Thammasat University

Why go

Thammasat matters less as a conventional campus tour than as a site of modern political history. Founded in 1934 as the University of Moral and Political Sciences, it expanded access to higher education after the 1932 revolution. The campus later became central to the uprisings of 1973 and the massacre of 1976.

What to look for

• Visit Thammasat University’s original Tha Prachan campus beside the Chao Phraya.
• Learn how the university centered law, politics and expanded public education.
• Trace Thammasat University’s connection to the political confrontations of 1973 and 1976.

The full story

Pridi Banomyong founded the University of Moral and Political Sciences in 1934, two years after the revolution that ended absolute monarchy. It began as an open university focused on law and politics, enrolling thousands of students in its first year. The institution’s guiding ambition was to widen education beyond the circles that had traditionally controlled it. Its name was shortened to Thammasat University in 1952, and it later grew into a multi-campus university covering many disciplines. The Tha Prachan campus remains the original symbolic center. Its location beside the Chao Phraya and near the Grand Palace, Sanam Luang and national institutions places academic life inside Bangkok’s political core. That setting became decisive during the popular uprising of 14 October 1973 and the massacre of 6 October 1976. The campus is therefore inseparable from Thailand’s debates over democracy, state power and public education.

Useful to know

• Treat the university as an active campus and verify which grounds or buildings are open to visitors.
• Approach from Tha Phra Chan to connect the campus with the riverfront and amulet market.
• Pair the stop with the adjacent National Museum for a broader view of Thai state and political history.

Your next visit

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