New Administration
By the evening of the 24th the Promoters were confident enough to call a senior ministerial meeting. In the meeting Pridi tried to persuade senior civil servants to support the Khana Ratsadon, asking them for support and telling them to remain united, unless the semblance of confusion would lead to foreign intervention. Pridi asked the Foreign Ministry to dispatch to all foreign missions a document stating that the party was committed to protecting foreign lives and business and to fulfilling Siam's treaty obligations.
King Prajadhipok returned to Bangkok on the 26 June. His first immediate action was to give a royal audience to the Promoters. As the members entered the room the King rose and greeted them by saying: "I rise in honour of the Khana Ratsadon". It was an extremely significant gesture, as in Siamese culture the King always remains seated when their subjects offer homage, not the reverse. This led to Pridi apologizing to the Monarch for defaming him in the Manifesto; subsequently, all known copies were pulled from circulation. The King responded to this act by affixing his Royal seal on a document exonerating all members of the Khana Ratsadon for the coup.
The Khana Ratsadon then released all their hostages with the exception of Prince Paribatra, whom they considered too powerful and asked to leave the country instead. He later left for Java, never to return; other Princes went into voluntary exile in other South East Asian countries, and some others in Europe.
In the immediate aftermath of the Revolution, Prajadhipok and the Khana Ratsadon immediately set about granting the Siamese people their First Constitution. The Temporary Charter was signed on 27 June 1932 at 5:00 p.m., it was a draft document written by Pridi in advance. The constitution began by announcing that: "the highest power in the land belongs to all people." The Constitution basically stripped the King of all of his ancient powers such as his power of veto, power of pardon and the right to even confirm his own successor and heir. The constitution removed the Monarchy of all of its power, without actually abolishing the office itself. The constitution created a People's Committee (คณะกรรมการราษฎร, the executive) and an Assembly of People's Representatives (รัฐสภาผู้แทนราษฎร) made up of 70 appointed Members.
‘Democracy’ for Siam was, however to be given to the people in installments, three to be precise. First, the Assembly members were to be appointed by no other than the Four Musketeers (the military). They would exercise the power on behalf of the people, and their first session was to last six months. Second, a period when the mostly ignorant populace would learn about democracy and elections; the Assembly would then be changed to be composed of half appointed members (again by the Musketeers) and the other half through indirect representation. These candidates must, of course, have been examined by the Khana Ratsadon before any election. Thirdly, and finally, the charter stated that full democratic representation in the Assembly could only be achieved at the end of ten years or when more than half of the populace has gone through primary education, whichever was achieved first.
The first session of the People's Assembly convened in the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall on 28 June 1932. The charter however did not last long by the end of the year a new more moderate Permanent Constitution would be signed, on the 10 December. This constitution eventually gave back to monarch many powers it had lost in the previous charter, the monarchy was once again held "sacred and inviolable". The Assembly of People's Representatives was expanded to include 156 members, 76 were elected and 76 were appointed. The democratic restrictions were removed and the government scheduled Siam's first election in October 1933.
Read more about this topic: Siamese Revolution Of 1932