The Devil's Discus
| Company type | Book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 1964 |
| Founder | Rayne Kruger |
| Products | Investigative book |
The Devil's Discus is a detailed investigative book authored by English-South African writer Rayne Kruger, focusing on the circumstances surrounding the death of King Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII) of Siam, currently known as Thailand.
Book summary
The narrative is divided into four distinct parts. The section titled "Before" sets the stage by presenting King Ananda's demise, the context of Siam, and his personal history.
In "The Life and Death of Ananda," the author traces significant moments from the king’s birth in Heidelberg in 1925 to his enigmatic death caused by a single gunshot at Bangkok’s Royal Palace on June 9, 1946, emphasizing the roles of important individuals connected to these events.
"The Trial" outlines the prolonged six-year legal proceedings against three palace officials accused of regicide, including two rounds of appeals, culminating in their execution in 1955.
Finally, "Who Killed Ananda?" offers Kruger’s evaluation of the available evidence, leading him to conclude that suicide stands as the most credible cause. This conclusion is reinforced by revelations about a clandestine romantic relationship between the king and Marylene Ferrari, a Swiss law student, which was incompatible with the expectations of Siam’s royalist circles.
Publication history
Originally released in 1964 by Cassell, The Devil's Discus was promptly banned by Thai authorities, and its author was prohibited from entering Thailand.
A Thai-language version titled Kongchak Pisat (กงจักรปีศาจ), translated by Chalit Chaisithiwet amid a 1970 defamation case involving Pridi Banomyong, appeared covertly in 1974 and saw a reprint in 1977. Due to government censorship, this edition circulated underground; notably, a local print shop associated with its production was destroyed by fire. Official prohibition of this edition occurred in May 2006. In 2016, Thailand’s Supreme Court determined that distributing the book violated lèse-majesté statutes under section 112 of the Penal Code, resulting in a two-year prison sentence for one vendor.
The English version was republished in November 2009 by DMP Publications in Hong Kong through Freedom Against Censorship Thailand (FACT).
Critical discussion
Journalist Andrew MacGregor Marshall explored the origins of The Devil's Discus in 2011, revealing that Kruger undertook the project at the suggestion of Prince Subhasvasti, sibling to Queen Rambhai. Subhasvasti, who held Pridi in high regard due to their collaboration during wartime, suspected Pridi’s involvement in King Ananda’s death. The book was intended to restore Pridi’s standing to enable his return from exile and reentry into Thai political life.
Marshall contends that Kruger’s 1964 publication aimed to dismantle accusations against Pridi by proposing an alternative explanation for Ananda’s death. Given that implicating Bhumibol was unacceptable to royalist factions, Kruger advocated for suicide as the only plausible alternative cause, seeking to reduce friction between Rama IX and Pridi rather than intensify discord.