On Thailand Histories

THE HISTORY ON THAILAND

The first” Thai" independent state was founded in Sukhothai in 1257, the city where successive Khmer governors had once had their headquarters. Central Thailand had been divided into northern and southern sections of the Khmer empire and Sukhothai had been the administrative headquarters of the northern part. Towards the end of the twelfth century a ruler ascended to power who was to become on of the dominant figures in Thai history, the limits to his great drive and ambition were particularly the Khmer empire and the Mongol court of China. King Ramkamhaeng pushed his borders in all directions-north towards Chiang Mai and Luang Prabang, west towards present day Burmar and south to the Malay Peninsula.

Sukkothai prospered and grew strong and for the first time saw the Thais develop civilization of their own, with distinct styles of art and architecture. The King was the adapting a new alphabet to Thai usage from the Khmer one. The first example of the new script, carved in stone in 1292, is idealized descriptions, no slavery, guaranteed inheritance and free trade.



But the new state did not last long. In a century and a quarter the kingdom was superseded by the rise of another city state,Ayutthaya,founded in 1350,which was to dominate the central and southern region for the next four centuries.

The sixteenth century saw Ayutthaya's first contact with Europeans who were astonished at its prosperity and size. The Dutch established their first trading post there in 1608 and King Ekatotsarot sent envoys back to The Hague, the first record of Thais appearing in Europe. A few years later English emissaries arrived from the court of James I and, like the Dutch, they were welcomed and given trading rights.



Ayutthaya had continual and prolonged conflict with her nearest neighbor, Burma, culmination in 1767 in a 14-month siege and total destruction of the city by the Burmese.

One of the surviving generals of the defeated Thai army,Phraya Taksin, escaped from Ayutthaya and raised an army which successfully expelled the Burmese from the country. He was crowned king within a year and established the capital at Thonburi on the west bank of the Chao Rphraya River.



One of the King Toksin’s generals later succeeded him and founded the present Chakri dynasty. As King Rama I, he established the present capital in Bangkok in 1782.



Thailand changed from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy in 1932.
the present King, His Majesty King Bhumipol Adulyadej,is the ninth king of the Chakri dynasty.