14 October 1973
Must know:
Corruption:
The government was heavily embroiled in multiple corruption cases.
Authoritarianism:
Suspension of the 1968 increased social unrest as more people belongs to educated class (derived from economic development)
Economic Recession
The oil crisis and rising inflation made people dissatisfied with the status quo.
Trace back to the coup d'état on November 17, 1971, which brought back a military dictatorship again. This event marked a turning point, as students and the public began to see it as a continuation of power. At that time, Thanom Kittikachorn was legally forced, but he refused to step down.
In addition, there were the ten U.S. military bases and rights in trade and judicial matters over Thailand. This made Thai people unsatisfied, especially people who are nationalist, leading to a protest.
On April 29, 1973, a military helicopter fell down, revealing the bodies of six people and several animal carcasses, mostly gaurs from Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary, making citizens more angry towards the government.
Under Thanom’s dictatorial rule, multiple problems remained unsolved, and citizens’ civil rights were neglected, leading to the student activists and riots in Thailand.
Many people from many social classes signed their names to demand a new constitution. Eventually, thirteen people were accused of being communists. This situation made Thammasat students very unsatisfied, leading to a large assembly at Thammasat University, announcing to the government that they had to release those people who got caught before noon on October 13, 1973, yet the government did not release them.
Not listening to the citizens’ voice, around a hundred thousand people gathered and marched from Thammasat University to the equestrian statue of King Chulalongkorn to protest.
On the next day, October 14, 1973, a strike between people and government officials led to a terrifying riot. During the protest, there were Molotov cocktails and tear gas, resulting in 77 deaths and approximately 800 injuries.
Ultimately, Thanom Kittikachorn resigned that evening and fled the country. Sanya Thammasak was installed after.
References:
https://pridi.or.th/th/content/2021/10/863
กิตติ, โล่ห์เพชรัตน์. ประวัติศาสตร์ ปฏิวัติ และรัฐประหาร ใน ประเทศไทย. —กรุงเทพ: แอร์โรว์, 2566.