In Pibulsonggram's perspective, these policies were necessary for Thailand to change the minds of foreigners that Thailand was an undeveloped and barbaric country. In the interest in progressivism
, Thailand needed to be recognised by foreigners as a civilized and modernized country.
In 1939, Pibulsonggram changed the country's name from Siam to Thailand. In 1941, in the midst of World War II, he decreed January 1 the official start of the new year instead of the traditional April 13
. On 5 August 1941, Thailand joined a group of nations that recognized the puppet state
of Manchukuo
.
His administration also encouraged economic nationalism, in which the Thai people were to purchase as many Thai products as possible and therefore destroy the Chinese proportion in markets. Anti-Chinese policies were imposed. In a speech in 1938, Luang Wichitwathakan
compared the Chinese in Siam to the Jews in Germany.
While ardently pro-Japanese at the beginning, Pibulsonggram and his administration soon considerably, but cordially, distanced itself from Japan following the aftermath of the French-Thai War
, which lasted from October 1940 to May 1941, when Japanese territorial ambitions were skilfully realized during the peace talks. The Japanese gained the right to occupy French Indo-China. Being threatened by the war, Pibulsonggram stated that the Japanese would be the transgressors. The administration also realized that Thailand would fend for itself when the Japanese invasion came, considering the deteriorating relationships with the major Western powers in the area.
When the Japanese invaded Thailand on December 8, 1941, (because of the international date line this occurred an hour and a half before Pearl Harbor), hesitant Pibulsonggram was reluctantly forced to order a general ceasefire after just one day of resistance and allow the Japanese armies to use the country as a base for their invasions of Burma and Malaya. Hesitancy, however, gave way to enthusiasm when the Japanese rolled their way through Malaya in a "Bicycle Blitzkrieg" with surprisingly little resistance. On December 12, Pibulsongkram signed a military alliance with Japan. The following month, on January 25, 1942, Pibulsongkram declared war on Britain and the United States. South Africa
and New Zealand declared war on Thailand on the same day. Australia
followed soon after. All who opposed the alliance were sacked from his government. Pridi Phanomyong
was appointed acting Regent
for the absent King Ananda Mahidol
, while Direk Jayanama
, the prominent Foreign Minister who had advocated continued resistance against the Japanese, was later sent to Tokyo as the Thai ambassador to Japan.
As Japan neared defeat and the underground Seri Thai anti-Japanese resistance steadily grew in strength, the pro-Seri Thai National Assembly forced out Pibulsonggram. His six-year reign as the military commander-in-chief
was at an end. His resignation was partly forced by two grandiose plans. One was to relocate the capital from Bangkok to a remote site in the jungle near Phetchabun
in northern Thailand. The other was to build a "Buddhist city" near Saraburi
. Announced during a time of economic difficulty, these plans turned many government officers against him. Pibulsonggram went to stay at the army headquarters in Lopburi
.
Khuang Abhaiwongse
replaced him as Prime Minister, ostensibly to continue relations with the Japanese, but in reality secretly assisting the Seri Thai underground
.
At the war's end, Pibulsonggram was put on trial at Allied insistence on charges of having committed war crime
s, mainly that of collaborating with the Axis powers. However, he was acquitted amidst intense public pressure. Public opinion was favourable to Pibulsonggram as he was thought to have done his best to protect Thai interests.
which forced then Prime Minister Thawal Thamrong Navaswadhi
to resign. Khuang
was again installed as Prime Minister as the military coup risked international disapproval. Pridi Phanomyong
was persecuted
. He was, however, aided by British and American intelligence officers, and thus managed to escape the country. On April 8, 1948, the military forced Khuang out of office and Pibulsonggram assumed his second premiership.
On October 1, 1948, the unsuccessful Army General Staff Plot
was launched to topple the government of Pibulsonggram. As a result of this plot, more than fifty Army and Reservist and several prominent supporters of Pridi Phanomyong were arrested.
A Palace Rebellion
in 1949 was another failed coup attempt. The aims of its plotters were to overthrow the government of Pibulsonggram and to restore his main civilian rival Pridi Phanomyong to the Thai political scene.
Instead of the Fascism that characterized his first premiership, Pibulsonggram and his regime promoted a façade of Democracy. American aid was received in large quantities following Thailand's entry into the Korean War
as part of the United Nations' multi-national allied force in the Cold War
against the communists.
Pibulsonggram's anti-Chinese campaign was resumed, with the government restricting Chinese immigration and undertaking various measures to restrict economic domination of the Thai market by those of Chinese descent. Chinese schools and associations were once again shut down. Despite open pro-western and anti-Chinese policies, in the late 1950s Pibulsonggram arranged to send to China two of the children of Sang Phathanothai
, his closest advisor, with the intention of establishing a backdoor channel for dialogue between China and Thailand. The girl, aged eight, and her brother, aged twelve, were sent to be brought up under the assistants of Premier Zhou Enlai
as his ward
s; the girl, Sirin Phathanothai later wrote The Dragon's Pearl
an autobiography telling her experiences growing up in the 1950s and 1960s among the leaders of China.
On June 29, 1951, Pibulsonggram was attending a ceremony aboard the USS Manhattan
when he was taken hostage
by a group of naval officers, who then quickly confined him on board the warship Sri Ayutthaya. Negotiations between the government and the coup organizers swiftly broke down
, leading to violent street fighting in Bangkok between the Navy
and the Army, which was supported by the Air Force
. Pibulsonggram was able to swim back ashore when the Sri Ayutthaya was bombed by the Air Force. With their hostage gone, the sailors and marines were forced to lay down their arms.
On November 29, 1951, the "Silent Coup,"
was staged by the Army-led Coup Group
and it consolidated the military's hold on the country. It reinstated the Constitution of 1932, which effectively eliminated the Senate
, established a unicameral legislature composed equally of elected and government-appointed members, and allowed serving military officers to supplement their commands with important ministerial portfolio
s.
On November 13, 1956, Thailand's Criminal Code BE 2499 was signed into law by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej
, the present king of Thailand. Field Marshal Pibulsonggram countersigned the Code.
of Thailand:
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
from 1938 to 1944 and 1948 to 1957.
Early years
He was born Plaek Khittasangkha in Nonthaburi ProvinceNonthaburi Province
Nonthaburi is one of the central provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, Bangkok and Nakhon Pathom....
to Keed Khittasangkha and his wife Thanphuying La-iad (Bhandhukravi) Pibunsonggram Sam-Ang. Keed was of Chinese-Thai heritage; his father was a Cantonese-speaking Chinese immigrant. His parents owned a durian
Durian
The durian is the fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus Durio and the Malvaceae family . Widely known and revered in southeast Asia as the "king of fruits", the durian is distinctive for its large size, unique odour, and formidable thorn-covered husk...
orchard. He received his given name - Plaek, meaning "strange" in Thai - because of his unusual appearance as a child. Plaek Khittasangkha studied at Buddhist temple schools, then was appointed to Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy
Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy
Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy or CRMA is the military academy of Royal Thai Army. Established in 1887 it has graduated the vast majority of Thailand's military leaders and many of them become Thai Prime Ministers.-History:...
. He graduated in 1914 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
. Following World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he was sent to study artillery tactics in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. In 1928, as he rose in rank, he received the honorary title of Luang
Thai royal and noble titles
Thai royal and noble titles are the royal and noble styles signifying relationship to the King introduced by King Trailokanat, who reigned 1448 to 1488. The system is rooted in the Thai language equivalent of feudalism, .It is somewhat similar to that of peerage, but is complicated and usually not...
from King Prajadhipok
Prajadhipok
Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Prajadhipok Phra Pok Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama VII was the seventh monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri. He was the last absolute monarch and the first constitutional monarch of the country. His reign was a turbulent time for Siam due to huge political...
and became Luang Pibunsongkhram. He would later adopt Pibunsongkram as his surname.
1932 Revolution
Pibunsongkhram was one of the leaders of the military branch of the People's Party that staged a coup d'état and overthrew the absolute monarchy in 1932. Then-Lieutenant Colonel Pibunsongkhram rose to prominence as a man-on-horseback.
Abdication of the king
The following year, Pibunsongkhram, along with officers allied in the same cause, successfully crushed the Boworadet RebellionBoworadet Rebellion
The Boworadet Rebellion was a Thai rebellion led by royalist Prince Boworadet in 1933, in consequence of the conflicts between the previous royalist regime and the succeeding constitutional regime following the Revolution in 1932. The Boworadet revolt was eventually defeated by the Siamese...
. This was a royalist revolt led by Prince Boworadet. While King Prajadhipok was never directly involved in the rebellion, it marked the beginning of a slide which ended in his 1935 abdication and replacement by King Ananda Mahidol
Ananda Mahidol
Ananda Mahidol was the eighth monarch of Thailand under the House of Chakri. At the time he was recognized as king by the National Assembly, in March 1935, he was a nine-year-old boy living in Switzerland. He returned to Thailand in December 1945. Six months later, in June 1946, he was found shot...
. As the new King was still a child and studying in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, the parliament appointed Colonel Prince Anuwatjaturong, Lieutenant Commander Prince Artit Thip-apa, and Chao Phraya Yommaraj (Pun Sukhum) as his Regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
s.
Prime Minister of Thailand
In 1938, Pibunsongkhram replaced Phraya PhaholPhraya Phahol Pholphayuhasena
General Phraya Phahon Phonphayuhasena , 29 March 1887 – 14 February 1947), born as Phot Phahonyothin , was a Thai military leader and politician. He became of the Second Prime Minister of Siam in 1933 after ousting his predecessor in a Coup d'état...
as Prime Minister, and consolidated his position by rewarding several members of his own army clique with influential positions in his government.
Pibulsonggram began to increase the pace of modernisation in Thailand. By manipulating the mass media, Pibulsonggram supported fascism and nationalism. Together with Luang Wichitwathakan
Luang Wichitwathakan
Major-General Luang Wichitwathakan was a Thai politician, playwright and historian...
, the Minister of Propaganda, he built a leadership cult
Cult of personality
A cult of personality arises when an individual uses mass media, propaganda, or other methods, to create an idealized and heroic public image, often through unquestioning flattery and praise. Cults of personality are usually associated with dictatorships...
in 1938 and thereafter. Photographs of Pibulsonggram were to be found everywhere, and those of the abdicated King Prajadhipok were banned. His quotes appeared in newspapers, were plastered on billboards and were repeated over the radio.
Thai cultural mandates
The Cultural Mandates or State Decrees were a series of 12 edicts issued between 1939 and 1942 by the government of Field Marshal Plaek Pibulsonggram during his first period as Prime Minister and military dictator of Thailand. The mandates aimed to create a uniform and "civilized" Thai culture...
were issued by the government. These mandates encouraged that all Thais were to salute the flag in public places, know the new national anthem, and use the Thai language
Thai language
Thai , also known as Central Thai and Siamese, is the national and official language of Thailand and the native language of the Thai people, Thailand's dominant ethnic group. Thai is a member of the Tai group of the Tai–Kadai language family. Historical linguists have been unable to definitively...
, not regional dialects. People were encouraged to adopt western attire, as opposed to the traditional dress of Thai men and women. Similarly, people were encouraged to eat with a fork and spoon, rather than their traditional hands. In Pibulsonggram's perspective, these policies were necessary for Thailand to change the minds of foreigners that Thailand was an undeveloped and barbaric country. In the interest in progressivism
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
, Thailand needed to be recognised by foreigners as a civilized and modernized country.
In 1939, Pibulsonggram changed the country's name from Siam to Thailand. In 1941, in the midst of World War II, he decreed January 1 the official start of the new year instead of the traditional April 13
Thai solar calendar
The Thai solar calendar, Suriyakati was adopted by King Chulalongkorn in AD 1888 as the Siamese version of the Gregorian calendar. It is the legal calendar in Thailand, though Thai lunar calendar dates continue in use. Years are now counted in the Buddhist Era that is 543 years greater than...
. On 5 August 1941, Thailand joined a group of nations that recognized the puppet state
Puppet state
A puppet state is a nominal sovereign of a state who is de facto controlled by a foreign power. The term refers to a government controlled by the government of another country like a puppeteer controls the strings of a marionette...
of Manchukuo
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
.
His administration also encouraged economic nationalism, in which the Thai people were to purchase as many Thai products as possible and therefore destroy the Chinese proportion in markets. Anti-Chinese policies were imposed. In a speech in 1938, Luang Wichitwathakan
Luang Wichitwathakan
Major-General Luang Wichitwathakan was a Thai politician, playwright and historian...
compared the Chinese in Siam to the Jews in Germany.
While ardently pro-Japanese at the beginning, Pibulsonggram and his administration soon considerably, but cordially, distanced itself from Japan following the aftermath of the French-Thai War
French-Thai War
The Franco-Thai War was fought between Thailand and Vichy France over certain areas of French Indochina that had once belonged to Thailand....
, which lasted from October 1940 to May 1941, when Japanese territorial ambitions were skilfully realized during the peace talks. The Japanese gained the right to occupy French Indo-China. Being threatened by the war, Pibulsonggram stated that the Japanese would be the transgressors. The administration also realized that Thailand would fend for itself when the Japanese invasion came, considering the deteriorating relationships with the major Western powers in the area.
Alliance with Japan
When the Japanese invaded Thailand on December 8, 1941, (because of the international date line this occurred an hour and a half before Pearl Harbor), hesitant Pibulsonggram was reluctantly forced to order a general ceasefire after just one day of resistance and allow the Japanese armies to use the country as a base for their invasions of Burma and Malaya. Hesitancy, however, gave way to enthusiasm when the Japanese rolled their way through Malaya in a "Bicycle Blitzkrieg" with surprisingly little resistance. On December 12, Pibulsongkram signed a military alliance with Japan. The following month, on January 25, 1942, Pibulsongkram declared war on Britain and the United States. South Africa
Union of South Africa
The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into being on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the previously separate colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State...
and New Zealand declared war on Thailand on the same day. Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
followed soon after. All who opposed the alliance were sacked from his government. Pridi Phanomyong
Pridi Phanomyong
Pridi Banomyong was a highly revered Thai politician. He was a former Prime Minister and Senior Statesman of Thailand, and was named one of the world's great personalities of the 20th century by UNESCO in 2000.-Family background:...
was appointed acting Regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
for the absent King Ananda Mahidol
Ananda Mahidol
Ananda Mahidol was the eighth monarch of Thailand under the House of Chakri. At the time he was recognized as king by the National Assembly, in March 1935, he was a nine-year-old boy living in Switzerland. He returned to Thailand in December 1945. Six months later, in June 1946, he was found shot...
, while Direk Jayanama
Direk Jayanama
Direk Jayanama was the founding member of the Thai Revolution that had instilled Democracy for all Thais, together with Field Marshal P Pibulsonggram and Pridi Panomyong....
, the prominent Foreign Minister who had advocated continued resistance against the Japanese, was later sent to Tokyo as the Thai ambassador to Japan.
As Japan neared defeat and the underground Seri Thai anti-Japanese resistance steadily grew in strength, the pro-Seri Thai National Assembly forced out Pibulsonggram. His six-year reign as the military commander-in-chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
was at an end. His resignation was partly forced by two grandiose plans. One was to relocate the capital from Bangkok to a remote site in the jungle near Phetchabun
Phetchabun Province
Phetchabun is one of the northern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Loei, Khon Kaen, Chaiyaphum, Lopburi, Nakhon Sawan, Phichit and Phitsanulok.- Geography :...
in northern Thailand. The other was to build a "Buddhist city" near Saraburi
Saraburi Province
Saraburi is one of the central provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Lopburi, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Nayok, Pathum Thani and Ayutthaya. Saraburi has been an important town since ancient times...
. Announced during a time of economic difficulty, these plans turned many government officers against him. Pibulsonggram went to stay at the army headquarters in Lopburi
Lopburi Province
Lop Buri is one of the central provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Phetchabun, Chaiyaphum, Nakhon Ratchasima, Saraburi, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Ang Thong, Sing Buri and Nakhon Sawan.-Geography:...
.
Khuang Abhaiwongse
Khuang Abhaiwongse
Major Luang Khuang Abhaiwongse was three times the prime minister of Thailand.Khuang was born in Battambang now belonging to Cambodia as the son of the Siamese governor of the province Battambang, Chao Phraya Abhayabhubet...
replaced him as Prime Minister, ostensibly to continue relations with the Japanese, but in reality secretly assisting the Seri Thai underground
Free Thai Movement
The Free Thai Movement was a Thai underground resistance movement against Imperial Japan during World War II. Seri Thai were an important source of military intelligence for the Allies in the region, and were notable for being the only World War II resistance movement to use fighter aircraft of its...
.
At the war's end, Pibulsonggram was put on trial at Allied insistence on charges of having committed war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
s, mainly that of collaborating with the Axis powers. However, he was acquitted amidst intense public pressure. Public opinion was favourable to Pibulsonggram as he was thought to have done his best to protect Thai interests.
Coup, second premiership, and more coups
In November 1947, Army units under the control of Pibulsonggram carried out a coupSiamese coup d'état of 1947
The Siamese coup d'état of 1947 was a Thai coup d’état that happened on the evening of 7 November 1947, ending in the early hours of the morning on 8 November. The coup ousted the government of Rear Admiral Thawan Thamrong Nawasawat, who was replaced by Khuang Aphaiwong as Prime Minister of...
which forced then Prime Minister Thawal Thamrong Navaswadhi
Thawal Thamrong Navaswadhi
Rear Admiral Thawal Thamrong Navaswadhi was the 8th prime minister of Thailand from 1946-1947.A career naval officer of Chinese ancestry, Admiral Thamrong was a leading member of the anti-Japanese Seri Thai resistance movement during World War II. He became Thailand's elected prime minister on...
to resign. Khuang
Khuang Abhaiwongse
Major Luang Khuang Abhaiwongse was three times the prime minister of Thailand.Khuang was born in Battambang now belonging to Cambodia as the son of the Siamese governor of the province Battambang, Chao Phraya Abhayabhubet...
was again installed as Prime Minister as the military coup risked international disapproval. Pridi Phanomyong
Pridi Phanomyong
Pridi Banomyong was a highly revered Thai politician. He was a former Prime Minister and Senior Statesman of Thailand, and was named one of the world's great personalities of the 20th century by UNESCO in 2000.-Family background:...
was persecuted
Persecution
Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another group. The most common forms are religious persecution, ethnic persecution, and political persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these terms. The inflicting of suffering, harassment, isolation,...
. He was, however, aided by British and American intelligence officers, and thus managed to escape the country. On April 8, 1948, the military forced Khuang out of office and Pibulsonggram assumed his second premiership.
On October 1, 1948, the unsuccessful Army General Staff Plot
Army General Staff Plot
The Army General Staff Plot was a failed 1948 attempt to overthrow the Thai government of Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram.The plotters were members of the Army General Staff, among whom were Lieutenant-General Chit Mansin Sinatyotharak, Pridi's former supreme commander, and Major-General Net...
was launched to topple the government of Pibulsonggram. As a result of this plot, more than fifty Army and Reservist and several prominent supporters of Pridi Phanomyong were arrested.
A Palace Rebellion
Palace Rebellion
Thailand's 1949 Palace Rebellion was a failed coup attempt. The aims of its plotters were to overthrow the government of Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram and to restore his main civilian rival Pridi Phanomyong to the Thai political scene....
in 1949 was another failed coup attempt. The aims of its plotters were to overthrow the government of Pibulsonggram and to restore his main civilian rival Pridi Phanomyong to the Thai political scene.
Instead of the Fascism that characterized his first premiership, Pibulsonggram and his regime promoted a façade of Democracy. American aid was received in large quantities following Thailand's entry into the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
as part of the United Nations' multi-national allied force in the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
against the communists.
Pibulsonggram's anti-Chinese campaign was resumed, with the government restricting Chinese immigration and undertaking various measures to restrict economic domination of the Thai market by those of Chinese descent. Chinese schools and associations were once again shut down. Despite open pro-western and anti-Chinese policies, in the late 1950s Pibulsonggram arranged to send to China two of the children of Sang Phathanothai
Sang Phathanothai
Sang Phathanothai was a Thai politician, union leader, and journalist. He was one of the closest advisors to Field Marshal Phibunsongkhram....
, his closest advisor, with the intention of establishing a backdoor channel for dialogue between China and Thailand. The girl, aged eight, and her brother, aged twelve, were sent to be brought up under the assistants of Premier Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai was the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, serving from October 1949 until his death in January 1976...
as his ward
Ward (law)
In law, a ward is someone placed under the protection of a legal guardian. A court may take responsibility for the legal protection of an individual, usually either a child or incapacitated person, in which case the ward is known as a ward of the court, or a ward of the state, in the United States,...
s; the girl, Sirin Phathanothai later wrote The Dragon's Pearl
The Dragon's Pearl
The Dragon's Pearl is the autobiography written by Sirin Phathanothai telling her experiences growing up in the 1950s and 1960s among the leaders of China....
an autobiography telling her experiences growing up in the 1950s and 1960s among the leaders of China.
On June 29, 1951, Pibulsonggram was attending a ceremony aboard the USS Manhattan
USS Manhattan
USS Manhattan may refer to: was acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War and served until March 1902.*Manhattan was built in Panama in 1918 for use by the U.S. Coast Guard. was a large harbor tug serving from 1965 to 2004. Reclassified 2008 as unnamed YT-800....
when he was taken hostage
Hostage
A hostage is a person or entity which is held by a captor. The original definition meant that this was handed over by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security for the carrying out of an agreement, or as a preventive measure against certain acts of war...
by a group of naval officers, who then quickly confined him on board the warship Sri Ayutthaya. Negotiations between the government and the coup organizers swiftly broke down
Manhattan Rebellion
The Manhattan Rebellion of June 1951 was the Royal Thai Navy's long-expected attempt to overthrow the government of Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram...
, leading to violent street fighting in Bangkok between the Navy
Royal Thai Navy
The Royal Thai Navy is the navy of Thailand and part of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, it was established in the late 19th century. Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartiwongse is "The Father of Royal Thai Navy". Similar to the organizational structure of the United States, the Royal Thai Navy includes the...
and the Army, which was supported by the Air Force
Royal Thai Air Force
The Royal Thai Air Force or RTAF is the air force of the Kingdom of Thailand. Since its establishment in 1913, as one of the earliest air forces of Asia, the Royal Thai Air Force had engaged in many major and minor battles. During the Vietnam war era, the air force has been developed with USAF-aid...
. Pibulsonggram was able to swim back ashore when the Sri Ayutthaya was bombed by the Air Force. With their hostage gone, the sailors and marines were forced to lay down their arms.
On November 29, 1951, the "Silent Coup,"
Silent Coup (Thailand)
Thailand's Silent Coup of November 29, 1951 consolidated the military's hold on the country. It reinstated the 1932 constitution, which effectively eliminated the Senate,established a unicameral legislature composed equally of elected and government-appointed members, and allowed serving military...
was staged by the Army-led Coup Group
1947 Coup Group (Thailand)
Thailand's powerful Coup Group was composed of powerful military officers who planned and carried out a coup d'état in November 1947. Their prestige and influence were quickly enhanced by Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram's return to politics. They would however outlast him and dominate Thai...
and it consolidated the military's hold on the country. It reinstated the Constitution of 1932, which effectively eliminated the Senate
Senate of Thailand
The Senate of the Kingdom of Thailand is the upper house of the National Assembly of Thailand, . In accordance with the 2007 Constitution of Thailand, the Senate is a non-partisan legislative chamber, composed of 150 members...
, established a unicameral legislature composed equally of elected and government-appointed members, and allowed serving military officers to supplement their commands with important ministerial portfolio
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
s.
On November 13, 1956, Thailand's Criminal Code BE 2499 was signed into law by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
, the present king of Thailand. Field Marshal Pibulsonggram countersigned the Code.
Sarit seizes power
At the end of his second term, suspicions of fraudulent practices during an election emerged. The American-equipped Thai army played a major role in the coup d'état of 1957, and the United States was "deeply involved" The resulting unrest led to a second coup in October 1958 by Field Marshal Sarit Dhanaraj, who had earlier sworn to be Pibul's most loyal subordinate. Sarit was supported by many royalists who wanted to regain their foothold in Thailand's royalty. Pibulsonggram was then forced into exile in Japan. He lived there until his death in 1964.Royal decorations
Plaek Pibulsonggram received the following royal decorations in the Honours SystemThai Honours Order of Precedence
State decorations awarded by Thailand take the form of orders and medals. This page lists them by order of precedence.-Royal decorations:# Knight and Dame of the Most Auspicious Order of the Rajamitrabhorn...
of Thailand:
- 1911 -
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King Rama VI Coronation Medal - 1925 -
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King Rama VII Coronation Medal - 1929 -
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Member (Fifth Class) of The Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand - 1929 -
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Chakra Mala Medal - 1931 -
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Companion (Fourth Class) of The Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand - 1932 -
150 Years Commemoration of BangkokBangkokBangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
Medal - 1934 -
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Dushdi Mala - Military - 1937 -
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Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of The Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand - 1938 -
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King Rama VIIIAnanda MahidolAnanda Mahidol was the eighth monarch of Thailand under the House of Chakri. At the time he was recognized as king by the National Assembly, in March 1935, he was a nine-year-old boy living in Switzerland. He returned to Thailand in December 1945. Six months later, in June 1946, he was found shot...
Royal Cypher Medal - 1940 -
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Knight Grand Cordon (Special Class) of The Most Exalted Order of the White ElephantOrder of the White ElephantThe Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant is the most awarded order of Thailand. It was established in 1861 by King Rama IV of the Kingdom of Siam.The Order consists of eight classes:... - 1941 -
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Victory Medal - Indochina - 1941 -
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Knight of The Ancient and Auspicious Order of the Nine GemsOrder of the Nine GemsThe Ancient and Auspicious Order of the Nine Gems was established in 1851 by King Rama IV of The Kingdom of Siam... - 1942 -
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Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of The Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom KlaoOrder of Chula Chom KlaoThe Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao was established in 16 November 1873 by King Rama V of The Kingdom of Siam to commemorate the 90th Jubilee of the Chakri Dynasty, and bears his Name... - 1942 -
The Ratana Varabhorn Order of MeritRatana Varabhorn Order of MeritThe Ratana Varabhorn Order of Merit was established in 1911 by King Rama VI of The Kingdom of Siam to reward personal service to the sovereign. Members are entitled to use the postnominals ร.ว.-Insignia:... - 1943 -
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Medal for Service Rendered in the Interior (Asia) - 1943 -
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Victory Medal - World War II - 1943 -
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Dushdi Mala - Civilian - 1944 -
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Bravery Medal - World War II - 1956 -
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Bhumibol AdulyadejBhumibol AdulyadejBhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
King Rama IX Royal Cypher Medal, First Class - 1957 -
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Border Service Medal
External links
- Duncan Stearn:A Slice of Thai History: The Japanese invasion of Thailand, 8 December 1941 http://www.pattayamail.com/504/columns.shtml#hd6 (part one) http://www.pattayamail.com/505/columns.shtml#hd6 (part two) http://www.pattayamail.com/506/columns.shtml#hd6 (part three)