The Palace Rebellion was a 1949 coup attempt in
Thailand. Its plotters aimed to overthrow the government of Field Marshal
Plaek Phibunsongkhram and to restore his main civilian rival,
Pridi Phanomyong
Pridi Banomyong ( th, ปรีดี พนมยงค์, , ; 11 May 1900 – 2 May 1983), also known by his noble title Luang Praditmanutham ( th, หลวงประดิษฐ์มนูธรรม) was a Thai politician and professo ...
, to the Thai political scene.
Pridi had disavowed the use of violence during the immediate aftermath of the
1947 coup, but the frustrations of exile eventually overcame him. Although in the
People's Republic of China, he still maintained contacts with his supporters in Thailand and, with their help, he laid plans for a countercoup.
In the first week of February 1949, he secretly returned to Thailand. Phibun, however, soon learned of Pridi's intentions and quickly, a radio announcement was made in which he called Pridi his "friend." He went on to offer Pridi a position in the government, but Pridi decided to go ahead with his plans, and the field marshal's overtures were rebuffed.
A state of emergency was declared by the government in anticipation of the countercoup. It began on February 26, when a
Royal Thai Army officer loyal to Pridi and a group of supporters seized a radio station, and
Free Thai
The Free Thai Movement ( th, เสรีไทย; ) was a Thai underground resistance movement against Imperial Japan during World War II. Seri Thai were an important source of military intelligence for the Allies in the region.
Background
...
elements and
Thammasat University teachers and students occupied the
Grand Palace. The group at the radio station announced on the air the formation of a new government headed by Pridi's friend,
Direk Chaiyanam.
Major-General
Sarit Thanarat
Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat (also spelt ''Dhanarajata''; th, สฤษดิ์ ธนะรัชต์, ; 16 June 1908 – 8 December 1963) was a Thai general who staged a coup in 1957, replacing Plaek Phibunsongkhram as Thailand's prime m ...
then moved troops in and easily managed to oust Pridi from the palace grounds. In the meanwhile, the
Royal Thai Navy and the
Royal Thai Marine Corps took up defensive positions around Bangkok, to protect their allies.
The rebels managed to escape in naval vessels across the
Chao Phraya River
The Chao Phraya ( or ; th, แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา, , or ) is the major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It flows through Bangkok and then into the Gulf of Thailand.
Et ...
, and navy units engaged the army in fierce street fighting. A ceasefire was declared that afternoon, but it would take the navy and the army a full week to negotiate a resolution to the crisis.
References
{{ThaiCoups
Attempted coups in Thailand
Conflicts in 1949
20th century in Thailand
1949 in Thailand
Thailand