From subjects of a king to citizens of a nation : the attempt of field Marshal P. Phibulsongkhram to change the mind and behavior of the people during his first term (1938-1944)

Abstract

Field Marshal P. Phibulsongkhrams attempt to change the mind and behavior of the Thai people during his first term is examined in this thesis in the context of modernity, which tended to displace primordial notions with rational ones. As absolutist states changed into nation-states, people underwent a metamorphosis from being subjects of a king to being citizens of a nation. This thesis shows that Phibuls underlying effort to shift the focus of the peoples allegiance from being associated with the monarchy to being associated with the nation-state was partly commensurate with changing the people from being subjects of a king to being citizens of a nation. Phibul used the weakness of the monarchy and the regional crisis of hegemony to displace the monarchy and its institutions. In their place, he elevated the military to guardian of the nation, invented the Phunam or leadership persona as new leadership figure, created Watthanatham, or purposeful culture, as new edifice of national identity and progress defined from within society, positioned the nation as valuable new prize to defend with irredentism, and established democracy and the constitution as new sacred foundation of political legitimacy. This was commensurate with undoing the monarchy as focus of the peoples allegiance and replacing it with the nation. However, Phibul did not attempt to change the relationship of the individual with the state. He upheld the primordial notion of the individuals subordination to the nation and did not implement political or civic rights. Instead he tried to impose strong social regimentation to achieve unity and uniformity. However, he did attempt to impel the individual to take a more active role in and seek a closer identification with society, and he addressed widespread inequalities, like the traditional subordination of women and the lot of the illiterate, weak and needy, to make society more uniform and purposeful, which was an effort that met the criteria of a more modern society. While Phibuls attempt was typical of a man and a society at the threshold of modernity torn between primordial and modern notions, his attempt to displace the monarchy with a more rational foundation of political legitimacy was his central objective, which he pursued consistently, coherently, broadly and over the long-term.