HISTORY
The history of Thailand is that of an area of Southeast Asia, rather than of a single nation, and over the centuries numerous peoples have made their home in this region. The most recent were the Tai of Southern China, who migrated south in the first millennium AD, and from whom most Thais today are descended.  Prehistoric Thailand was once regarded as a cultural
backwater. In the Northeast of the country, however, archaeologists
recently uncovered the earliest evidence of agriculture and metallurgy
in Southeast Asia . Also among the finds were ceramic pots,
some dating as far back as 3000 BC, that displays a high level of artistic skill.
The earliest known powers in the region were the Dvaratti Kingdom (6 th -11 th centuries AD), the Sumatran-based Srivijaya Empire (7 th -13 th centuries), and the Khmer Empire
(9 th -13 th centuries) based at Angkor , all of which were
heavily influenced by Indian culture and religion.
The Lanna Kingdom in the North and the Sukhothai Kingdom , which imported Theravada Buddhism to Thailand , in the
Central Plains grew in power from around the 12 th century. Today, Thai schoolchildren are taught that Sukhothai marks
the beginning of their history. Of all its kigns, Ramkamhaeng
(1279-98) stands out: part heroic myth, part historical figure.
Sukhothai was conquered by the Kingdom of Ayutthaya – also Tai – in the 14 th century. At its height Ayutthaya controlled most of what is now Thailand , and the city of Ayutthaya saw the arrival of the first Europeans. The city was destroyed by the Burmese in 1767. Subsequently, a new city, Krung Thep ( Bangkok ), was built farther south, on the Chao Phraya River , and the Chakri dynasty founded. In the 19 th century Kings Mongkut and Chulalongkorn modernized Thailand . During this period, Thailand resisted colonization by France and Britain .
A revolution in 1932 ended absolute monarchy, and in 1939 Phibun Songkram, formerly a soldier in the Thai army, changed the country's name from Siam to Thailand . There have been a number of coups since then, and a cycle of economic boom and bust in the 1980s and 90s, but Thailand remains relatively stable in comparison to neighboring countries.
Prehistoric Thailand Hunter-gatherers were already established in the area of modern-day Thailand by around 40,000 BC. They lived in semi-permanent settlements and made tools from wood and stone. Ancient seed husks found in caves in Northern Thailand have led to speculation that agriculture began to develop around 9000 BC. Rice was being cultivated around 3000 BC. Subsequently, in the area of Ban Chiang, elaborate pottery and bronze work began to be produced. This Bronze Age culture is believed by some historians to be the earliest in the world.
The First States From the first few centuries BC Hindu and Buddhist missionaries from India and Sri Lanka came to Southeast Asia . Over the next millennium distinctly Indianized kingdoms emerged. The Dvaratti Kingdom (6ht-11 th centuries) flourishes in what is now the heart of Thailand ; the Srivijaya Empire of Sumatra (7 th -13 th centuries) expanded from Cambodia . The Tai, from southern China , migrated to the area from the 11 th century onward.
The Kingdom of Sukhothai Sukhothai was the first notable kingdom of the Tai people, centered around the city of Sukhothai in the Central Plains. The Khmers referred to the Tai as Siam , a name that came to be used for this and subsequent Tai kingdoms. Theravada Buddhism achieved new expression during the Sukhothai period, in innovative architecture and images of the Buddha finely cast in bronze. Sukhothai was made powerful by its most illustrious ruler, Ramkamhaeng, but by 1320 was only a local power again.
The Kingdom of Ayutthaya Ayutthaya supplanted Sukhothai as the most powerful kingdom in Siam in the mid-14 th century and by 1438 had incorporated it into its empire. By the mid-16 th century Ayutthaya controlled the entire Central Plains area and at its height held sway over much of what is now Thailand . The Ayutthaya period saw military, legal, and administrative reforms and flowering of the arts, as well as diplomatic and trade links with the West. It end came after years of conflict with Burma , when in 1767 the capital was sacked.
Lanna and Burmese Kingdoms The Northern Kingdom of Lanna was established at the same time as Sukhothai and endured for 600 years. Its first ruler, Mengrai, extended Lanna rule into Burma , and the reigns of Ku Na and Tilok saw a golden age. Wars with Burma and Ayutthaya in the 16 th and 17 th centuries, however, led to decline. Ayutthaya had driven the Burmese out of Lanna once before, but in 1615 the Burmese took back Lanna capita, Chiang Mai, for almost a century. In the late 18 th century, newly allied Siamese and Lanna forces drove the Burmese out. Lanna remained autonomous into the 19 th century.
The Early Chakri Dynasty After the sack of Ayutthaya , Taksin, an army general, established a new capital at Thon Buri, on the west bank of the Chao Phraya opposite what would later become Bangkok . He became a king in 1768, and in ten years Siam was a regional power again. However, he became increasingly despotic and, in 1782, was ousted by the military commander Chao Phraya Chakri, who was later pronounced King Rama I. Chakri's descendant, King Mongkut (Rama IV), modernized Siam , opening it up to foreign trade and influence.
Reign of King Chulalongkorn Perhaps the greatest king of the Chakri dynasty, Chulalongkorn (1868-1910) carried on the modernization of Siam that his father, Mongkut, had started. Financial reforms were made, the government restructured, and slavery abolished. Reform angered older ministers, the “conservatives” (hua boran), and led to the Front Palace Crisis of 1875. This was also a time when Britain and France were consolidating their positions in Southeast Asia . Chulalongkorn's policies and diplomacy kept the colonial powers at bay, though parts of Burma , Laos , Cambodia , and the Malay states were ceded to them.
Modern Thailand In 1932 Siam became a constitutional monarchy. Under Prime Minister Phibun Songkram, the 1930s saw rising nationalism: the country was renamed Prathet Thai ( Thailand ) and sided with Japan against the Allies in World War II. By contrast, during the Vietnam War in the 1970s, fear of Communism led Thailand to help the US . A number of military coups have since hindered democratization. Economic growth accelerated during the 1980s, but in 1997 the Thai baht faced heavy speculation leading to an economic crisis.
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