The Fascinating History of Thailand – Going Back 2000 Years

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Explore the captivating tapestry of the country’s past in this brief history of Thailand. Uncover the rich heritage, ancient civilisations, and cultural milestones that has shaped the nation over centuries. Thailand’s historical journey is fascinating.

Thailand (formerly Siam) in Southeast Asia is well-known for beautiful beaches, ancient temples, delicious cuisine, and a vibrant nightlife. However, what is not generally known is that Thailand has had a rich and fascinating history over many centuries.

The history of Thailand can be split into several periods, each with its own unique characteristics and significant events. These periods are the:

• Sukhothai and Lanna Kingdom,
• Ayutthaya Kingdom,
• Thonburi Period, and
• Rattanakosin Era.

Each period played a crucial role in shaping the country’s culture, society, and political landscape.

History of Thailand – Ist to the 21^st Century

The story starts a long time ago, and records are somewhat fuzzy. Thailand, formerly known as Siam, has a rich and diverse history and in this article, we provide an overview of the history of Thailand from the first to the 21st century.

One of the most significant events in Thailand’s history was the transition to a constitutional monarchy in the 20th century. This transition marked a turning point in the country’s political history and paved the way for more democratic governance. Today, Thailand is a thriving country with a rich cultural heritage and a bright future.

The information and knowledge I have gathered whilst observing Thailand and its people has opened my eyes and helped me learn how to live in peace and harmony in my adopted Country. In my quest to unravel the mysteries I traced Thailand’s history and culture from the beginning of the Tai people’s migration from China, in the 1^st century, right through to the 21^st.

Knowing how the Country has evolved since the early settlers has helped to give me a better understanding of a society monopolised by ancient cultural values, old religious beliefs, and superstitions. They don’t always fit comfortably into modern life, and the younger generation of Thais are more prepared to challenge these values than their parents were.

Siam

It seems likely that the country’s designation as Siam by Westerners came from the Portuguese. They were the first Europeans to give a coherent account of the kingdoms of the Mon, Khmer and Malay rulers of the region. Thai people established their own states starting with:

• Sukothai,
• Chiang Saen,
• Chiang Mai,
• Lanna kingdom, and
• Ayutthaya kingdom.

These states fought each other and were under constant threat from the Khmer (Cambodia), Burmese (Myanmar) and Vietnamese. Late in the 19th and early in the 20th century European colonial powers threatened. But Thailand was the only Southeast Asian country that wasn’t ruled by an aggressor. The French and the English decided it should be neutral territory to avoid conflicts between their colonies.

After the end of the absolute monarchy in 1932, Thailand endured sixty years of almost permanent military rule before it established a democratically elected government system.

Tai Migration – Arrival of the Tais 2000 Years Ago

It appears the first entry of Tai people from southern China into Burma took place in the 1st century BC. Rebellions in Central China drove many people from the area to seek refuge elsewhere. Much later in the sixth century AD, the Tais, who lived in several parts of China, migrated to Yunnan province. And from there, over many centuries, they moved further south into Southeast Asia.

They brought with them their language, culture, and way of life, which helped shape the country in many ways. Over time, they established several small kingdoms throughout the region.

Tai Origins and Migration

The motherland of the Tai people is believed to be Guangxi province in China rather, than as was originally thought, Yunnan province. They are both highland regions, and Guangxi borders Yunnan to the East.

So, the route the migrants took makes sense, as Yunnan lying in the far south-west, borders Myanmar (Burma), Laos, and Vietnam. This would have made the migration via those countries easier.

Many Tai people still live in Guangxi today and are known as the Zhuang in that province. The southerly migration was hastened during the 12^th and 13^th centuries. Then the Mongol armies of Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan expanded their empire southwards.

Laos Settlement

In 545 AD, after advancing through Laos into northern Thailand, the Tais built the city of Chiang Saen in the far north of Thailand’s Chiang Rai province on the Thai Laos border. Around 700 AD the Tai march south found them settling in Dien Bien Phu in north-west Vietnam near the border with Laos.

From there, they moved into the northern highlands of Laos where the Tai prince Khun Lo captured and founded the city of Luang Prabang. By then they had established themselves in the North of Burma, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand, as the migration from China continued.

Little is known about Thailand before the 13th century as literary and concrete sources are scarce. The Tais existence in Southeast Asia is mentioned in a 12th-century A.D. inscription at Angkor Wat in Cambodia. And most of the knowledge about this period has been gleaned from such archaeological evidence.

Indigenous Communities

Prior to the Tai migration southward, Southeast Asia had been home to various indigenous animistic communities for 500,000 years. Homo erectus fossils such as Lampang man were first discovered during excavations in Lampang province Southeast of Chiang Mai. They are believed to be between 1,000,000 and 500,000 years old.

There are myriad sites in Thailand dating back to the Bronze Age (1500 BC-500 BC) and the Iron Age (500 BC-AD 500). The most thoroughly researched of these sites are in the Northeast, especially in the Mun and Chi River valleys. The Mun River is home to many moated sites which comprise mounds surrounded by ditches and ramparts containing evidence of prehistoric occupation. Before the integration of the Tais and their culture into Thailand, the region housed the indigenous Mon-Khmer and Malay civilisations.

To discover that Tais were not the indigenous peoples of Thailand, but settlers was exciting news. And then, equally so, when I found that the indigenous are, amongst others, the Hill-tribes of the North, Mon-Khmer (Northeast), Sea Gypsies (Phuket) and Sakai (South). But I wasn’t so happy to learn that, although legally entitled to fundamental rights and protected by the Kingdom’s laws, the indigenous population still faces historical stereotyping and discrimination. Like many of the world’s indigenous communities.

Underlying many current laws, policies and programs targeting them are the same prejudices and widespread misconceptions of indigenous peoples that have been prevalent over many decades. Although there have been positive developments away from this approach in more modern times, discriminatory attitudes and actions still persist.

Khmer Empire

Through archaeological findings and local legends, we know the strength of the Khmers presence in Thailand from the 9th to the 13th centuries. They controlled a large portion of the Chao Phraya basin in central Thailand and the Northeast known as Isaan.

The expanding Tai population and culture inched ever South during the era when the Mahyana Buddhist and Hindu Khmer Empire dominated much of Southeast Asia. The advanced and sophisticated Khmers built more than 900 temples in Cambodia and neighbouring Thailand. Angkor was at the centre of the Empire, with a temple complex and well-developed urban organisation which supported around one million people.

First Kingdoms

The Kingdom of Sukhothai was the first major Thai kingdom, established in the 13th century. Under the leadership of King Ramkhamhaeng, the kingdom prospered and expanded its territory. Known for its art, literature, and architecture, it was heavily influenced by Buddhism.

In the 14th century, the Kingdom of Ayutthaya emerged as a major power in the region. It was known for its military might and its ability to control a large territory. During this time, Ayutthaya became a major trading hub, with merchants from all over Asia conducting business in the city.

Late in the 18th century, the Kingdom of Ayutthaya was conquered by the Burmese. They destroyed much of the city and forced Thai people to leave. The resilient Thais regrouped and established the Kingdom of Thonburi, which was replaced by the ruling Chakri Dynasty in 1782.

Sukhothai Kingdom

Thai city-states gradually became independent from the Khmer Empire as it weakened. Sukothai was established as a sovereign strong kingdom in 1238 AD. But in 1365 it fell into decline and became subject to the emerging Ayutthaya Kingdom in the lower Chao Phraya area.

Rise of Sukhothai

The Sukhothai Kingdom in the North-central region of Thailand was founded by King Sri Indraditya in 1238. He established the city of Sukhothai as the capital and expanded the kingdom’s territory. The kingdom gained power and influence through a combination of military conquest and diplomatic alliances.

Cultural and Political Development

Under King Ramkhamhaeng, who ruled from 1279 to 1298, the Sukhothai Kingdom experienced a period of cultural and political development. He created the Thai alphabet and promoted Theravada Buddhism, which is still the dominant religion in Thailand.

The Kingdom was known for art and architecture, which reflected the influence of Indian, Khmer, and Mon cultures. The most famous monument is Wat Mahathat, a temple complex that features a large central stupa surrounded by smaller stupas and Buddha images.

Declining in the mid-14th century, the kingdom suffered from internal conflict and external pressure from neighbouring kingdoms. It was eventually absorbed into the Ayutthaya Kingdom, which became the dominant power in the region. This was after playing an important role in the development of Thai culture and identity.

Its legacy can still be found in modern-day Thailand in art, architecture, and language.

Lanna Kingdom

Coexisting with Sukhothai was the state of Lanna. Centred in Chiang Mai, Lanna became closely allied with Sukhothai. But after Ayutthaya expanded its influence from the Chao Phraya valley, Sukhothai was finally subdued. Subsequently Lanna and Ayutthaya engaged in fierce battles for dominance until Lanna was eventually defeated, becoming Ayutthaya’s vassal.

Lanna’s independent history ended in 1558, when it fell to the Burmese. Thereafter it was dominated by Burma for over 300 years until the late 18th century. Local leaders rebelled against the Burmese with the help of the blossoming Thonburi kingdom. The Northern City States then became vassals of the lower Thai kingdoms of Thonburi and Bangkok. They were annexed in the early 20th century and became part of modern Siam now called Thailand.

Ayutthaya Kingdom

Ayutthaya was powerful, politically, and economically because of its location.  Five dynasties ruled Ayutthaya. The first ruler from 1351 to 1369, King Ramathibodi 1, made important contributions to Thai history.

• He established and promoted Theravada Buddhism as the official religion. This differentiated his kingdom from the neighbouring Hindu kingdom of Angkor.
• He compiled the Dhamashastra; a legal code based on Hindu sources and traditional Thai custom. It was used in Thai law until the end of the 19th century.

Rise to Power

In its 417 years, the Ayutthaya Kingdom was plagued by internal fighting. But this did not prevent its rise as a major power in Southeast Asia. The kings of Ayutthaya established diplomatic relations with China, Japan, and European powers, Portugal and the Netherlands.

At its peak, Ayutthaya controlled most of present-day Thailand, as well as parts of Laos, Cambodia, and Burma. The kingdom was known for its prosperous economy, based on agriculture, trade, and tribute from neighbouring states.

Culture and Influence

Ayutthaya’s culture and traditions became the model for the next period in Thai history; the Bangkok based Rattanakosin Kingdom of the Chakri Dynasty.

Ayutthaya, known to Europeans as Kingdom of Siam, encountered the West during the 16th century. It became one of the most prosperous cities in East Asia. It is estimated to have been the largest city in the world in 1700 AD, with a population of around one million. Trade with the Dutch, French, Chinese and Japanese flourished.

Its sphere of influence expanded over a considerable area, ranging from the Islamic states on the Malay Peninsula, the Andaman ports of Burma (Myanmar), the Angkor Kingdom of Cambodia, to states in northern Thailand. In the 18th century, the power of the Ayutthaya Kingdom gradually declined as fighting between princes and officials plagued its political arena. Outlying principalities became more and more independent, ignoring the capital’s orders and decrees.

Ayutthaya’s Fall

The Burmese controlled Lanna and unified their kingdom under the powerful Konbaung dynasty. They launched several blows against Ayutthaya in the 1750s and 1760s. Then in 1767, after several months of siege, the Burmese broke through Ayutthaya’s walls, ransacked the city, and burned it to the ground. The royal family fled and Ayutthaya’s last king Ekkathat died of starvation ten days later while in hiding.

The Ayutthaya royal line had been extinguished after 33 kings had reigned in the period. The fall of Ayutthaya marked the beginning of the Thonburi Kingdom, which was succeeded by the Chakri Dynasty.

Thonburi Period

The Thonburi Period was a brief but significant period in the history of Thailand that followed the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767. It lasted from 1767 to 1782, when King Taksin established the Thonburi Kingdom. The period saw the rise of a new dynasty and the emergence of a new capital city.

King Taksin’s Reign

Declaring himself King in 1769 Taksin was a military General who played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Thonburi Kingdom. He was a skilled strategist and a charismatic leader who commanded the loyalty of his troops. After the fall of Ayutthaya, he rallied the people of Thailand and led them in a successful campaign against the Burmese invaders.

During his reign, King Taksin initiated a number of reforms that consolidated his power and strengthened the kingdom. He reorganised the military and created a new administrative system that was more efficient and centralised. He also promoted trade and commerce, which helped to boost the economy of the kingdom.

Stress and other factors sent the King mad. General Chakri helped run the empire instead, as Taksin was ordained a monk and ventured into the forest never to be seen again. General Chakri succeeded him in 1782 as Rama 1, the first king of the Chakri dynasty. In the same year he founded a new capital city of Bangkok across the Chao Phraya River in an area known as Rattanakosin Island.

Consolidation after Ayutthaya

The Kingdom was in a state of chaos after Ayutthaya fell. The Burmese destroyed the capital and many of the important temples and palaces. The people were scattered and disorganised, and there was no central authority to provide leadership.

King Taksin brought order and established a new capital at Thonburi. He consolidated his power by defeating rival factions and establishing alliances with neighbouring kingdoms such as Chiang Mai. He also encouraged the migration of Chinese merchants and traders, which helped to stimulate the economy.

The Thonburi Period marked the emergence of a new dynasty and the establishment of a new capital city. King Taksin played a pivotal role in this process, and his legacy is still celebrated today.

Burma Defeated

In the 1790’s Burma was defeated and driven out of Siam, as it was then called. Lanna was also freed of Burmese occupation but was reduced to the Kingdom of Chiang Mai.

The heirs of Rama I became increasingly concerned with the threat of European colonialism after British victories in Burma in 1826. Numerous treaties with foreign powers, including Great Britain and North America were signed in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries. It is a widely held view in Thailand that the diplomatic skills of their monarchs, combined with the modernising reforms of the Thai government is the reason why the only Southeast Asian country that has not been colonisation is Thailand.

The Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 defined the modern border between Siam and the British colony of Malaya and a series of treaties with France fixed the country’s eastern border with Laos and Cambodia.

Rattanakosin Era

The Rattanakosin Era began in 1782 when King Rama I established Bangkok as the new capital of Thailand. The era is named after the Rattanakosin Island, which is the area where the Grand Palace and other important royal buildings are located.

Establishment of Bangkok

King Rama I founded Bangkok on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River. It became the political, economic, and cultural centre of Thailand marking a new era in Thai history. The city was strategically located, so the king could control the country and defend it against foreign invaders.

Reforms of Rama IV

King Mongkut, also known as Rama IV, was one of the most significant monarchs of the Rattanakosin Era. He introduced several reforms that modernised Thailand and helped it to become a more prosperous and powerful nation. Rama IV abolished slavery, reformed the legal system, and established diplomatic relations with several European countries.

Under Rama IV’s rule, Thailand’s economic development was significant. He encouraged foreign trade and investment, which led to the growth of the country’s economy. He also introduced modern technologies such as railways and telegraphs, which helped to improve communication and transportation across the country.

Southern Thailand

South of the Kra Isthmus, the sliver of land which joins North and South Thailand, Malay civilisations were settled. Primordial Malay kingdoms were described as tributaries to Funan (the pre-Angkor Indianised kingdom surrrounding the Mekong Delta) by second century Chinese sources. Most of them were tribal organisations and not fully-fledged kingdoms.

From the sixth century onwards the hot and humid South of Thailand was the Country’s centre of Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism which originated in India. Then around 800AD southern Thailand succumbed to the influences of the Malay kingdom of Srivijaya from Sumatra.

Thailand’s Transition – The Monarchy, WWII, and Military Rule

Over many centuries, Thailand has undergone numerous changes. They have included:

• transition from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy in 1932,
• Thailand’s involvement in World War II and the Vietnam War,
• Coups and Military Rule.

Transition to Constitutional Monarchy

Thailand’s transition marked a turning point in Thai history.

The 1932 Revolution

The Siamese Revolution was a bloodless coup led by a group of young military officers and civil servants. They took hostages while King Rama VII was at his Hua Hin palace. The captured were key figures, ministers of royal blood.

The revolutionaries’ purpose was to end the absolute monarchy and establish a constitutional monarchy. King Prajadhipok accepted the proposition, making the coup a success, and transforming the governance of Thailand.

The prime minister presided over the cabinet, but the military played a significant role in politics even before 1932. King Rama VII initially accepted the change and granted the Constitution. But he later abdicated from his position due to conflicts with the government. The revolutionary government installed his ten-year old nephew as the new monarch.

Upon his abdication the King said the duty of a ruler was to reign for the good of the whole people, not for a selected few.

Political Evolution

Since the start of the constitutional monarchy, Thailand has undergone great political evolution. There have been:

• a series of coups,
• military rule, and
• periods of democratically elected government.

However, the monarchy has remained a key institution throughout.

Turmoil

Within a decade Thai politics ran into turmoil as the revolutionary government split into factions. Fear of communism, extreme revolutionary ideas and ultra-nationalism caused conflict among the new ruling elites and eventually the military faction emerged.

The regime became authoritarian under the prime minister who was one of the members of the revolutionary military wing. His regime was also famous in promoting ‘Pan-Thaism’, the ultra-nationalist policy aiming at unifying Thai-speaking people nearby into the kingdom.

Rama VIII – Mysterious Death

Young King Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII) died in 1946. His death was mysterious but was officially explained as an accidental shooting. His gun went off while he was cleaning it, and he was in the firing line. He was succeeded by his brother Bhumibol Adulvadei, the longest reigning king of Thailand who was very popular with his subjects.

Royalty is far more exalted in Thailand than in other constitutional monarchies. Criticising King Bhumibol was taboo, and many Thais revered him as a latter-day Buddha delaying his own enlightenment so as to guide the people through the problems of life. They would not consider subjecting him to the scrutiny that other Royals throughout the world suffered.

Those who thought otherwise were few and were occasionally prosecuted under lèse-majesté. Article 112 of the Criminal Code, the lèse-majesté law, forbids criticism of the King, Queen, the heir to the throne and the Regent and carries a maximum penalty of fifteen years in jail. It is the harshest such law in the world and many people have been prosecuted and jailed under it.

King Bhumibol – Longest Serving Monarch

At the age of 18 King Bhumibol found himself on the throne. Since then, there have been many coups, changes in constitution and social and economic upheaval. During his reign as the world’s longest-serving monarch Thailand developed into a prosperous, urbanised democracy. Previously a poor, agrarian society under dictatorship, the Monarchy flourished too.

Thailand was without a resident king for 17 years before King Bhumibol moved to Thailand in 1951 after finishing university in Lausanne. Royal ceremonies had fallen into abeyance, and the Monarchy’s political influence had diminished. The King worked hard to increase his prominence and prestige and became extremely influential.

He sparingly used his moral authority to promote democracy and denounce violence and corruption. Bhumibol was a guardian of the people’s welfare where they could become self-sufficient and were able to cater for their basic needs.

WWII – Thailand’s Alliance with Japan in 1941

In 1941, the Phibun regime allied with Japan, and Thailand invaded French Indochina (Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia). The invasion sparked the start of a war, and the well-equipped Thai invaders, who outnumbered the French, reclaimed Laos. However, the French won the naval Battle of Koh Chang, an island in the Gulf of Thailand, decisively.

Japanese Dominance

The Japanese mediated the conflict, and a general armistice was declared on 28 January 1941. On 9 May a peace treaty was signed in Tokyo. The French were coerced by the Japanese into relinquishing their hold on the disputed territories.

On 8 December 1941, a few hours after the Japanese attacked the American naval fleet in Pearl Harbour, Japan demanded the right to move troops across Thailand to the Malayan frontier. Japan invaded Thailand and engaged the Thai army for six to eight hours before an armistice was ordered. As a result Thailand gave Japan’s troops permission to travel across the country.

On 21 December 1941, Thailand and Japan signed a military alliance with a secret protocol. Tokyo agreed to help Thailand regain territories lost to the British and French. They were the Shan States of Burma, Malaya, Singapore, part of Yunnan, Laos and Cambodia. Subsequently, Thailand undertook to help Japan in its war against the Allies.

Bridge on the River Kwai

During the war Japan used British prisoners of war to help build the Death Railway from Burma through Thailand. When David Lean produced the 1957 film Bridge on the River Kwai starring Alec Guinness it wasn’t generally known that the author of the book, on which the film was based, Pierre Boulle never went there.

However, he knew that the railway ran parallel to the River Kwae in Thailand and assumed, incorrectly, that it was the Kwae which it crossed just North of Kanchanaburi. It actually crosses the Mae Khlung. The Government later kindly renamed the river and since 1960, the Mae Khlung has been known as the Kwae Yai (Big Kwae) north of the confluence with the Kwae Noi (Little Kwae). So, perhaps the film should have been called Bridge on the River Mae Khlung.

Seri Thai Resistance

Japan distrusted Thailand to the extent that it rearmed their ally with controlled munitions. The Seri Thai, an underground resistance movement against Japan, was founded by the Thai ambassador in Washington, with the assistance of the United States Office of Strategic Services. Led from within Thailand it operated freely, often with support from members of the Royal family and members of the government.

Post WWII

After Japan were defeated in 1945, due to the help of Seri Thai, America supported Thailand in mitigating the Allied terms. The British demanded reparations in the form of rice sent to Malaya and the French demanded the return of territories lost in the Franco-Thai War. After the Soviet Union supported Thailand being admitted to the United Nations, it demanded a quid pro quo in the form of a repeal of anti-Communist legislation. Some former British prisoners of war erected a monument expressing gratitude to the citizens of Ubon Ratchatani in the north-east of Thailand.

In the post-war period, Thailand relations with the United States were strong. The USA saw Thailand as a protector from communist revolutions in neighbouring countries. The strong relationship meant Thailand was willing to let America set up bases in Eastern Thailand during the Vietnam War.

Final Thoughts

Thailand has made significant progress since the latter part of the 20th century. Despite periods of political unrest, a growing economy and stable governance have brought prosperity. The disruption of Covid19 in 2020 destroyed tourism temporarily. However, the country’s positivity impacted the industry’s recovery. The government’s response to the challenges were crucial in determining Thailand’s future success.

Now read about Modern Thailand – A Fascinating Country with Great Potential

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