History History

First human remains (homo erectus) found in Lampang province.

First traces of a continuous human presence in today's Thailand.

Early evidence of rice cultivation.

Ban Chiang, an archaeological site in Udon Thani Province, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the first known centre for copper and bronze production in Southeast Asia.

First arrival from Guangxi of the Tai people, and migrating to the lands of Southeast Asia.

Iron production.

This maritime power, centred on the Mekong Delta, is located in the current Oc-Eo region in southern Vietnam, controlling southern Vietnam, the lower Chao Phraya River valley and the north of the Malay Peninsula.

This civilization flourishes in central Thailand. The principalities use the Mon language and are strongly influenced by Indian culture. It is a primordial period of the establishment of Buddhism in Thailand, and more particularly of Buddhist art.

Foundation of the kingdom of Ngoen Yang by Thais, probably originating from the kingdom of Ngai Lao, on the banks of the Mekong River. The Mon found the kingdom of Lavo on the site of Lopburi, in the lower valley of Chao Phraya.

The Mons founded the kingdom of Hariphunchai in the north of Thailand. Several monuments are visible nowadays in Lamphun, the current name of the capital Hariphunchai, in particular Wat Kukut built in 755.

The Khmers founded their empire with Angkor as its capital in Cambodia, and gradually consolidated their domination in continental Southeast Asia and the empires founded by the Mon.

Tambralinga, a Malaysian state that controls trade across the Strait of Melaka (Malacca).

The Angkor Empire extended as far as Lopburi in the 11th century, then from Vientiane (now the capital of Laos) to the Malay Peninsula in the far south, and to the Myanmar border in the west in the 12th century, controlling the Sukhothai region. On the other hand, the Mon kingdom of Dvaravati (central Thailand today) remains independent with a capital probably located in Nakhon Pathom or Ayutthaya.

In 1220, the Prince of Sukhothai, Pha Muong, allied himself with Bang Klang Hao, chief of Bang Yang, a Khmer territory, to overthrow the Khmer governor of Sukhothai. In 1238, Bang Klang Hao is proclaimed king of Sukhothai and becomes Sri Indrathit, founder of the Phra Ruang dynasty, the first Thai dynasty in history. His son, Rama Kamhaeng (Rama the Bold), succeeds him on the throne. He knows glory by enlarging his kingdom at the expense of the Khmers. When Rama Kamhaeng died in 1318, Sukhothai became the most important kingdom in Southeast Asia, but it was in turn attached to the new Thai kingdom of Ayutthaya in 1378.Nowadays one can visit the historical park of Sukothai, including the famous Wat Mahathat, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Prince Mengrai succeeds his father and becomes the 25th king. In 1262, he moved his capital to the southwest and founded Chiang Rai. In 1292 he seized the Mon kingdom of Haripunchai and gave birth to the kingdom of Lanna (million rice fields). In 1296, he founded Chiang Mai (the new city), and made it his new capital. In 1558, the kingdom of Lanna (more simply called the kingdom of Chiang Mai) was annexed by the Burmese king Bayinnaug. The Lannathai remained vassal of Burma until King Taksin ended his rule in 1774. Today it is possible to contemplate many monuments of this period in the historic district of Chiang Mai.

The Portuguese seized Melaka and returned to Ayutthaya in 1516 to conclude a trade treaty with King Ramathibodi II, who reigned over Ayutthaya at that time.

Arrival of the first Portuguese Dominican missionaries.

The Dutch opened a trading post in Pattani in 1602 and in Ayutthaya in 1608. In the same year, King Akatotsarot sent an embassy to The Hague.

The English East India Company is authorized to open a counter in Ayutthaya and then in Pattani.

The Dutch are making new demands. After a first conflict, a serious crisis broke out in 1654. The Dutch manage to retain their privileges by force, but from then on, the Siamese seek more powerful rivals.

King Narai, also known as Ramathibodi III, came to power. Opening of the kingdom of Siam to the influence of France, then at its height.

In 1659, the English East India Company, driven out of Cambodia by an Annamite invasion, took refuge in Ayutthaya. The same year also saw the creation in Paris, thanks to the support of Louis XIV, of the Society of Foreign Missions with the aim of evangelizing Annam and China. In 1680, the Royal East India Company set up a counter in Ayutthaya.

Negotiations proved to be less easy than the French had expected, and the death of King Narai abruptly changed the course of events. Indeed, the presence of too many foreigners, especially the French garrison in Bangkok, provoked a hostile reaction. When General Petraja, commander-in-chief of the war elephants and milk brother of King Narai, is appointed regent and then king in his turn, the persecutions against Catholics and foreigners in general begin.

Fall of the kingdom of Ayutthaya.

Taksin finally crushed the Burmese troops remaining in Ayutthaya before being crowned king at the end of 1767. However, he only controlled the southern part of the former kingdom of Ayutthaya. Taksin managed to retake Chiang Mai, led by a Burmese governor, in January 1775, taking advantage of a rebellion by the Mon people in lower Burma.

General Phya Chakri seized power on April 20, 1782 and proclaimed himself king in place of Taksin, who was deposed because of his tyrannical behaviour. Under the name of Rama I, the new king founded the Chakri dynasty whose descendants still reign today. Location of the new capital: Bangkok, opposite Thonburi, on the left bank of the Chao Phraya. Rama I is known under the title of Phra Buddha Yodfachulaloke (from the name of the statue of Buddha which is dedicated to him, in the royal chapel of Wat Phra Kaew). His reign (1782 to 1809) was devoted, in the interior of the country, to restoring the ruins caused by the Burmese invasions.

Rama I still had to fight the Burmese, whose attacks were directed directly against Bangkok, but they were defeated in the province of Kanchanaburi and then, in 1787, in Chiang Mai.

Cambodia is the scene of yet another dynastic quarrel between three Mandarins. Ang Eng (Neareay Reachea III), the young king of Cambodia who had taken refuge in Bangkok, was crowned in 1794. The following year, Rama I installed him in his capital of Udong, in exchange for the provinces of Battambang and Siem Reap.

Ang Eng's son, Ang Chan, succeeded him and became King Outey Reachea III. Back in Udong, fearing the famous and powerful emperor of Vietnam, Annam Gia-Long (1801-1820), Rama I sends him a tribute of vassalage. In the northeast, the kingdoms of Vientiane and Luang Prabang remain subject to Siam.

Rama II ascends the throne.

An intervention aimed at imposing full Siamese suzerainty over Cambodia puts King Ang Chan on the run, taking refuge with Emperor Gia-Long in Vietnam. Ang Chan having regained his throne, he recognized Gia Long as suzerain.

The British captured Rangoon (Burma); in 1826, the first Anglo-Burmese war ended with the annexation of Tenasserim and Arakan, putting an end to the Burmese threat.

Death of King Rama II. The next day, his son Rama III (Nangklao) came to power and had to fight against the neighbouring kingdoms. To protect himself, he will renew contact with the Western powers, banished from the kingdom since the death of King Narai (reign of Louis XIV).

King Rama III decided to open his kingdom to foreigners who felt it was necessary to ally themselves with a country that had defeated the Burmese hereditary enemies with such ease. This treaty of friendship and trade replaces a complex system of taxes on imports.

At the death of Rama III, the kingdom of Siam was at peace and was able to resist Western ambitions. Burma is partly colonized by England, and Cambodia partly dominated by Vietnam; Vientiane and Luang Prabang are still subject to Bangkok. The throne fell to Rama III's half-brother, Mongkut, who then became Rama IV. He understood that the defeats of Burma and then China against the British, between 1840 and 1842, marked the beginning of a new era for Asian nations.

Rama V (Chulalongkorn) successfully continues his father's policy. The first king to travel abroad, he profoundly modernizes the kingdom: abolition of slavery, creation of the national museum of Bangkok, the first university, postal services, railways... Under his reign, the borders of the kingdom are definitively fixed after difficult negotiations with the English and the French. In 1893, France occupies Laos and, following a series of incidents with the Thais, forces the mouth of the Chao Phraya River, gets all the provinces on the left bank of the Mekong, including Luang Prabang, Rama V being forced to give in on October 3, 1893 for lack of international support. Burma having been officially incorporated into the British Indian Empire on¹ January 1886, France and Great Britain decided to avoid confrontation by signing an agreement guaranteeing the non-colonisation of the Siamese kingdom on 16 January 1896. Moreover, French intervention in Indochina put an end to the quarrels between Siam and Vietnam, which both coveted Laos and Cambodia.

Treaty of Bangkok establishing the border between Siam and British Malaysia. Siam now only covers areas inhabited mainly by Thais.

King Rama VI (Wachirawut), who succeeded his father, is far from possessing the great political qualities of his ancestors. This extravagant king has a poetic character, writing and translating plays. Externally, he sided with the Allies with a declaration of war on 22 July 1917 and the dispatch of a rail and air expeditionary force. The kingdom gained from being admitted into the League of Nations and, above all, from undertaking the cancellation of the iniquitous treaties imposed by the colonial powers. Domestically, Rama VI made primary education compulsory (1921) for both boys and girls. In order to improve the status of women, he abolished polygamy. He developed a new concept to justify the monarchy, which he considered essential to the maintenance of national independence, since the king was the symbol and natural leader of the nation. Rama VI was thus the first theoretician of Thai nationalism. Rama VI died suddenly in 1925, and his successor on the throne was his younger brother, Prajadhipok.

Strongly influenced by the French Revolution, seven Siamese students formed the Khana Ratsadon (People's Party) in Paris in February 1927. The party led by Pridi is composed of students, civilians and military officers. They foment a coup d'état and, on June 24, 1932, overthrow the monarchy, while Rama VII (Prajadhipok) is in Hua Hin. They seized power and demanded the establishment of a constitutional monarchy. On 25 June, the King agreed; on 10 December, the Constitution was adopted. The king leaves the country for England.

Several rebellions led by royalist factions were carried out against Khana Ratsadon until 1938.

He appointed as his successor his nephew, Prince Ananda Mahidol, then aged 9, who attended school in Lausanne. Siam enters a period of turmoil.

Phibunsongkhram, a partisan officer of Mussolini and Hitler, becomes Prime Minister. It's the beginning of the dictatorship.

This change of name operated by Phibunsongkhram (Phibun) has the ambition to unite in one country all Asian Thais, but also to encourage ethnic minorities (Malay, Chinese, Laos, Songs...) to integrate into the "Great Kingdom of Thailand". Following the invasion of Japan, Thailand is forced to form an alliance with the occupier and declares war on the United States and England.

The defeat of France against the Germans during the French Campaign in 1940 prompted the Thai government to attack the French colonies in Indochina. This war ended in May 1941, Thailand won territories in Laos and Cambodia from the French.

Japan invades Thailand. On December 21, 1941, Phibun took advantage of the Pearl Harbor Crisis to join the Japanese in their fight against the Allies.

Construction of the Kwai River Bridge by the Empire of Japan. Located in Kanchanaburi and made famous by Pierre Boulle's novel, it is today a privileged tourist destination.

The Thai political turnaround is forgiven by the Allies, King Rama VIII then leaves his semi-exile Switzerland.

Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII) is found in his room shot in the head, his brother Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) succeeds him on the throne. Rumour has it that Pridi, the leader of Khana Ratsadon, who had fled to China, was responsible for the assassination. The chaos caused by this sudden death was used as a pretext for a coup d'état fomented on 9 November 1947 by Generals Phin Chunhawan and Piboun Songkram. The latter soon found themselves in conflict with a young general named Sarit Thanarat.

Coronation of Rama IX.

Coup d'état by Generals Sarit Thanarat, Thanom Kittikachorn and Prapat Charusathien. Military dictatorship regime.

Student demonstrations and the overthrow of the dictatorship of Marshals Thanom Kittikachorn and Prapat Charusathien... but the democracy that has been established quickly becomes anarchic.

In the attack on Thammasat University in Bangkok, dozens of people were massacred, bringing an end to the civil dictatorship of Prime Minister Thanin Kraivichien. A coup d'état sanctions this bloodbath and puts in place a civilian government that soon turns into a dictatorship even worse than that of the military. Foreign investors flee, and the regime is universally condemned.

The military put an end to this dictatorship with a new coup d'état. Thailand then entered a period of "democracy" under the tutelage of the armed forces.

Military coup: Prime Minister Chatchai Chunhawan, son of Phin Chunhawan who organized the 1947 coup, is overthrown.

Elections and return to democracy.

Thailand is making its fifteenth constitutional change since 1932. In May, Parliament is dissolved, followed by parliamentary elections. Businessmen enter politics in force. Banharn Silpa Archa of the Chat Thai Party becomes Prime Minister.

16th Constitution.

Thaksin Shinawatra, a former police officer and dynamic businessman, becomes the 23rd Prime Minister of the constitutional monarchy. He is supported by the "Thai Rak Thai" party (literally "Thais love Thais"). His character has points in common with a certain Berlusconi, although his government is behind a system of minimum wage and social security. The attack of September 11, 2001, increasing the insecurity of air transport and making an American military reaction in the East imminent, is having a negative impact on tourism in Thailand. Added to this are the attack in Bali (October 12, 2002) and the media's fatwas on Islamist activism in some southern provinces of Thailand. In 2003, Thaksin reacted by relying on American aid. In August, the Thai authorities and the CIA arrest Hambali, who is believed to be one of those responsible for the Bali bombing and who was preparing a new attack on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Bangkok.

The anti-drugs campaign launched by the Thai government has resulted in tens of thousands of arrests and around 2,000 summary executions!

A tsunami originating off the coast of Indonesia hits the southwest coast of Thailand. There are 5,395 dead (including 2,248 foreigners of 37 different nationalities), 673 missing and 8,457 injured, mainly on the beaches of Phuket, Koh Phi Phi and Khao Lak

Thaksin is reappointed Prime Minister. His personal intervention in the aftermath of the tsunami and his energetic management of the country's politics naturally influenced voters, especially those from rural areas. The year 2005 saw separatist clashes in three Muslim-majority provinces close to the Malaysian border. Attacks and police repression have resulted in the deaths of more than 1,000 people since January 2004.

Popular demonstrations calling for the resignation of the Prime Minister, followed by a boycott of the early parliamentary elections (scheduled for 2 April) by the opposition parties. Thaksin Shinawatra's government was overthrown in a military coup on 19 September. With the tacit blessing of the King, a military junta seized power in order to "restore law and order" and subsequently establish a new democratic government.

Referendum approving the new Thai constitution. In December, national parliamentary elections finally gave the PPP - "People's Power Party" - the advantage.

First demonstrations in the country, led by the PAD (People's Alliance for Democracy). In September, Samak Sundarajev is deposed and Thaksin's brother-in-law Somchai Wongsawat becomes prime minister. The PAD continues to demonstrate for two months. December: the Constitutional Court dissolves the ruling political party. Abhisit Vejjajiva, a member of the opposition, becomes Thailand's 27th Prime Minister.

With the PAD in power, pro-Thaksin demonstrators are calling for new elections and Abhisit's resignation.

Major floods are hitting Thailand. Around 100 people have died and more than 2 million people have been displaced across the country.

Election of Yingluck, Thaksin's little sister, as Prime Minister. She is the first woman to lead the country. New floods, the worst in half a century: they hit central Thailand hard, especially Ayutthaya.

The parliament is surrounded by the Yellow Shirts (Democratic Party of former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva) as it considers a bill to grant amnesty to those convicted during the 2006 political crisis, including former Prime Minister Thaksin, who is still in exile. The entry into force of this law would have enabled him to return to the country. The Constitutional Court finally ruled that the ruling party was not a threat to the constitutional monarchy, which eased tensions, although the political climate remains fragile. At the end of the year, former Prime Minister Abbhisit Vejjajiva was charged with murder.

At the end of November, Thailand faces a huge political crisis. The Yellow Shirts oppose the Red Shirts (in favour of Thaksin Shinawatra's government) and there are nearly 30 dead and hundreds of wounded on both sides. A large number of parliamentarians resigned.

Yingluck Shinawatra is dismissed. On 20 May, martial law is decreed by the army, which foments a coup d'état two days later. General Prayuth Chan-o-Cha, commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army, took power.

Prayuth Chan-o-Cha was elected Prime Minister by the National Assembly, an appointment approved by King Bhumibol 4 days later.

A bomb attack in the heart of Bangkok in a Hindu temple kills 20 people and wounds nearly 140 others. A suspect of Turkish origin is arrested a few days later.

New constitution that gives more power to the current military government.

Thailand mourns its old king who dies after a long illness. After 70 years of reign, his son Maha Vajiralongkorn succeeded him on November 29, 2016.

Year of mourning, the color black is worn by all Thai people. The cremation of King Rama IX takes place on October 26, 2017.

Rama X signs a new constitution, the 20th, prepared by the military and approved by referendum. Thailand becomes a constitutional monarchy. The power of the military is reinforced and the opposition is more and more rejected.

After two weeks underground in the cave of Tham Luang, in the north of the country, 12 young footballers and their coach were rescued thanks to international aid. A few days earlier, on 7 July, a boat was wrecked off the coast of Phuket, leaving more than 40 people dead and 15 missing. This tragedy went almost unnoticed by the media.

First legislative elections since the coup. The various parties are unable to form a government, the task will fall to Parliament.

Coronation of King Maha Vajiralongkorn (Rama X).

Parliament decides and Prayut Chan-O-Cha remains Prime Minister.

A Thai soldier who stole weapons, furious after a financial dispute, embarked on a bloody journey that left 29 people dead and 52 injured in the Terminal 21 shopping centre in Nakhon Ratchasima. It was the first mass shooting in Thailand that created a real shock wave throughout the kingdom.

Throughout the year, major pro-democracy demonstrations took place in Bangkok and the country's major cities, despite the health restrictions imposed by Covid 19. On June 24, 2021, the anniversary of the 1932 revolution that sealed the end of absolute monarchy, hundreds of protesters gathered in Bangkok to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha. The demonstrators were mostly students who wanted to see real democracy established in Thailand. The government took a hard line, and over a hundred protest leaders were jailed and charged with crimes against the majesty. By the end of the year, the protests had subsided, but were still going on.

After dissolving Parliament in March, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha called early parliamentary elections for May 2023. He came third, beaten by Pita Limjaroenrat, whose candidacy was declared illegal by Parliament in July. In the end, Srettha Thavisin was officially appointed Prime Minister on August 23. He would be dismissed one year later, on August 14, 2024.

Paetongtarn "Ung Ing" Shinawatra, daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was elected Prime Minister by the House of Representatives. At 37, she is the youngest person in the country's history to occupy this post.