Chronology of Thai History
|
Siam during
the Sukhothai period (late 13th. century) |
8th-13th Century
Thais gradually migrated from south-western China
into northern Thailand, when a major part of what is today's Thailand
was controlled by the Mons and the Khmers. |
1238
King Si Inthrathit drove out the Khmers and established the first
Thai Kingdom at
Sukhothai.
|
1275
King Ramkhamhaeng ascended the throne. He is credited with the invention
of the Thai alphabet and the expansion of the realm of the Kingdom
right down to the southern tip of Malay peninsula. |
| 1350
A new Thai Kingdom sprang up at Ayutthaya near the
Gulf of Thailand, supplanting Sukhothai's dominance. |
Siam
during King Naresuan's reign (1590-1605) |
1569
Ayutthaya
was captured by the Burmese for the first time. Fifteen years later,
King Narusuan restored Thai independence. |
1656
King Nari was enthroned. He adopted a friendly policy towards foreigners,
especially the Europeans, and Ayutthaya became a great metropolis
of the world. |
1767
After a 15-month siege, Ayutthaya was again overrun by the Burmese
in April. The city was burnt down. Temples and palaces were
emptied of priceless treasures and many survivors were marched off
to Burma as prisoners. In October, the capital was recovered
by Phraya Tak, who was crowned as King Taskin with Thon Buri ( now
part of Bangkok ) as capital. |

Map of Thailand 1886 click
here
please be patient
(1 MB) file.
|
Siam during early Bangkok period
(1782-1851) |
1782
King Rama I. founded the Chakri dynasty and moved the
capital across the Choa Phraya River to
Bangkok.
|
| 1851
King Mongkut, or Rama IV, was enthroned after 27 years as a Buddhist
monk. The first monarch in Asia who mastered English, he set the
country on the path to modernization. |
1868-1910
King Chulalongkorn continued his fathers reforms, leading
Thailand steadily into the 20th century. He abolished the slavery
system and succeeded in making Thailand the only south-eastern Asian
country that averted Western colonialism.
|
1932
A bloodless coup took place changing an absolute monarchy into a
constitutional monarchy. In 1935, King Prajadhipok abdicated.
|
The present boundary of Thailand
|
1946
King Ananda Mahidol mysteriously died of a gunshot
wound. His brother
Bhumibol Adulyadej
became the 9th King of the dynasty and has now surpassed
his grandfather Chulalongkorn as the longest reigning King in Thai
history.
He has launched numerous projects in rural development and has
been a stabilization factor in Thai politics. Under his reign, Thailand
has made rapid progress in the economy and is emerging as a newly
industrialized country.
|
For a Genealogical Table of the Present Chakri Dynasty
Click HERE
|
Go to
facts page
| Chakri Dynasty |
Transportation
| Thai History
|