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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 August 2009
The seizure of the government by Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat in September, 1957, was more than the assumption of political power by another military leader in Thailand, and the overthrow of the former regime headed by Field Marshal Phibun Songkhram marked a definite turning point in the evolution of the Thai political system. After experimenting with constitutional democracy for almost twenty-five years, Thailand turned to a new form of political rule. The purpose of this article is to survey briefly the development of the Thai political system since the beginning of the constitutional regime in June, 1932, and to assess the present trend of the Sarit government in a country where military officers have long played a pre-eminent role in the political life of the nation.
1 The name of Phibun Songkhram is also spelled Pibul Songgram or Pibun Songkram in some English language sources. The spelling used in this article is that closest to the phonetic pronunciation.
2 Vella, Walter F., The Impact of the West on Government in Thailand (Berkeley, 1955), pp. 332–350passimGoogle Scholar.
3 McKelway, St. Clair, “Siam Tries a People's Party,” Asia, XXXII (11, 1932), 555Google Scholar.
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5 Pridi subsequently proposed a radical economic plan which entailed extensive nationalization of the land and industry. This plan was labeled “communist” by King Prajadhipok and the conservatives and resulted in Pridi's exile for a short period in 1933. For a translation of Pridi's economic plan see Landon, , op. cit., pp. 260–293Google Scholar.
6 Harrison, Brian, South-East Asia (London, 1954), p. 249Google Scholar.
7 The idea of a three-stage transitional period as applied by the leaders of the People's Party in Thailand was similar to that proposed by Sun Yatsen in China. In his San Min Chi I Sun also upheld the ideals of Western constitutional democracy but saw the need for preparing the Chinese people for a more modern form of government. See Vella, , op. cit., p. 371Google Scholar.
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11 Coast, John, Some Aspects of Siamese Politics (New York, 1953), p. 33Google Scholar.
14 The Bangkok Post, November 30, 1951.
13 New York Times, December 2, 1951.
14 The Bangkok Post, December 27, 1954.
15 Newsweek, March 5, 1956.
16 Berrigan, Darrell, “Thailand: Pibul Tries Prachathipatai,” The Reporter, 06 14, 1956, pp. 32–33. (“Prachathipatai” is the Thai word for “democracy.”)Google Scholar
17 Pickerell, Albert and Moore, Daniel E., “Elections in Thailand,” Far Eastern Survey, XXVI (07, 1957), 107–108Google Scholar.
18 McKelway, loc. cit.
19 New York Times, April 12, 1947, p. 3.
20 The Bangkok Post, December 12, 1951.
21 Ibid., October 21, 1958.
22 New York Times, October 21, 1958.
23 Ibid., October 22, 1958.
24 Ibid., September 19, 1957.
25 The Bangkok Post, July 7, 1958.
26 Berrigan, Darrell, “Tidying Up in Thailand,” The Reporter, 11 27, 1958, p. 29Google Scholar.
27 New York Times, October 28, 1958, p. 7.
28 The Bangkok Post, November 18, 1958.
29 Ibid., October 20, 1958.
30 Berrigan, loc. cit.
31 The Bangkok Post, December 11, 1958.
32 New York Times, January 29, 1959, p. 3.
33 The Bangkok Post, February 3, 1959.
34 New York Times, April 5, 1959, p. 13.
35 Ibid., September 30, 1959, p. 49.
36 Time, August 17, 1959.
37 The Bangkok Post, December 8, 1958.
38 Ibid., March 12, 1959.
39 Ibid., November 7, 1958.
40 New York Times, July 7, 1959, p. 5.
41 The Bangkok Post, November 5, 1958.
42 Ibid., March 23, 1959.
43 Ibid., March 10, 1959, citing Thanad's address to the American Association of Thailand entitled “A New Era For Thailand.”
44 Ibid., February 13, 1959.
45 Ibid., December 11, 1959.
46 New York Times, November 3, 1960.
47 Ibid., March 27, 1961.
48 Newsweek, May 15, 1961.