Thai History

Thailand has a rich modern history going back more than 1,000 years. However, Thailand (previously known as Siam) has been populated ever since the dawn of civilization in Asia.

There are conflicting opinions on the origins of the Thais who live in Thailand. It presumed that about 4,500 years ago the Thais originated in northwestern Szechuan in China and later migrated down to Thailand along the southern part of China. They split into two main groups: One settled down in the North and became the kingdom of "Lan Na" and the others moved further south, They were defeated by the Khmers and then became the kingdom of "Sukhothai".

However, Thai history is being re-evaluated because of the archaeological excavations in the village of Ban Chiang in the Nong Han District of Udon Thani province in the Northeast. From the evidence of bronze metallurgy it now appears that the Thais might have originated here in Thailand and later scattered to various parts of Asia, including China.

The controversy over the origin of the Thais continues, as many more theories have been put forward and some even go further to say that Thais were originally of Austronesian rather than Mongoloid origin. No matter what the outcome of the dispute may be, by the 13th century the Thais had already settled down within southeast Asia.

Khmer Influence

From the 9th to the 11th century, the central and western area of Thailand was occupied by the Dvaravati, often called Mon, civilization. The Mon share the same common lineage as the Khmers and settled in southern Burma later. Dvaravati influence can be seen at Nakhon Pathom, Khu Bua, Phong Tuk, and Lawo (Lopburi). It was an Indianized culture which followed Theravada Buddhism. As a result of their influence, Buddhism has remained the major religion in this area.

By the 11th-12th centuries the Mon ruled over central Thailand bringing Khmer cultural influences, including language, art and religion. The "Sanskrit" language was included in the Mon-Thai vocabulary during the Khmer or Lopburi Period. The influence of this period has affected many provinces in the north-east, including Kanchanaburi and Lopburi. "Angkor" Wat is the most famous example of Khmer style architecture. But the Khmer built stone Khmer style temples throughout the northeast, some of which have been restored to their former glory, including Phimai and Phanom Rung. Visitors can find some fine examples of Khmer stone sculptures and stone Buddha images in many of these sites. Politically, however, the Khmer cultural dominance did not control the whole area but they retained power through vassals and governors.

The Lanna Kingdom

The "Lan Na" kingdom encompassed the Mae Kong River and extended as far as "Chiang Saen" . Its first leader, "King Mengrai", ascended to the throne in 1259. He extended the kingdom from the borders of Laos to Lamphun and successfully captured the ancient Mon stronghold of Harupinjaya. King Mengrai also founded a new capital in Chiang Mai on the River Ping.

Lan Na flourished for over 200 years. Its arts and literature rose to a peak around the middle of the 15th century during the King Tilokoraj period. Chiang Mai in this period was also chosen as the navel of the world during the eighth world synod of Theravada Buddhism.

After the death of King Tilokoraj, the kingdom suffered from internal conflicts. Lan Na was weakened and eventually withered away because of wars with Sukhothai.

The Sukhothai Period

Sukhothai was the first Thai kingdom. It was founded in 1238 by two Thai governors, Khun Bang Klang Thao (Si Inthrathit) and Khun Pha Muang who rebelled against the Khmers, bringing independence to the region. Sukhothai gained independence in 1238 and quickly expanded its boundary of influence. The Sukhothai period is often called the golden age of Thai culture. A famous saying goes, "There are fish in the water and rice in the fields"; meaning that everyone shared in the prosperity of the Kingdom. The boundary of Sukhothai stretched from Lampang in the north to Vientiane in present day Laos and the south to the Malay Peninsula.

During this time Thailand forged strong friendships with neighboring countries. It absorbed elements of various civilizations they came into contact with. Thais maintained and advanced their culture with China. Thai artistry flourished, particularly in pottery making, and extensive trade was established with Cambodia and India.

After the death of Khun Pha Muang in 1279, King Ramkhamhaeng, the third son of Si Inthrahit, ascended to the throne. Under Ramkhamhaeng, Sukhothai enjoyed a strong friendship with neighboring China. Ramkhamhaeng organized a writing system which became the basis for the modern Thai alphabet.

The Ayuthaya Period

Ayuthaya was found by King U-Thong in 1350. Ayuthaya is an island formed by three rivers; the Chao Phraya, the Pasak, and the Loburi. The Thai kings of Ayuthaya became very powerful in the 14th and 15th centuries, taking over U-Thong, Lopburi, and Ayuthaya provinces. It is easy to see why the Ayuthaya area was settled before this date, as the site offered a variety of geographical and economic advantages.

King U-Thong and his immediate successors expanded Ayuthaya's territory, especially northward towards Sukhothai and eastward towards the Khmer capital of Angkor. The society during the Ayuthaya period was strictly hierarchical. There were, roughly, three classes of people with the king at the top of scale. At the bottom of the social scale were the commoners and slaves.

In the early 16th century Europeans visited Ayuthaya, and a Portuguese embassy was established in 1511. Portugal's powerful neighbor, Spain, was the next European nation to arrive in Ayuthaya toward the end of the 16th century. The early 17th century saw the arrival of the Dutch and the British, followed by France in 1662.

In the mid-16th century, Ayuthaya and the independent kingdom in Chiang Mai was put under the control of the Burmese, but the Thais regained both capitals by the end of the century.

The Burmese invaded Ayuthaya again in 1765. This time, the Burmese soldiers destroyed everything, including temples, manuscripts, and religious sculpture. They held onto Ayuthaya for two years but they were unable to administer it effectively and Phaya Taksin, a Thai general, promoted himself to king in 1769. He moved the capital to Thonburi on the western bank of the Chao Phraya River, opposite Bangkok. The Thais regained control of their country and scattered among provinces in the north and central part of Thailand. Taksin eventually declared himself the next Buddha, and he was then dismissed and executed by his ministers who did not approve of his religious values.

The Rattanakosin Period

The Chakri dynasty was inaugurated on April 6, 1782 with the coronation of Rama I or King Buddha Yot Fa Chulalok. He moved the capital across the Chao Phaya River from Thonburi to a small village known as "Bangkok" and promulgated new laws to rule the country. Under his reign, Thailand encompassed present day Laos and parts of Burma, Cambodia and Kedah province in Malaysia.

In 1809, Rama II or King Buddha Loet Lad, son of Rama I took the throne until 1824. He devoted himself to preserving Thai literature which remained from the Ayuthaya period, and he produced a new version of the Ramakien or Thai Ramayana, based on the Indian literature classic.

In 1824-1851, Rama III or King Nang Klao was successful in re-establishing relations and trading with China, which was necessary to meet the increasing domestic agricultural production.

Rama V or King Chulalongkorn, Rama IV's son, ascended the throne from 1868 to 1910. He started to reform the traditional, legal and administrative systems by allowing, among other things, officials to sit on chairs during royal audiences. Under Rama V, Thailand developed diplomatic relations with European nations and the USA. He introduced schools, roads, railways, and Thailand's first post office. He even established a civil service system. In 1892, Rama V overhauled the administration of Siam with cabinet government of 12 ministers.

In 1886, Siam lost Laos and British Burma to the French. After that King Chulalongkorn declared Thailand as an independent kingdom on the 23rd of October, making this day as a national holiday. Every year this national holiday is celebrated in commemoration of this event and people lay wreaths in memory of king they called "Phra Piya Maharaj".

Rama VI or King Vajiravudh, took the throne from 1910 to 1925. During his short reign, he introduced westernization to Thailand, including primary school education. Thai women were encouraged to grow their hair to a certain length (they previously wore it very short). Surnames were introduced, and football was introduced.

1925-1935 was the period of Rama VII or King Prachadhipok, Rama VI's brother. He changed Siam's form of government from absolute monarchy to democracy following constitutional monarchy along British lines, with mixed military and civilian groups in power. At that time, Phibul Songkhram was a key military leader in the 1932 coup. He maintained his position and power from 1938 until the end of World War II.

Rama VIII or King Ananda Mahidol, a nephew of Rama VII, took the throne in 1935 but was assassinated under mysterious circumstances in 1946. His brother King Bhumipol Aduldej succeeded as Rama IX.

Under Rama IX's government, the country's name was officially changed from "Siam" to "Thailand" in 1946 which was defined in Thai as "Prathet Thai", the word "Prathet" means "country" and the word "Thai" means "free".

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