Stone Wheel of Law, Dvaravati Period (sixth-ninth centuries AD), found at Phra Pathom Chedi, Nakhon Pathom Province.
LITTLE IS KNOWN of the earliest inhabitants of what is now Thailand, but 5,000-year-old archaeological sites in the northeastern part of the country are believed to contain the oldest evidence of rice cultivation and bronze casting in Asia and perhaps in the world. In early historical times, a succession of tribal groups controlled what is now Thailand. The Mon and Khmer peoples established powerful kingdoms that included large areas of the country. They absorbed from contact with South Asian peoples religious, social, political, and cultural ideas and institutions that later influenced the development of Thailand’s culture and national identity.
The Tai, a people who originally lived in southwestern China, migrated into mainland Southeast Asia over a period of many centuries. The first mention of their existence in the region is a twelfth-century A.D. inscription at the Khmer temple complex of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, which refers to syam, or "dark brown" people (the origin of the term Siam) as vassals of the Khmer monarch. In 1238 a Tai chieftain declared his independence from the Khmer and established a kingdom at Sukhothai in the broad valley of the Mae Nam (river) Chao Phraya, at the center of modern Thailand. Sukhothai was succeeded in the fourteenth century by the kingdom of Ayutthaya. The Burmese invaded Ayutthaya and in 1767 destroyed the capital, but two national heroes, Taksin and Chakkri, soon expelled the invaders and reunified the country under the Chakkri Dynasty.
Over the centuries Thai national identity evolved around a common language and religion and the institution of the monarchy. Although the inhabitants of Thailand are a mixture of Tai, Mon, Khmer, and other ethnic groups, most speak a language of the Tai family. A Tai language alphabet, based on Indian and Khmer scripts, developed early in the fourteenth century. Later in the century a famous monarch, Ramathibodi, made Theravada Buddhism the official religion of his kingdom, and Buddhism continued into the twentieth century as a dominant factor in the nation’s social, cultural, and political life. Finally, the monarchy, buttressed ideologically by Hindu and Buddhist mythology, was a focus for popular loyalties for more than seven centuries. In the late twentieth century the monarchy remained central to national unity.
During the nineteenth century, European expansionism, rather than Thailand’s traditional enemies, posed the greatest threat to the kingdom’s survival. Thai success in preserving the country’s independence (it was the only Southeast Asian country to do so) was in part a result of the desire of Britain and France for a stable buffer state separating their dominions in Burma, Malaya, and Indochina. More important, however, was the willingness of Thailand’s monarchs, Mongkut (Rama IV, 1851-68) and Chulalongkorn (Rama V, 1868-1910), to negotiate openly with the European powers and to adopt European-style reforms that modernized the country and won it sovereign status among the world’s nations. Thailand (then known as Siam) paid a high price for its independence, however: loss of suzerainty over Cambodia and Laos to France and cession of the northern states of the Malay Peninsula to Britain. By 1910 the area under Thai control was a fraction of what it had been a century earlier.
In the early decades of the twentieth century, Thailand’s political system, armed forces, schools, and economy underwent drastic changes. Many Thai studied overseas, and a small, Western-educated elite with less traditional ideas emerged. In 1932 a bloodless coup d’etat by military officers and civil servants ended the absolute monarchy and inaugurated Thailand’s constitutional era. Progress toward a stable, democratic political system since that time, however, has been erratic. Politics has been dominated by rival military-bureaucratic cliques headed by powerful generals. These cliques have initiated repeated coups d’etat and have imposed prolonged periods of martial law. Parliamentary institutions, as defined by Thailand’s fourteen constitutions between 1932 and 1987, and competition among civilian politicians have generally been facades for military governments.
Year | Thailand Events in History |
-600 | Chinese T’ai migration recorded |
-300 | Indian settlements, bringing the Hindu religion. |
1000 | The Mons, from Burma, establishes themselves in Central Thailand. |
1350 |
Monarchy established A unified Thai kingdom is established under the rule of King Ramathibodi. A series of kings follow, ruling what was then known as Siam. |
1516 |
Portuguese envoy Portuguese send an envoy to the Thai Court and sign a treaty. |
1529 | War with Burma |
1782 |
Chakri dynasty Beginning of the Chakri dynasty under King Rama I. |
1833 |
First American envoy to the Thai Court The United States and Siam (now Thailand) concluded a commercial treaty in Bangkok. |
1833 | Thai-Vietnam war |
1905 | Slavery was abolished |
1896 |
British-French treaty guarantees independence A British-French treaty guarantees independence for the new country. |
1917 | Siam becomes ally of Great Britain in World War I. |
1939 | Siam changes its name to Thailand (“Land of the Free”). |
1941 |
Japan invades Thailand Japan invades Thailand in World War II, forcing Thailand to fight with Japan in the war. |
1942 |
Ambassador declares war on Britain and US. Thailand declares war on Britain and the United States, but the Thai ambassador in Washington refuses to deliver the declaration to the U.S. government. |
1944 |
Thailand takes back a declaration of war Thailand takes back a declaration of war against the United States and Britain. After the war, it becomes an ally of the U.S. |
1945 |
End of World War II. End of World War II. Thailand is compelled to return territory it has seized from Laos, Cambodia, and Malaya. Exiled King Ananda returns. |
1946 | Thailand becomes the 55th member of the United Nations. |
1962 |
United States sends troops to Thailand. Thailand permits the United States to use bases there during the Vietnam War. Thai troops fight in South Vietnam. |
1973 |
Free elections are held Student riots in Bangkok bring about the fall of the military government. Free elections are held but the resulting governments lack stability. |
1976 | Military takes over again. |
1978 | New constitution promulgated. |
1946 | King Ananda assassinated. |
1782 | The new capital, Bangkok, is founded. |
2006 |
Thaksin Shinawatra Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra accuses several army officers of plotting to kill him after police find a car containing bomb-making materials near his house. |
2007 | Martial law is lifted in more than half of the country. |
2008 |
Thai troops shoot two Cambodian soldiers Thai troops shoot two Cambodian soldiers in a firefight on the disputed border, near the Preah Vihear temple. |
2010 |
Mass protest Tens of thousands of Thaksin supporters - in trademark red shirts - paralyze central Bangkok with a month-long protest calling for Prime Minister Abhisit's resignation. |
2011 |
Pheu Thai party The pro-Thaksin Pheu Thai party wins a landslide victory in elections. |
2013 |
Rice prices Government cuts the guaranteed price for rice, provoking an angry reaction from farmers and protests in Bangkok. |
2004 |
Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami: On December 26, 2004, a massive earthquake and resulting tsunami struck the coasts of Thailand and several other countries in Southeast Asia. More than 8,000 people in Thailand lost their lives, and the disaster caused widespread damage to infrastructure and the economy. |
2018 |
2018 cave rescue In June and July 2018, the world watched as a team of international rescuers worked to save a group of young soccer players and their coach who were trapped in a flooded cave in northern Thailand. The dramatic rescue mission involved a complex network of divers, engineers, and volunteers, and captured the attention of people around the globe. |
2020 |
Anti-government protests Thailand saw a wave of anti-government protests led by young activists calling for democratic reforms and an end to military influence in politics. The protests were met with a crackdown by the authorities, including arrests and charges of lese majeste (insulting the monarchy), which carries severe penalties in Thailand. |