The 24 June 1932 Coup - The End To Absolute Monarchy In Thailand
It is widely believed that the 1932 coup was the first coup in Thailand. It wasn’t; the first coup was in 1912, when a group of junior officers, fired by the Chinese revolution a year earlier, tried to seize power. They failed. The 24 June 1932 coup, however, succeeded and brought an end to absolute monarchy in Thailand.
The seeds of the 1932 coup were first being sown in the early 1920’s, during the reign of King Rama VI or King Vajiravudh (1910 – 1925). That was when Thailand started experiencing severe fluctuations in rice production which had a severe impact on state revenues. Coupled with extravagant state expenditures, this caused a huge trade deficit and foreign debt.
Tags: 1932 coup, coups in Bangkok, democracy in Thailand, military government, Thai constitution