The revolution of 1932
Until 1932 the kings of Siam ruled as absolute monarchs. Early on 24 June 1932 a small group calling itself the People’s Party (Khana Ratsadon), young army officers and civil servants, many educated in Europe, took control of Bangkok while King Prajadhipok, Rama VII, was at the seaside palace in Hua Hin. Among its leaders were Phraya Phahon, the civilian lawyer Pridi Banomyong and an army officer, Plaek Phibunsongkhram, who would later lead the country for many years. The takeover was almost bloodless.
The party asked the king to stay on the throne as a constitutional monarch, and he agreed. On 27 June he signed a provisional charter. A committee then drafted a permanent constitution, which the king granted in a ceremony on 10 December 1932. It made the king head of state under the law and set up an Assembly of the People’s Representatives, at first half appointed and half elected.
The People’s Party set out six principles for the new state: to keep the country independent, to keep order, to improve the economy and find work for everyone, to give everyone equal rights, to give people liberty where it did not conflict with the other principles, and to give everyone an education. Education is also why the first assembly was only half elected: the appointed half was to stay until most of the population had finished primary school, or for ten years at most.
The relationship between the king and the new government soured within a few years. Prajadhipok left for Europe and abdicated in 1935; the throne passed to his young nephew Ananda Mahidol.
Twenty constitutions
The 1932 constitution did not last, and neither did most of its successors. Thailand has had about a dozen successful coups since 1932, and after almost every one the military repealed the constitution of the day, ruled under an interim charter and then had a new permanent one written. The charter in force today, approved in a referendum in 2016 and promulgated on 6 April 2017, is generally counted as the twentieth.
A few stand out. The constitution of 1997, the first drafted by an elected assembly, became known as the people’s constitution for the rights and independent bodies it created; it was repealed after the coup of 2006. Its successor of 2007 was the first approved in a referendum. The 2017 charter was written under the military government that took power in 2014.
The constitution as a symbol
The clearest monument to 1932 is the Democracy Monument on Ratchadamnoen Avenue in Bangkok, completed in 1939. At its centre, on top of a turret, sits a carved copy of the constitution resting on two golden offering bowls, the way sacred texts are presented in Thai ritual. The monument has been the gathering point of political demonstrations ever since, from the student uprising of October 1973 to the protests of the 2010s and 2020s.
The People’s Party also left smaller marks. 24 June was celebrated as National Day from 1939 until 1960, when the government of the day moved National Day to 5 December, King Bhumibol’s birthday; it remains National Day and Father’s Day in his memory. A brass plaque set into the pavement of the Royal Plaza in Bangkok to mark the spot where the revolution was proclaimed went missing in 2017 and was replaced by another.
How the day is kept
Constitution Day is a public holiday for government offices and banks, and a substitute holiday follows when it falls on a weekend. Officials and members of parliament lay floral tributes to King Prajadhipok, schools give short lessons on the constitution and democracy, and the day passes quietly for most people. With 5 December only a few days earlier, the first half of December often brings two long weekends, so it is a busy time to travel.
| Year | Buddhist Era | Constitution Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2569 | Thursday 10 December |
| 2027 | 2570 | Friday 10 December |
The public holidays guide lists the other holidays of both years, and explains how substitute days work.
Sources
Checked against the sources below. Rules, fees and dates change, sometimes at short notice: confirm with the Bank of Thailand or your employer before you rely on them.
- Financial institutions’ holidays, Bank of Thailand
- The Royal Gazette, Secretariat of the Cabinet