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POLITICS
November 15, 1933: Thailand's first election
Thailand had its first general election 74 years ago this week. The Kingdom's first general election took place on November 15, 1933, at a time when the country was known as Siam. The election day was a Wednesday, and not a Sunday as in the present days.
At the time, voters did not directly elect their representatives for the House of Representatives. They elected representatives from their tambon (sub-district) and those people voted to elect one half of the 156-member House. The other half, consisting of another 78 members, were appointed by the Khana Ratsadon (People's Party), the group of people that staged a bloodless coup in on June 24, 1932, that led to the abolition of absolute monarchy.
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