Editing History of Thailand (section)

===The 1973 democracy movement===
{{main|1973 Thai student uprising}}
[[File:Democracy monument, Bangkok, Thailand.jpg|thumb|250px|The [[Democracy Monument, Bangkok|Democracy Monument]] in Bangkok, built in 1940 to commemorate the end of the [[absolute monarchy]] in 1932, was the scene of massive demonstrations in 1973, 1976, 1992 and 2010.]]
With the dissatisfaction of pro-US policies of Military administration that allowed the US forces for using the country as a military base, the high rate of prostitution problems, the freedom of press and speech were limited and influx of the corruption that lead to inequality of social classes. Student demonstrations had started in 1968 and grew in size and numbers in the early 1970s despite the continued ban on political meetings. In June 1973, nine [[Ramkhamhaeng University]] students were expelled for publishing an article in a student newspaper that was critical of the government. Shortly after, thousands of students held a protest at the [[Democracy Monument]] demanding the re-enrolment of the nine students. The government ordered the universities to shut, but shortly afterwards allowed the students to be re-enrolled.

In October another 13 students were arrested on charges of conspiracy to overthrow the government. This time the student protesters were joined by workers, businessmen, and other ordinary citizens. The demonstrations swelled to several hundred thousand and the issue broadened from the release of the arrested students to demands for a new constitution and the replacement of the current government.

On 13 October, the government released the detainees. Leaders of the demonstrations, among them [[Seksan Prasertkul]], called off the march in accordance with the wishes of the king who was publicly against the democracy movement. In a speech to graduating students, he criticised the pro-democracy movement by telling students to concentrate on their studies and leave politics to their elders [military government].

As the crowds were breaking up the next day (14 October), many students found themselves unable to leave because the police blocked the southern route to [[Rajavithi Road]]. Cornered and overwhelmed by the hostile crowd, the police responded with teargas and gunfire.

The military was called in, and tanks rolled down [[Ratchadamnoen Avenue]] and helicopters fired down at [[Thammasat University]]. A number of students commandeered buses and fire engines in an attempt to halt the progress of the tanks by ramming into them. With chaos on the streets, King [[Bhumibol]] opened the gates of [[Chitralada Palace]] to the students who were being gunned down by the army. Despite orders from Thanom that the military action be intensified, army commander [[Kris Sivara]] had the army withdrawn from the streets.

The king condemned the government's inability to handle the demonstrations and ordered Thanom, Praphas, and Narong to leave the country, and notably condemned the students' supposed role as well. At 18:10 Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn resigned from his post as prime minister. An hour later, the king appeared on national television, asking for calm, and announcing that Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn had been replaced with Dr. [[Sanya Dharmasakti]], a respected law professor, as prime minister.

The 1973 Uprising brought about the most free era in Thai recent history, called an "age when democracy blossomed" and a "democratic experiment," which ended in the [[Thammasat University massacre]] and a coup on 6 October 1976.