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| June 1933 Siamese coup d'état | |||||||
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 ColonelPhraya Phahonphonphayuhasena (Phraya Phahon), leader of the coup | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Phraya Manopakorn Nitithada's cabinet | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|  Phraya Manopakorn Nitithada | ||||||
TheSiamese coup d’état of June 1933 (Thai:รัฐประหาร 20 มิถุนายน พ.ศ. 2476) took place peacefully on 20 June 1933 inBangkok and was led was led byArmy ColonelPhraya Phahonphonphayuhasena (Phraya Phahon) against theadministration ofPhraya Manopakorn Nitithada (Phraya Mano).[1] The coup was in fact a counter-coup against the dictatorial policies of Phraya Mano, stemming from his resentment of a proposal byPridi Banomyong, the progressive leader of theKhana Ratsadon which Phahon was a member of, to reform Thailand's economy. It marked the first time in Thai history that themilitary successfully overthrew the constitutionalgovernment.
After theSiamese revolution of 1932, thefirst coup of Thailand's history occurred on 1 April 1933 by conservative andmonarchist elites led by Phraya Manopakorn Nititada, amid national debate surrounding a nationwide economic plan proposed by Pridi Banomyong, which was deemed to be acommunist threat by KingPrajadhipok and Mano.[2]
On 18 June, Phraya Phahon, a member of Pridi's Khana Ratsadon and aminister of state, resigned from his seat in the People's Committee, citing health reasons. He then took advantage of the resignation to plan an overthrow of Phraya Mano's government in secret. Phahon partnered with Luang Suphachalasai of theNavy and garnered support from the armed forces, fellow party members andBangkok's populace for the eventual coup.[3]: 345
On 20 June, Army chiefLuang Phibunsongkhram, Navy chief Luang Supachalasai, and Phraya Phahon seized theNational Assembly building and proclaimed themselves as thelegitimate government. Citing the fact that the present government has acted illegally in dissolving the assembly and that they would return theconstitution, which the previous administration had suspended.[3]: 346 Phahon appointed himself the country's second prime minister and Luang Supachalasai a minister in his cabinet. He immediately recalled the People's Assembly and asked theSpeaker to submit to King Prajadhipok at theKlai Kangwon Palace inHua Hin, the reasons for the coup. The King duly accepted. He also pardoned Pridi and recalled him from exile. The coup was the first that was successfully carried out by the military against a civilian government in Thailand.
Immediate resistance to the coup was limited and quickly dissolved. Phraya Mano escaped Bangkok by rail toPenang inBritish Malaya, where he died in 1948. Phraya Songsuradet and others were barred from entering politics, which would eventually lead to theSongsuradet Rebellion in 1939.
Pridi Banomyong eventually returned to Siam on 29 September 1933, but not returning to government immediately. He became an academic and founder ofThammasat University in 1934. He would eventually become one of the most important players in Thai history. During the Second World War, he becameRegent of Thailand (1944–1946) andPrime Minister of Thailand in 1946.
| Rebellions, revolts, and revolution | |
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| Coups and coup attempts | |
| Popular revolts | |
| Protests and crises | |
