History of Thailand

Introduction to History of Thailand

Archeological evidence suggests that northwest Thailand was where prehistoric humans first learned to cultivate food plants. In historical times, before the Thais settled in the region, it was inhabited by a Mongoloid people called the Mons. In the first century A.D. the Mons came under the rule of the great commercial kingdom of Funan, centered in Cambodia. The Mons overturned Funan's rule in the sixth century and founded a kingdom in the Chao Phraya valley. In the 10th century, the Khmers (Cambodians) established themselves in Thailand and made the Mon kingdom a vassal state of their powerful empire.

Thais from southern China began settling in northern Thailand in the late 11th century. By the mid-1200's, many Thais had migrated farther south to the upper Chao Phraya valley and had formed small principalities within the Khmer Empire. In 1253 the Mongols conquered the Thai settlements in China and hundreds of thousands of Thais fled south into the valleys of the Mekong and Chao Phraya rivers.

Kingdom of Sukhothai

Aided by the massive influx of Thais, the Thai principalities were able to throw off Khmer control. In 1257 the first Thai kingdom, Sukhothai, was founded by King Sri Intratitya. Under his son, King Ramkamhaeng (reigned 1277–1317), the Thais began adopting many Khmer ways, including their religion, Theravada Buddhism. Ramkamhaeng strengthened the kingdom and extended its boundaries southward to the Malay Peninsula, conquering the weak Mon kingdom. Sukhothai dominance was short-lived, however, lasting little more than a century.

Kingdom of Ayudhya

In 1350 the prince of Utong, a principality south of Sukhothai, founded a rival dynasty, with Ayudhya as its capital. King Ramatibodi I, as he was called, pursued an expansionist policy, extending his power into the Malay Peninsula and Cambodia. In 1378 Ayudhya annexed Sukhothai. During the next 400 years, the kingdom was frequently at war, battling the Cambodians and the Burmese.

In the 16th century the Portuguese appeared in Ayudhya. Later the Spanish, Dutch, British, and French established relations with Ayudhya. However, as European influence increased, widespread antiforeign sentiment arose. In the late 17th century, contact between Ayudhya and the West was sharply curtailed.

In 1759 war broke out between Ayudhya and Burma. The entire kingdom fell into Burmese hands in 1767 following the destruction of the capital city of Ayudhya by the Burmese army after a 14-month siege.

Bangkok Period

Within six months of the destruction of Ayudhya, Phya Taksin, a Chinese mercenary, and the remnants of the Ayudhya army drove off the invaders. He established a government at Thonburi and proclaimed himself King Taksin. His erratic and increasingly tyrannical behavior toward the end of his reign sparked a revolt in 1782. The government was overthrown and the king put to death.

Chao Phya Chakri (reigned 1782–1809) founded the dynasty that still rules, with Bangkok as its capital. The Thai kingdom was known as Siam in the Western world.

Early in the 19th century, European trade began to revive. In 1851 King Mongkut, an intelligent and progressive ruler, succeeded to the throne. He began a program of modernization and opened his country to Western influences. Mongkut sent for Mrs. Anna Leonowens, an Englishwoman, to tutor the royal children. (Mrs. Leonowens is the heroine of Margaret Landon's Anna and the King of Siam. ) His son, King Chulalongkorn (reigned 1868–1910), abolished slavery, modernized the laws, reorganized the educational system, and introduced a civil service system.

In the 20th century, Western technology and Western ideas continued to have an impact on life in Siam. The traditions of Western democracy were influential in the ferment that produced a revolution in 1932 that established a constitutional monarchy. King Prajadhipok (reigned 1925–35) was not opposed to constitutional government and continued as sovereign, but with limited powers. He soon disagreed with the revolt leaders, however, and abdicated in favor of his 10-year-old nephew, Ananda Mahidol. During World War II, Japanese troops occupied Siam.

Postwar Developments

In 1946 King Ananda died from a mysterious gunshot wound. Prince Bhumibol Adulyadej, his brother, succeeded him. In 1949 Thailand became the official name of the country.

Thailand followed a pro-West, anti-Communist foreign policy after the war. It sent a detachment of troops to Korea during the Korean War (1950–53). During the 1960's and 1970's, Communist guerrillas waged war against the government.

In 1971 military officers, who had dominated the country's political life for years, disbanded parliament and established a dictatorship. In 1973 a democratic uprising ended the military regime, but the elected government established in its place was overthrown by the armed forces in 1976. Democracy once again returned with the adoption of a new constitution in 1978 and the election of a parliament in 1979.

In 1975, following the Communist takeover of South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, Thailand began experiencing a continuous influx of refugees from those nations. The country's refugee problem has been an economic drain and a source of tension with its Communist neighbors.

Beginning in the mid-1980's Thailand began to rapidly industrialize, and between 1987 and 1995 it had one of the world's fastest growing economies, attracting billions of dollars in international investment and raising the living standards of a significant part of the population. In 1997, however, the failure of several large banks and the collapse of a speculative real estate market caused a deep economic depression.

Thai Rak Thai party leader Thaksin Shinawatra (also spelled Chinnawat) was appointed as prime minister of Thailand in 2001. Under his government, economic conditions began to improve. Thaksin remained in the post of prime minister until a military coup overthrew him in September, 2006. The military appointed retired General Surayud Chulanont as prime minister the following month.

In 2004, a major tsunami struck Thailand's southern provinces, causing great destruction of property and more than 5,000 deaths.