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13

Thailand has the highest number of successful coups d'état in Southeast Asia.

- A Total 21 coup attempts
- 13 successful and 9 unsuccessful coups in just over a century.
- one of the world's top ten countries with the most coups d'état and coup attmptsTHE MOST RECENT COUP, IN 2014, WAS LED BY GEN. PRAYUTH CHAN-O-CHA, WHO TOOK POWER AS THE JUNTA LEADER FOR 4 YEARS, AND IN 2019, THROUGH RIGGED ELECTIONS AND INVOLVEMENTS OF THE ELITES AND THE PALACE, HE BECAME THE PRIME MINISTER OF THAILAND

info from <elect.in.th>

1st coup d’état

Due to disagreements in the parliament that stemmed from allegedly radical economic policies presented by Pridi Panomyong (a prominent member of Khana Ratsadorn, revolutionists who changed the regime from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy in 1932). Phraya Manopakorn Nithitada, the PM, dissolved his own parliament and claimed the government anulled. He seized all the executive power by citing the monarchial power and royal decree.

2nd coup d'état

General Phraya Paholpolpayuhasena, allying with with the army, navy, and civilians, took control over political strongholds, claimed the government of Phraya Manopakorn Nititada unconstitutional. Therefore, the coup of General Phraya Paholpolpayuhasena annulled Phraya Manopakorn Nititada’s House of Representatives, which was re-established later after Phraya Manopakorn Nititada surrendered.

3rd coup d'état

Lieutenant Genernal Phin Choonhavan led the coup to seize the power of Rear Admiral Thawan Thamrongnawasawat’s government. Six reasons were declared as the object of this coup; scarcity of consumer goods, post-world-war economic distress, inefficient governance, unrest, mysterious death of Rama XIII, and dissatisfaction of the army due to a retirement policy. This is the end of the Pridi-led political influence.

4th coup d'état

About one month after the Declaration of policy and gaining trust of the Parliament, on April 1948, 6th, former Prime Minister Kuang Apaiwong was forced to resign within 24 hours. The coup, again, led by Lieutenant General Phin Choonhavan, blamed Mr.Kuang for his government’s ineffective strategy to solve high-priced customer goods. This event has been named as ‘The ouster of the Prime Minister’.

5th coup d'état

“The temporary government” led by General Phin Choonhavan and other 8 members, who were also the members of the 3rd coup, had revoked a current edition of the Constitution (as known as Royalism edition), and announced the seizure of his previous government. By asserting that the government had failed to solve the corruption problem, and been intervened by communism, the coup had re-enacted the first edition of the Constitution and assigned Field Marshal P. Pibulsongkram as a Prime Minister.

6th coup d'état

The force led by Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat—commandant of Thai Royal Army—had taken control over Field Marshal P. Pibulsongkram, and dissolved the House of Representatives. There was a Royal Order to appoint Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat as a ‘Military Keeper of the Capital’. This coup had shifted the way Thai democracy should have been, regards to intention of the Siamese Revolution of 1932—ending absolute monarchy under King of Siam, led by Khana Ratsadon (translated as “People’s Party”). Since then, the Thai monarchy has been revived (after their role had been reduced after the Siamese Revolution of 1932), which has significantly influenced politics in Thailand until now. At that moment, Thailand had been brought into the era of a completely military dictatorship, as known as Sarit’s rule.

7th coup d'état

Since Field Marshal Sarit Dhanarajata had been knowing that the government had been unable to take control over the parliament, he flew to the UK, making a plan to seize the power from the current government of Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn, also drafting the new edition of the Constitution. On October 1958, 18th, Field Marshal S. Dhanarajata returned back to Thailand, and assembled his military force the day after that. Finally, on October 1958, 20th, Field Marshal T. Kittikachorn resigned from his position of Prime Minister, in the next few hours, Field Marshal S. Dhanarajata declared his seizure of power, cancelled political parties, and eventually dissolved the House of Representatives.

8th coup d'état

Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn announced the formation of 9 junta members, headed by himself, as “The Revolutionary Council” to dictate nation’s affairs following the abolition of the current edition of the Constitution, Parliament, and Cabinet. Regarding the inability to persuade the governmental votes towards Field Marshal T. Kittikachorn and disagreement within his political party (the United Thai People’s Party or “Saha Prachathai”), “The Revolution Council” suggested that that the government was intervened and corrupted by some group of people to which the coup had to put an end.

9th coup d'état

The coup, headed by Admiral Sangad Chaloryu as “the leader of Reformation Council of Nation’s Government”, claimed that there were students displaying a contempt of the Thai monarchy. In the morning of October 1976, 6th, at Thammasat University, the students were attacked, by armed police officers, in order to force their demonstration to stop. 39 dead and 145 injured people were officially reported. According to the website “Documentary of 6 October” (accessed by: https://doct6.com), this is the biggest gory incidence that has happened in Thailand’s history, which has been known as “Thammasat University Massacre”.

10th coup d'état

Admiral Sangad Chaloryu as “the leader of Revolutionary Council”, again, led the military force to seize the power of Mr.Thanin Kraivichien’s government by suggesting the purpose of this coup that the constitutional election was not appropriate to the current situation, where there was the disagreement between citizens and officials, and the democratic governance did not show the significant outcome. As a result, the current Constitution, Parliament, and Cabinet were abolished over again, and all political demonstrations were restricted. The training of The Village Scout of Thailand—the right-wing, ultranationalist, paramilitary volunteers from rural areas of Thailand who had played an important role to attack against the students in “Thammasat University Massacre”—was brought back.

The Village Scout of Thailand

11th coup d'état

The military force in the name of “National Council of Peace and Order”, headed by General Soonthorn Kongsompong, seized the power of Chatchai Choonhavan’s government. Five lists were declared to be the cause of this coup; corruption, politicians oppressing officials, destruction of militaries, distorted investigation of monarchical abolition’s case, and “parliamentary dictatorship of the government”— which was the word invented in order to demonise the democratic government at that moment. Again, the current Constitution, Parliament, and Cabinet were abolished as a result. Martial Law was also nationally enacted.

12th coup d'état

“Revolutionary Council of Constitutional Monarchy”, led by General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, seized the power of Mr.Thaksin Shinawatra’s government. Three causes were claimed to be the motive of this coup; corruptive governance, independent organisations being intervened, contempt of Thai Monarchy. Moreover, the force enacted the Martial Law, and abolished the current Constitution, Parliament, Cabinet, and Constitutional Court. Political demonstrations were also illegal.

Ex-Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatara.

13th coup d'état

2014 - On the second day of the meetingset up by the army in order to come to a political common ground, there was serious disagreements among groups of protestors, mainly between; People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) and United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD). General Prayut Chan-o-cha decided to leave, and at 17:07 on the same day, he and his force (known as “National Council of Peace and Order” or NCPO) staged a coup, and enacted the Martial Law. **All television channels (except one channel; The Royal Thai Army Radio and Television) and political demonstrations were cut off. **The Constitution and Cabinet were revoked. Moreover, in order to prevent the opposition to NCPO, online news and social media have been regularly censored. Hundreds of Thai citizens have been summoned to “fix their attitudes” if they have showed a sign of disapproval of the junta.