The Thammasat University Massacre

History Daily

This episode recounts the tragic Thammasat University Massacre of October 6, 1976, in Bangkok, where Thai police and right-wing mobs violently suppressed pro-democracy student protests following the return of former dictator Thanom Kittikachorn. The narrative

Key takeaways

• Former Prime Minister Thanom Kittikachorn returned to Thailand on September 19, 1976, disguised as a Buddhist monk, sparking renewed campus protests despite his claims of staying out of politics.
• Student leader Thirayut Bhunni transformed the National Student Center of Thailand (NSCT) into a powerful political force, coordinating nationwide rallies that successfully forced the government to repeal Decree No. 299 in December 1972.

Main topics

• Thammasat University Massacre
• Thai student activism and the NSCT

Notable quotes

"Thailand's three-year experiment with democracy is swiftly over."

Conclusion

The episode underscores how state-sanctioned violence and political repression have

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:10) It's just after dawn on October 6, 1976, in Bangkok, Thailand. In the courtyard of Thomas Sott University, Tongchai Winachukle stands at a lectern in front of thousands of students. He squints at the crowd as the rising sun bounces light off the river that runs along the campus. Thong Chai is a 19-year-old activist and one of the leaders of a pro-democracy student group that has organized the protest that's taken over the campus this morning. The target of their anger is former Prime Minister Thanam Kitikachorn. He ruled Thailand as a military dictator for a decade until he was forced into exile three years ago. But now he's back in the country, and although he stated he has no intention of re-entering politics, students have gathered at the university to protest his return. They've been occupying this courtyard all night, chanting, singing, and listening to speeches. But for a while now, uniformed men have begun gathering outside the university gates at the edge of the square. And as Tang Chai begins to speak, he senses a change in the atmosphere. There's a sudden ripple of tension running through the crowd. Then he hears gunshots. The crowd surges away, but there's nowhere for them to run. A bus then smashes through the gates. The uniformed men storm in, firing indiscriminately. Tang Chai watches in horror. Grabbing the microphone, he takes cover behind the lectern and pleads with the men to stop firing, but no one's listening. And the massacre has only just begun. Speaker 1 (1:46) Throughout the rest of the morning, Thai police and a mob of supporters of the old military regime attack, sexually assault, and lynch the university protesters. The official death toll will be listed at 46, but according to many witnesses, the true number of victims is more than double that, and worse is to come. Soon, military leaders in Thailand use the events at the university as part of their justification for a coup. Parliament is dissolved. The Constitution is suspended, and the country's brief experiment with democracy appears to be over following the horrifying massacre at Thomas Sott University on October 6, 1976. Speaker 1 (2:27) Hello, History Daily listeners. The live show I've been telling you about for a few weeks has a new date, October 23rd at the Plaza Theater in Garland, Texas. This is my Days That Made America tour, a thrilling evening of history, storytelling, and music with me and a band live on stage. So if you're in the North Texas area or anywhere close, be sure to come out and see me live. More shows will be announced soon, too, so for information on tickets and upcoming dates, go to HistoryDailyLive.com. That's HistoryDailyLive.com. Come see my Days That Made America tour live on stage. Go to HistoryDailyLive.com. Speaker 1 (3:09) From Noiser and Airship, I'm Lindsey Graham, and this is History Daily. Speaker 1 (3:30) History is made every day. On this podcast, every day, we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is October 6th, 1976, the Tomasot University Massacre. Speaker 1 (3:47) It's December 15, 1972, in Bangkok, Thailand, four years before the massacre. 22-year-old engineering student Thirayut Bhunni strides down one of the city's main boulevards at the head of a crowd of around 2,000 student protesters. Traffic comes to a halt as the marchers pass, beating drums, chanting, and holding flags and banners. These young people are marching across the city to urge the government to reverse its latest attack on freedom and democracy. Since the end of Thailand's absolute monarchy in 1932, the country has experienced repeated coups and long stretches of military rule. Four years ago, a new and more democratic constitution was introduced that gave the people more of a say in who governed them. The new Senate was still appointed and dominated by the military, but even