Thai coup d'état

Thai coup d'état
Name	Thai coup d'état
Date	20th–21st centuries
Place	Thailand
Result	Series of military interventions in Thai politics

Thai coup d'état is the conventional term used to describe repeated episodes of military seizures of power in Thailand during the 20th and 21st centuries. These events involved actors from the Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy, Royal Thai Air Force, political parties such as the Democrat Party (Thailand), Palang Pracharath Party, courts including the Constitutional Court of Thailand, and institutions like the Monarchy of Thailand. The episodes reshaped constitutions such as the Constitution of Thailand (2007) and Constitution of Thailand (2017), affected leaders including Plaek Phibunsongkhram, Sarit Thanarat, Thanom Kittikachorn, Prem Tinsulanonda, Seni Pramoj, Pridi Banomyong, Thaksin Shinawatra, Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai Party, Yingluck Shinawatra, Prayut Chan-o-cha, and involved international actors such as the United States, United Kingdom, China, and ASEAN member states.

Background and causes

The recurrent interventions have roots in historical forces around the Siamese Revolution of 1932, post‑colonial state formation involving Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram, the role of Thai military academies and Command and General Staff College (Thailand), political rivalries between elites like Pridi Banomyong and Sarit Thanarat, the emergence of mass movements such as the Prachathipat (Democrat) Party era, and socioeconomic cleavages intensified by policies associated with Thaksin Shinawatra and Thai Rak Thai Party. Institutional features include monarchical interventions by figures like King Bhumibol Adulyadej and King Maha Vajiralongkorn, judicial rulings by the Constitutional Court of Thailand, and legal mechanisms like Article 112 of the Criminal Code (Thailand) (lese‑majesté). External pressures from Cold War geopolitics, relations with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), connections to Asian financial crisis (1997) dynamics, and ties to Chinese investment have also been cited as causal factors.

Chronology of major coups

Key episodes include the 1932 Siamese Revolution of 1932 that ended absolute monarchy and set precedents for military influence, the 1947 coup associated with Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram, the 1951 Silent Coup (1951), the 1957 coup of Sarin Thanarat? (note: historical actors include Sarit Thanarat and Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat), the 1971 Thanom Kittikachorn self-coup and the 1976 Thammasat University massacre aftermath involving Narong Kittikachorn, the 1991 coup against Chatichai Choonhavan and the subsequent Black May (1992) protests led by figures like Chamlong Srimuang and met by Suchinda Kraprayoon, the 2006 coup that ousted Thaksin Shinawatra and dissolved Thai Rak Thai Party by the Constitutional Court of Thailand, and the 2014 coup by Prayut Chan-o-cha which led to the National Council for Peace and Order. Each event intersected with political actors such as Seni Pramoj, Kukrit Pramoj, Banharn Silpa-archa, Chuan Leekpai, Abhisit Vejjajiva, Somchai Wongsawat, Pheu Thai Party, New Aspiration Party, People Power Party (Thailand), and institutions including the National Legislative Assembly (Thailand) and Senate of Thailand.

Key actors and institutions

Prominent military figures include Plaek Phibunsongkhram, Sarit Thanarat, Thanom Kittikachorn, Kriangsak Chamanan, Prem Tinsulanonda, Suchinda Kraprayoon, Surayud Chulanont, Sonthi Boonyaratglin, Anupong Paochinda, Prayut Chan-o-cha, and Prawit Wongsuwan. Civilian politicians often implicated are Pridi Banomyong, Seni Pramoj, Bhumibol Adulyadej (as monarch), Maha Vajiralongkorn, Thaksin Shinawatra, Yingluck Shinawatra, Abhisit Vejjajiva, Chuan Leekpai, Chamlong Srimuang, Banharn Silpa-archa, Suthep Thaugsuban, and business elites linked to Charoen Pokphand Group, Siam Cement Group, and Thai Airways International. Key institutions include the Royal Thai Armed Forces, National Council for Peace and Order, National Human Rights Commission (Thailand), Office of the Attorney General (Thailand), Election Commission of Thailand, Fine Arts Department (Thailand) (cultural role), the Thai monarchy, and international organizations such as United Nations, European Union, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and ASEAN.

Legal and constitutional consequences

Coups prompted abrogations and promulgations of constitutions including the Constitution of Thailand (1932), Constitution of Thailand (1947), Constitution of Thailand (1997), Constitution of Thailand (2007), and Constitution of Thailand (2017). Military administrations used instruments like the National Council for Peace and Order's orders, emergency decrees, and provisional charters to restructure the Senate of Thailand and electoral frameworks, impacting parties such as Thai Rak Thai Party and Pheu Thai Party. Judicial actions by the Constitutional Court of Thailand led to party dissolutions, bans on politicians, and rulings on electoral disputes. Legal reforms affected statutes including Article 112 (lese‑majesté) and election laws administered by the Election Commission of Thailand, altering civil liberties monitored by the National Human Rights Commission (Thailand), and engaging international legal scrutiny from bodies like the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Domestic and international reactions

Domestic reactions ranged from mass protests like Black May (1992) and the Yellow Shirt (People's Alliance for Democracy) movement to the Red Shirt (United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship) protests, with civil society groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International reporting on rights issues. Political responses came from parties such as the Democrat Party (Thailand), Pheu Thai Party, Palang Pracharath Party, and movements led by figures like Suthep Thaugsuban and Thaksin Shinawatra. International reactions varied: the United States and European Union sometimes imposed aid suspensions or diplomatic criticism, while countries like China and Russia maintained ties; multilateral bodies including ASEAN and United Nations called for stability and rule of law. Media outlets such as Bangkok Post, The Nation (Thailand), BBC News, and Al Jazeera covered domestic unrest and external diplomatic maneuvers.

Impact on Thai society and politics

Repeated interventions altered political alignments, contributing to cycles of reform and repression involving elites like Privy Council of Thailand, governance reforms influenced by the 1997 Constitution (People's Constitution), and shifts in civil‑military relations at institutions such as the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy. Economic consequences touched conglomerates including Charoen Pokphand Group and sectors regulated by the Bank of Thailand amid episodes like the Asian financial crisis (1997). Cultural and social impacts engaged the Monarchy of Thailand's public role, journalism in outlets such as Kom Chad Luek, university activism at Thammasat University, and human rights advocacy by organizations like National Human Rights Commission (Thailand). The pattern of coups influenced Thailand’s regional posture toward ASEAN integration, foreign investment from China and Japan, and relations with partners including the United States Department of State and European Commission.

Category:Politics of Thailand