Pridi Banomyong
One of the leaders of the 1932 constitutional revolution, who led the "Free Thai Movement" during World War II.
Life
French-educated doctor
Pridi came from a family of Chinese descent. He studied in France, where he earned a doctorate in law, and formed the "People's Party" with fellow students in France.
Constitutional revolution
In 1932 the People's Party staged a bloodless coup, forcing the king to accept a constitution, and Siam changed from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy. Pridi drafted the constitution and an economic program and founded the University of Moral and Political Sciences. During World War II Thailand allied with Japan; he secretly organized the "Free Thai Movement" to cooperate with the Allies, and as a result Thailand avoided being treated as a defeated nation after the war.
Free Thai Movement
In 1946 he became Prime Minister. That same year King Ananda Mahidol died mysteriously and Pridi was implicated; he went into exile after a coup the following year and died in Paris in 1983.
Legacy
Pridi was a forerunner of Thailand's constitutional democracy, and in 2000 UNESCO listed him among the world's great figures for commemoration.
Did you know? During his exile he lived in China for more than twenty years, moving to France only in 1970.
Key dates
- 1927Formed the People's Party in Paris
- 1932Constitutional revolution
- 1934Founded the University of Moral and Political Sciences
- 1942Organized the Free Thai Movement
- 1946Became Prime Minister
- 1947Went into exile after a coup
- 1983Died in Paris