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

AMEHICAN DlPLOl>IATS IN SOU'l HEAST ASIA 67
timely death of the old Prince of Chiengmai the difficulty was satisfactorily
resolved.l09 A more important political crisis arose in 1874-75,
when the "Front Palace Incident," an open break between the two kings
of Siam, upset the power structure of the Bangkok elite and brought the
threat of foreign intervention,ll o In a clairvoyant despatch dated
December 28, 1874, Partridge reported that having two kings had led to
misunderstandings, that the two kings were "fast becoming bitter
enemies," and that things would likely "culminate in disaster." "I am
looking for a Revolution here soon ... I feel certain that matters will
culminate in a week."lll In fact matters culminated that very night,
with a mysterious fire at the palace of the supreme king, troop move.
ments, and ultimately, the flight of the "second king" to asylum in the
British Consulate.ll2 With the aid of British mediation a compromise
was eventually reached which left the "second king" with his empty
honors and the supreme king (Chulalongkorn) with the power. In a
later despatch, Partridge blamed the British and French for the trouble
and then, all evidence to the contrary, claimed that he as United States
Consul, "with assistance of 5 or 6 others," had been responsible for the
set tlemen t,ll3
1 09) Bung!w!, De,'j>atches, July 21, 18 70.
110) On the Front Palace Incident, see David K. Wyatt, The Politics of Rrform in
Thailand (Yale, 1969), especially pp. 58-61. The Front Palace was the
residence of the "second king."
111) Bang!wl' Desf>atches. December 28, 1874.
112l Partridge reported that the second king "has my entire sympathy," but this
seems to refer more to the refugee king's personal situation than the larger
issues: local British interests were known to be backing the ''second king,"
and Partridge was no friend of British influence in Siam. W'j>atches, June 18, 1886).