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The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand
Volume XII, 2020

natural disasters with consequences for agriculture, and changes in the new
cabinet which involved the dismissal of two ministers. One of them was Phraya
Apibal Ratchamaitri, the Foreign Minister, who had always been loyal to the King.

According to the report of the Italian envoy Goffredo Bovo on the new foreign
policy of the Siamese government, Siam did not want to accept disadvantageous
treaties with foreign countries and was to withdraw from all treaties that were not
economically or politically beneficial for the nation. Furthermore, there was the
plan to pull out of all legal agreements with France and England until all the laws
were revised. Moreover, there was talk again about an imminent coup that
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was said to be prepared by members of the royal family in exile. The consequence
of these events was the creation of the new cabinet.

Even more crucial were the differences in opinion between the King and
the government. Apart from many other issues, the King focused on what he
thought were undemocratic elements in the constitution: (i) These were related to
the exclusive right of the revolutionary group Khana Ratsadon, which wanted to
stay in power for at least ten years, whereas other political parties were forbidden.
(ii) Another point was the appointment of senators without taking their skills into
account. This meant only people from their own circle were considered. (iii) There
were also special laws to reduce freedom of speech and the freedom of the press,
especially via courts that were operating in secret, or run by military or civilian
people appointed by the revolutionary group. (iv) The last decisive aspect was
the abolition of the King's veto in cases involving political prisoners. This last
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issue was even mentioned in Hungarian newspapers as a major reason for

King Prajatibok's abdication from the throne.
57

55 Archive of the Foreign Ministry, Rome, Italy, letter of the Italian envoy in Bangkok, No. 660/176/
Pos. A.I/VII. Bangkok, 17 September 1934. And letter from 26 September 1934, No. 679/181/
Pos. A. I./VIII, 12 year of fascism, Topic: Crisis of the Siamese Cabinet
th
56 Parliamentary office of the Secretary General, 1993, 5-14. King Prajatibok Prapokklao
Chaoyuhua abdicates. Bangkok: Amrin Printing & Publishing. Quoted in: Pruedtisan Jumbala,
M.R., Website project of the King Prajadhipok's Institute on the topic of Prapokklao and Democracy,
(kw58), footnote. 53. See also copy of the royal letter to the government, 20 December 1934,
in: Preeda Vatcharangkul, 1977. Prapokklao and Democracy, (footnote 5), 330-334
57 Documents compiled from Hungarian newspapers by the Royal Thai Embassy in Budapest,
Hungary. News translated by the wife of the Hungarian Ambassador in Thailand (2015-2018),
H.E. Dr. Peter Jakab.

48 A Modern Siam with Constitutional Monarchy - King Prajatibok, The Siamese
“Honourary Diplomat” in Europe 1934

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