Siamese coup d'état of 1947

Date	7-8 November 1947
Location	Bangkok, Thailand
Result	Increase of military influence.

Belligerents

Royal Siamese Government

Coup Group

Commanders and leaders

Thawan Thamrong Nawasawat
Pridi Banomyong

Phin Chunhawan
Kat Katsongkhram

The Siamese coup d'état of 1947 (Thai: รัฐประหาร 8 พฤศจิกายน พ.ศ. 2490) was a Thai coup d'état that happened on the evening of 7 November 1947, ending in the early hours of the morning on 8 November. The coup ousted the government of Rear Admiral Thawan Thamrong Nawasawat, who was replaced by Khuang Aphaiwong as Prime Minister of Thailand. The coup was led by Lieutenant-General Phin Chunhawan and Colonel Kat Katsongkhram.

On August 1, 1944, as the Allies were winning the Second World War, the pro-Japanese strongman Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram was forced by parliament to resign his premiership. He was replaced by Khuang Aphaiwong, a civilian who had the backing of Pridi Phanomyong, regent for the absent King Ananda Mahidol and head of the Seri Thai underground resistance. For the next three years civilian cabinets, led behind the scenes by Pridi, governed the kingdom.

For a brief while the various elements of the anti-Phibun coalition - Pridi and his supporters in the bureaucracy, politicians from the north-east, and conservative royalists - retained their unity. All hoped to see constitutional government succeed, and all feared a resurgence of the military. Having established a civilian government, Khuang resigned in August 1945 to make way for a better qualified person to negotiate with the allies. The most obvious choice was the leader of the American-based Seri Thai, Seni Pramot, who Pridi invited to become prime minister.

In January 1946, Seni resigned and asked for the dissolution of parliament to pave the way for elections. Khuang and his new royalist allies were elected to power. But because Pridi chose to support Direk Chaiyanam as his personal candidate, Khuang included none of the former regent's allies in his cabinet, but placed many of his opponents, including Seni. Pridi's followers immediately sought revenge, continually harassing the government, further intensifying the bitterness between themselves and the conservatives. Within six weeks Khuang abruptly resigned, forcing Pridi to reluctantly step in and risk his personal prestige. Up until the resignation of his wartime ally, Pridi had enjoyed the prestige of his position as a senior statesman without having to involve himself in everyday politics. Pridi's failure to control inflation tarnished his reputation for competence, while official corruption bedevilled his governments.

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