New Mandala

13 responses so far ↓

• 1 Federico // Mar 8, 2011 at 4:34 pm

  I would add Phya Mano’s self-coup in April 1933 in the “successful” category. Might be more contentious to say that there was another such “self-coup” in April 2010. The Boworadet rebellion in October 1933 should be in the unsuccessful attempts.

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• 2 Federico // Mar 8, 2011 at 4:42 pm

  One more: the “Naisip Rebellion” of August 5, 1935. Details here:

  http://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/กบฏนายสิบ

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• 3 Stuart // Mar 8, 2011 at 4:58 pm

  Is there any correlation to the Fibonacci numbers? Failing that, perhaps someone can apply a numerology exercise and trigger a profitable run on the stockmarket.

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• 4 yabz // Mar 8, 2011 at 8:14 pm

  19 Sept 2006 was a highly auspicious day in the Chinese astrological calendar. It would be interesting to see the charts for the previous coups although unfortunately I don’t have them.

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• 5 Thailand: Total number of coups · Global Voices // Mar 9, 2011 at 2:21 am

  [...] Farrelly, writing for the New Mandala, has counted 11 “successful” and 9 “unsuccessful” coup efforts” in Thailand in the past century. [...]

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• 6 polo // Mar 9, 2011 at 3:21 am

  At the beginning of 1976 and at the beginning of 1980 military pressure forced out prime ministers in “silent coups”. The former resulted in new elections; the latter saw Prem take power for 8 years. Should at least 1980 not be included in this list?

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• 7 john francis lee // Mar 9, 2011 at 12:56 pm

  Surely listing all the governments of the 20th century and then labeling the provenance of each would get them all?

  The unelected governments – including the hyphenated self- silent- and so on coups – could then be classified according to preference.

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• 8 Don Persons // Mar 9, 2011 at 9:47 pm

  In the missionary records located at the Payap University archives, I found information about a rebellion in Northern Thailand in 1902. The church’s “neutral” stance actually sided with Siam. I looked it up and found this reference:

  “Phraya Chaiyabun Monument This monument is located 4 kms. from Phrae Market, being constructed as a memorial to Phraya Chaiyabun who was the governor of Muang Phrae, during the reign of King Rama V, and was killed by the Ngiew tribal people because he did not agree to set his hand in a document giving out Muang Phrae to the Ngiew during the Ngiew rebellion in the year 1902 A.D.”

  http://www.hotelthailand.com/travelinfo/north/phrae.html

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• 9 Don Persons // Mar 9, 2011 at 10:00 pm

  A history of Thailand
  By Christopher John Baker, Pasuk Phongpaichit

  Reference to a Hmong rebellion in 1967-1968 (Baker, 175) actually is a reference to a movement in Pitsanulok, Luy, Petchabun and Phrae where a group was based in Phu Hin Rong Klao.

  The elder of a church who was part of that rebellion including the defence of Kao Ko (เขาค้อ) took me around these locations. The leader at Phu Hin Rong Klao was actually communist leader from the South. The Thai government troops lost in most battles and skirmishes, but used Chinese mercenaries effectively and eventually squeezed the rebels economically into submission. The Hmong who surrendered were “reeducated.” After returning to their villages, they found that their people had become Christians. The church elder I talked to said in so many words: I was surprised and asked “What is a Christian?” They told me they teach us to love our neighbor as ourselves. Oh? That’s what the communists said, but the only difference is that Christians don’t get killed. So I became a Christian too.”

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• 10 Donald Persons // Mar 11, 2011 at 12:11 pm

  Are we getting anywhere with this list? why I made my two posts is because the coups are not only a matter of palace intrigue and corruption of state, but they effect the people.

  Thai social movements, although less prominent, can turn violent as all other avenues for peaceful change are exhausted. Thailand in 2010 was at a crossroads.

  Participants in former social movements squashed by the Thai military (ex., Kao Ko Monument glorifies Air Force General Arthit Kamlangeak) tend to seek new bases and forms for resistance. I assume it ruffles someone’s feathers that in the case of the Hmong in
  Thailand, Christianity offered a new base. That is a fact. If you want to bear that out statistically, look at the statistics of the 12th District of the Church of Christ in Thailand. or look herehttp://www.christiansiam.com/Church/Country/North/Phetchabun.html It compares the number of Hmong in Thailand who were Christians before 1960 (0) and after 1980 with the emergence of 45 new churches. It was Hmong Christians from Laos who held this discussion with their Thai kin at that time. There were no foreign or Thai missionaries active there at the time. Similar movement of social resistance to Thai government appeared among the Northern Thai groups I worked with for 15 years. Why resist? Land grabs, deforestation, lack of educational opportunities and other forms of state-sponsored repression (ex., local officials refusing to provide identification cards to people who have lived there for 100 years)

  I think that the residue of injustice and resistance scattered across the North and Northeast explains why the Red Shirts could emerge so quickly and powerfully, yet still have disparate agendas among the participating groups. These forms of collective memory of Thai people are interesting to me but certainly not surprising. Those who try to say that the Red Shirts are merely pro-Thaksin have no historical memory.

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• 11 Tarrin // Mar 11, 2011 at 2:38 pm

  Donald Persons – 10

  I really want to contribute something here but my knowledge is limited to what already been said. Furthermore, there are those “silent upraise” or “silent coup” events that have very little documentation to the point where I think its almost suit the description of rumor rather than actual event. Like what polo said, during early 1980s there were so many of such attempt but very little documentation.

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• 12 Donald Persons // Mar 11, 2011 at 11:20 pm

  This Thai history website lists 23.

  http://www.iseehistory.com/index.php?lay=show&ac=article&Id=5329067&Ntype=9

  Furthermore they name unsuccessful changes of governments as rebellions (กปฏ) and the successful ones as coups (รัฐประหาร)

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• 13 While Thailand floods, 9 Thai Army officers are arrested for murder of 13 Chinese sailors | Asian Correspondent // Oct 30, 2011 at 11:33 pm

  [...] the numerous coups, the history of torture and abuse and, of course, several massacres, not least the one in Bangkok [...]

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