Thailand SARIT AND THANOM
Prince Bhumibol Adulyadej (left) and King Ananda
Mahidol as schoolboys in Switzerland in 1940
Courtesy New York Times Paris Collection, National Archives
Phibun had failed to win the popular support that he had
sought, and the effort cost him what remained of his standing
among the military faction. As a result of the election, Phibun
formed a new government in March 1957, appointing Phao as
interior minister with responsibility for internal security.
However, it was Sarit, whose prestige had not been at stake in
the election, who as newly named armed forces commander in chief
emerged as the strongest member of the ruling group. In September
he openly broke with his colleagues, ordered tanks into the
streets, and displaced Phibun and Phao in a bloodless coup
d'etat. He suspended the constitution and dissolved parliament.
The king approved Sarit's action; the royal family had opposed
Phibun since the 1930s.
New elections were held in December under an interim civilian
government headed by Pote Sarasin, the secretary general of
SEATO. No single party won a parliamentary majority, but Sarit
organized a government party, the National Socialist Party, to
contain the loose coalition of parties and individuals backing
his regime. Because of poor health Sarit did not attempt to form
a government but turned over responsibility to his deputy in the
armed forces, Thanom Kittikachorn. Intraparty wrangling over
political and economic spoils plagued Thanom's government. The
situation was further aggravated by the inclusion in the
government party of left-wing politicians who opposed its proWestern foreign policy.
Data as of September 1987
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