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Pridi Banomyong (11 May 1900 - 2 May 1983) | Thai | Home
The Revolutionist, Statesman, Regent, Prime Minister...One of the century's great leaders
Pridi Banomyong was born on May 11, 1900 in Ayudhya, the former capital of Thailand. He was the eldest son of a relatively well to do farming family. Pridi became interested in revolutionaries when he was very young. At the age of 14, he completed his secondary education. Too young to enroll in any institution for higher education.
Pridi stayed with his family for an extra two years, helping them in rice farming before darting off to law school in 1917. Pridi was a bright student, he finished law school when he was 19, a year short of the minimum age requirement to enter the bar Naeti-Banditya Sapha).
He became a barrister at law and was simultaneously awarded a scholarship to do Master's and PhD studies in France.
In 1924, he obtained his "Bachelier en Droit", "Licencié en Droit" and in 1926 a "Doctorat d'Etat" and "Diplôme d'Etudes Supérieures d'Economie Politique" from Université de Paris. Pridi was the first Thai to earn this appellation.
It was during his time in Paris, that he and a few like-minded Thais set up the "People's Party" (Khana-Rassadorn). They vowed to transform the Thai system of governance from absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy. The group elected Pridi as their provisional leader.
Later in 1927, Pridi returned to Thailand and joined the bureaucracy and rose quickly through the ranks. He was granted a non-hereditary title of "Luang Pradit-Manudharm".
At dawn on 24 June 1932, the People's Party, consisting of government officials, military officers, and ordinary civilians rapidly and bloodlessly took control of the government, changing it from absolute to democratic, constitutional monarchy and installing the 1932 provisional constitution as the supreme law of the land.
Between 1933 and 1947, Pridi held various important positions including.. Minister of Interior, Minister of Foreign affairs, Minister of Finance, Regent and Prime Minister. King Rama VIII officially appointed him a "Senior Statesman" for life. Throughout these years as government official and leader, Pridi assidously worked to realize the Six Principles..
- To maintain absolute national independence in all aspects, including political, judicial, and economics...
- To maintain national cohesion and security...
- To promote economic well being by creating full employment and by launching a national economic plan...
- To guarantee equality to all...
- To grant complete liberty and freedom to the people, provided that this does not contradict the aforementioned priciples and...
- To provide education to the people.
While in power, Pridi succeeded in making a number of changes which radically changed certain aspects of Thai society. Among his notable accomplishments, some of them having long term impacts ,for example:
- The drafting of the nation's first economic plan.
- The founding of the University of Moral and Politicals Science [Thammasat University].
- The Municipality Act which allowed the people to elect their own local governments.
- The revocation of unequal treaties that Thailand had been forced to sign with foreign powers.
- The reformation of the unfair tax system.
- The compilation of the country's first revenue code.
- The founding of what ultimately became the Bank of Thailand. Stabilising the country's financial resources. Prior to WWII, Pridi foresaw an imminent devaluation of the Pound Sterling, and bought 1,000,000 ounces of gold which continue to be used as the country's foreign reserve.
- Promoting the concept of peace and political neautrality by proposing the 1939 bill on neautrality. On the eve of WWII, Pridi made a film entitled The King of the White Elephant, which urged peace and sought to argue how wars are exploited by rulers to obtain power at the expense of civilians.
During the WWII , once the Japanese had invaded and occupied Thailand, even as Regent, Pridi clandestinely led the "Free Thai Movement" (Seri Thai) to resist such action. In recognition of the brave coorperation and assistance rendered by this movement, the United States government subsequently recognized Thailand as an independent country that had been under Japanese military occupation as opposed to a belligerent state subject to Allied post war control. On 16 August 1945, at the advice of Lord Louis Mountbatten (the Allied SEA commander)
As Regent and Leader of Free Thai Movement, Pridi declared null and void Pibulsonggram government's declaration of war on the Allied as it was against the will of Thai people. Through the good work of the Free Thai Movement, Thailand had thus worked its passage to peace and pre-war status.
Fifty years later, in 1995, the Thai cabinet gave belated recognition and declared 16 August "Thai Peace Day".
- "Peace hath her victories no less renowned than war "
- "Every human being is indebted to one another. A man may turn poor through others deeds. A manual weaver may lose his job because of machinery. Wealth, on the other hand, may be reaped without the sweat of one's own labour...therefore, it is right to say that each of us is committed to one another, and collective social assurance is crucial."
Prof.Dr. Pridi Banomyong, Senior Statesman