Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, leader of the Progressive Movement, has revealed that he has purchased the house in France where the late former Prime Minister Pridi Banomyong once lived.

In a television interview, he stated his intention to preserve the house, located in Antony, a southern suburb of Paris, as a memorial to the Thai political revolution of 1932.

Thanathorn said that Pridi spent his last days in this house.

Pridi stands in front of his house in Antony, France.//Photo by Charivat SantaputraHe plans to hold a press conference in May or June to discuss the purchase and his goal of turning the house into a memorial, commemorating the major political shift in Thai history that occurred on June 24, 1932.

He said that he bought the house from its Vietnamese owner and that the purchase is now complete.

Pridi was a key figure in the 1932 political revolution that transformed Thailand from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy. Pridi is also noted for his role in the drafting of Thailand’s first constitution, thereby contributing significantly to the country’s move towards democracy.

He spent his later years in exile, including time in China and France. He passed away in Paris on May 2, 1983.