E-Book Content
the king never smiles
The King Never Smiles a biography of thailand’s bhumibol adulyadej
Paul M. Handley
Yale University Press
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New Haven and London
Copyright ∫ 2006 by Yale University. All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, including illustrations, in any form (beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press), without written permission from the publishers. Printed in the United States of America. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Handley, Paul M., 1955– The king never smiles : a biography of Thailand’s Bhumibol Adulyadej / Paul M. Handley. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn-13: 978-0-300-10682-4 (cloth : alk. paper) isbn-10: 0-300-10682-3 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand, 1927– 2. Thailand—Kings and rulers—Biography. I. Title. ds586.h36 2006 959.304%4092—dc22 2005033009 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pour mon petit Robin des bois
Contents
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Preface ix Introduction 1 1 A Dhammaraja from America 12 2 From Pure Blood to Dynastic Failure 26 3 1932: Revolution and Exile 44 4 Restoration to Regicide 64 5 Revenge of the Monarchists, 1946–49 80 6 Romance in Lausanne: Bhumibol Prepares to Reign 100 7 The Cold War, 1952–57 114 8 Field Marshal Sarit: The Palace Finds Its Strongman 139 9 Bhumibol in the 1960s: A Dhammaraja’s Brilliance Unfolds 156 10 Going to War 180 11 Reborn Democrat? 194 12 Royal Vigilantism and Massacre, 1974–76 214 13 What Went Wrong: Cosmic Panic, Business Failure, Midcareer Crisis 238 14 Who’s the Enemy? 257
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15 In the King’s Image: The Perfect General Prem 276 16 Family Headaches 299 17 Another Coup for the Throne 328 18 May 1992: October 1976 Redux 346 19 Sanctifying Royalty and Stonewalling Democracy in the 1990s 363 20 Another Family Annus Horribilis 394 21 The Economic Crash and Bhumibol’s New Theory 407 22 Going into Seclusion: Can the Monarchy Survive Bhumibol? 427 Notes 451 Index 477
Preface
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any journalist or academic who takes an interest in Thailand soon learns that one topic is o√-limits: the modern monarchy. One is told variably that there is nothing more to say than the o≈cial palace accounts; that such matters are internal; that the subject is too sensitive and complex for palace outsiders to handle; or simply that it is dangerous, and one risks expulsion or jail for lèsemajesté. Most people give in to these explanations with little argument. It is easy to do: nearly every Thai one meets expresses unquestioning praise for the king, or at least equivocates to the point of suggesting that there is really not much to be said: the history that is in the open is the whole of it. Palace insiders sometimes concede that there is indeed more to the story, but then demur to say that only real insiders, only Thais within the inner royal circle, can comprehend the mysteries of the king’s reign. The subject, then, hardly seems worth the trouble to dig into, and so as even the most curious succumb to Thailand’s charm and King Bhumibol’s carefully crafted image, the palace remains an enigma. The result, however, is a crucial gap in modern Thai history and political analysis. In many accounts of Thai politics after the overthrow of the absolute monarchy in 1932, the palace is almost nonexistent, an innocent bystander to the struggle for power. When it does appear, the throne is ix
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either a victim of a disrespectful politician or general, or