nullMost of Thailand’s history is still being dug up from the dirt with the careful tools of archaeologists. There is evidence of Chinese and Vietnamese influence on the original peoples of Thailand, such as the Khmer and Mon. The Chinese influence was usually expressed in the form of Thai lords accepting Chinese rule, being given land and ruling over the locals of the area. During the eleventh and twelfth centuries, there was a strong push from India, bringing new culture, religion, and botanical influences to the Thai region. The new influence was from the Dvaravati.
It wasn’t until the 13th and 14th centuries that a true monarchy was established in Thailand. It began with the Sukhothai and Lannathai and eventually gave way to the rise of the Ayutthaya kingdom
In 1431, the Thai armies invaded the Khmer empire in Cambodia. They plundered Angkor Thom, leaving it a mess. The court was later moved to Phnom Pehn. We can see from constant warring and invasions that the region was quite fragmented. Thailand, which went through a series of different names before it was officially Thailand, was at war, not only with its neighbors, but also within itself.
For example, in 1457 southern Thailand, known then as Pattani was declared an Islamic kingdom, a far cry from the Buddhist influence brought by the Indian push in the previous centuries. Skipping ahead, in 1767, the city of Ayutthaya, the capital city of Siam, was sacked as the Burmese invaded, leaving the city in ruins. The capital was then moved to Bangkok.
The 1800s brought European colonialism to the attention of Thailand and struggles began with the British and French, among other countries. The Treaty of Amity and Commerce, signed in 1826 with the United Kingdom, as well as subsequent diplomatic relations with the United States helped to ensure that Thailand was the only country in South East Asia to avoid European colonization. This is reflected in its’ name, Prathet Thai, meaning nation that is free, or Thailand- free land.
Continuing to move forward, in 1909 the Anglo-Siamese treaty defined the lines of Thailand/Siam and British Malaya. Subsequent treaties fixed Thailand’s border with Cambodia and Laos, more or less following the Mekong River. In 1932 a coup ended the absolute monarchy of Thailand, transforming it instead to a constitutional monarchy. Though officially a constitutional monarchy, the country was occasionally led by military governments and brief periods of democracy.
1941 saw war over most of the world, and Thailand was no exception. An invasion of French Indochina saw the beginnings of the French-Thai war, which was later concluded with mediations in Tokyo. The war didn’t really last more than a month, though the peace treaty was signed several months after armistice was declared.
At the end of 1941, just hours after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, the Japanese demanded the right to cross troops through Thailand and into Malaysia. A short conflict ended with Japan being granted free passage. An agreement between the two nations was made, with Thailand agreeing to help Japan against the Allies and Japan agreeing to help Thailand regain the lost territories of Burma, Malaya, Singapore, etc.
At the end of the war however, Thailand was forced to return the reacquired territories in order to be admitted to the newly formed United Nations.
To conclude the ‘brief history,’ it was on May 11th, 1949 that Siam officially became Thailand.
Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Thailand. Accessed February 8th, 2009.
David K. Wyatt. A Short History of Thailand. London: Yale University Press, 2003.