Remembering the ‘father of Thai democracy’ as his spirit rises again

Last month the student-led protest movement began calling itself Khana Ratsadon (People’s Party) 2020, after the People’s Party that led the bloodless 1932 Siamese Revolution to end absolute monarchy and usher in constitutional monarchy.
At the head of that revolution was Pridi Banomyong, the so-called “father of Thai democracy” and a hero to the young protesters out on the streets today. Pridi saw his dreams of a democratic Thailand shattered in 1947 when the military staged a coup in what became the template for Thai politics to this day.
Now, student-led protesters are seeking to break that template by demanding the resignation of General Prayut Chan-o-cha, who took power in the 2014 coup, and the rewriting of his junta-scripted Constitution.
The 73rd anniversary of the 1947 coup fell on Sunday (November 8), prompting author Wichitwong Na Pomphet to post an article about Pridi’s escape from Thailand at https://pridi.or.th, the website of the Pridi Banomyong Institute.
On November 8, 1947, Army troops seized various government installations in Bangkok. The coup, led by Lieutenant General Phin Choonhavan and Colonel Kat Katsongkhram, ousted the government of Pridi’s proxy, Rear Admiral Thawan Thamrongnawasawat, who was replaced by Khuang Aphaiwong as prime minister.
Khuang had earlier headed the government elected in January 1946, but when he resigned in March, Pridi took over in a bid to stabilise spiralling political tensions. The Pridi government marked the war crimes trial of former PM Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram, who managed to escape charges of colluding with Japan on a legal technicality.
After a general election, Pridi resigned as prime minister and took up his role of senior statesman.
A year later, the military staged a coup and armoured cars arrived in front of Pridi's Bangkok riverside residence. Pridi had already been tipped off, though, and spent the week hiding under the care of Admiral Sindhu Songkhramchai at Royal Thai Navy headquarters. On November 20, he was smuggled to Singapore by British and US agents, before making his way to North America via Shanghai.
“The 1947 coup effectively ended Pridi’s role in Thai politics and was followed by several attempts by adversaries to strip him of his Senior Statesman title,” said Wichitwong.
“Pridi spent 36 years in exile until his death in France in 1983 at the age of 84.”