However, the new king spent lavishly on several palaces and lived a life of excess in a period when most of the kingdom's populace were rural farmers and serfs.

Infatuated with Western culture and the ideals of an Edwardian English gentleman, he spent his time translating Shakespeare's works into Thai, staging dramatic productions, hunting, and overseeing his Wild Tiger Corps.

On 1 May 1911, Vajiravudh established the Wild Tiger Corps (Thai: กองเสือป่า, RTGS: Kong Suea Pa).

[2]: 148  The Wild Tigers, whose membership mostly consisted of commoners, eventually rivaled the army in strength and the civil service in influence.

On 13 January 1912, dissatisfied with his absolutist reign, especially his favourism towards the Wild Tigers, a group of seven army officers decided to overthrow King Vajiravudh.

Filled with guilt, Yut instead confessed all the plans and names of the conspirators to the commander of the king's guard on 27 February, who, in turn, told Vajiravudh's brother, Prince Chakrabongse Bhuvanath of Phitsanulok.

In 1914, Vajiravudh determined that the act providing for invoking martial law, first promulgated by his father in 1907, was not consistent with modern laws of war or convenient for the preservation of the external or internal security of the state, so he changed it to the modern form that, with minor amendments, continues to be in force.

Siam's absolute monarchy was eventually overthrown by the Revolution of 1932, the leaders of which openly confessed their inspiration to be the actions of the 1912 plotters.