Thailand's History

The earliest archaeological signs of human habitation in Thailand can be found in the Northeast hamlets of Ban Chiang and Ban Prasat where evidence of rice cultivation dates back to 4000 BC (China by contrast was growing and consuming millet at that time). Thailand is also credited for fostering the world’s earliest Bronze Age civilisation during this period.

Over the next several thousand years, three major groups of people migrated south from China to present-day Thailand - the Mon, Khmer and Thai. The Mon settled in present day Myanmar, the Khmer what is now Cambodia, and the Thais by 1200 had established dominance in three northern Thai states: Lanna, Sukhothai and Phayao.

Sukhothai (Dawn of Happiness) is regarded as the fi rst truly independent Thai state and the birthplace of Thai culture. The Sukhothai era, which declared its independence in 1238, saw the Thais’ gradual expansion throughout the entire Chao Phraya River basin, the establishment of Theravada Buddhism as the dominant religion, the creation of the Thai alphabet and the fi rst true Thai art forms including painting, music, architecture and literature.

The Sukhothai era declined in the 1300s and eventually became a vassal state of Ayutthaya, a dynamic kingdom further south. Founded in 1350, Ayutthaya, approximately 86 kilometers north of Bangkok, was regarded by both Asians and Europeans as one of the most progressive and wealthiest kingdoms on the planet during that period.

During Ayutthaya's 417 years of prominence, the Thais brought their distinctive culture to fruition, ridding their lands of the Khmer presence and fostering contact with Arabian, Indian, Chinese, Japanese and European powers, especially Portugal and Holland.

Ayutthaya's destruction in 1767 by the Burmese was a severe blow to the Thais. However, the Burmese could not maintain control of the Kingdom. In 1769, King Taksin the Great, ruling from the new capital in Thon Buri, on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, regained control of the Kingdom. In 1782, King Rama I the Great, the first ruler of the Chakri Dynasty moved the royal capital across the river to Bangkok.

Two Chakri monarchs. King Mongkut (Rama IV), who reigned between 1851 and 1868 and his son King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), who reigned from 1869 to 1910, saved Thailand from Western colonisation through brilliant diplomacy and selective modernisation. It is largely due to these two monarchs that Thailand was able to retain dominance over its own destiny without the interference of foreign powers. Today, Thailand has a constitutional monarchy. Since 1932, Thai kings, including the present monarch, H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, have exercised their legislative powers by means of a cabinet headed by a prime minister and their judicial powers through the law courts.

We know that to be the most trusted Thailand travel specialist we must understand what it is you are looking for which is why we want to hear from you. Please help us serve you even better by rating this page on the right and leave any comments or feedback below.

Feel free to discuss and share your own experiences here as long at it is relevant to the subject matter of this page.

Comments