The Journal of the Siam Society Vol. LXIV, Part 1-2, 1976 - Khamkoo

KING PRAJADHJPOK AND THE APPLE CART
25
The candidates had all so far declared themselves in
favour of Constitutional Monarchy and he hoped that this
fact too might have a moderating influence upon the more
extremist members of the Government.
The Government had promised him that, after the
elections, they would allow the Royalists to form a political
party and he hoped to be able to make them keep this promise.
He regarded this as very important, since, if people were not
allowed some outlet for the expression of their political views,
they were liable to resort to violence .... so
The King was obviously still hopeful : he used the rebellion as an
argument with the People's Party for giving conservatives a political
role. Phya Devahastin was elected for Bangkok.SI
The King saw Baxter and Sir R. Holland, the Judicial Adviser, in
December. He referred to
the recent upheaval. . . . There were two movements in
progress at the same moment: one within Bangkok, the other
outside. The first, which represented genuine discontent
with the methods of Phya Phahol's party, would have won if
it had not been forestalled and hampered by the effort of
Prince Bowaradej. No movement which had for its apparent
object the restoration of the old regime could possibly
succeed. It was foredoomed to failure, and for that reason
I was strongly opposed to Prince Bowaradej or any other
member of the princely order heading such a movement. If
Prince Bowaradej had abstained, the forces of the moderate
party would certainly have gained the upper hand in Bangkok,
and recent history would have been different.
The King's own part was 'one of great difficulty. I was bitterly
reproached for not having come to Bangkok and placed myself at the
head of the so-called Royalist party. What good would that have done?
I should have been a pawn in the hands of any party that could control
my movements. I should have descended into the arena of politics.
I might have imperilled the existence of the monarchy.' The government,
on the other hand, suspected liis decision to go to Songkla, a decision
taken at a moment's notice, but proved right by events: ·
80) Newbould to Dormer, 26 November 1933, P.O. 371/18206 (F283/2l/40). •
81) Dormer to Simon, 14 December 1933, F.O. 371/18206 (F556/2l/40).