Destination Thailand
Thai History
There is various forms of debate about the origins of the Thai people and one thing is for sure, that is, there has been human existence within what is known as Thailand today. For example in the North east of Thailand a well known archeological site is Ban Chiang, where there is evidence of human existence as far back as 10,000 years and evidence of the earliest Bronze and Agricultural methods also exist in this area.
Thailand’s modern history is usually referenced by the movement of Tai people from Yunnan and Guanxi Provinces in China sometime between the 8th and the 10th Century. Fertile river valleys seem to have been the preferred locations where people would settle and create zones of power where a leader would rule the valley or a group of smaller areas as a sort of city state.
Various city states had been established during the centuries after this, including Sukothai (1238–1448), Ayuthaya (1351–1767), Thonburi (1768–1782) and Rattanakosin (1782–1932). During these periods there were several wars with neighboring Burma and even among states until a unified ‘Siam’ arose late in the Thonburi period.
During the Sukothai period, the once mighty Khmer empire was in decline as was the Srivijaya empire in Thailand’s south and the Thai’s used this to their advantage to solidify their presence in the North. It Is understood that the Sukothai empire under King Ramkhamhaeng included a vast area from the South, across to Myanmar and North to Laos. Many Thai people see the Sukothai period as one of the most important periods in Thai History as it was a period of power, plenty and the beginning of the use of a written form of the Thai language.
The Ayuthaya Kingdom thrived during it’s period of power with further decline (and conquest) of Khmer influence until the fall of Angkor in 1431. Ayuthaya enjoyed a four century period of Royal rule from King U Thong (1350–69) to King Ekathat in the mid 18th Century. During the 16th century Ayuthaya was beginning to receive visitors from Europe such as the Dutch, English, Danish and French. By mid 18th century the Burmese attacked Ayuthaya and eventually defeated it. The Thais moved their capital to Thonburi while further uniting the Northern Kingdoms into a unified Siam.
It is interesting to note that the Thonburi and Rattanakosin regions are on opposite sides of the Chaophraya River as it flows through Bangkok, with Rattanakosin being a small island bordered by the river and small canals and which exists on the Bangkok side to this day. Rattanakosin Island is host to the Grand Palace (Wat Phra Keow), Wat Po and a rich list of other well known monuments to Thai history.
