Top Facts about Thailand That Will Surprise You!

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Top Facts about Thailand That Will Surprise You!
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A Short History of Thailand
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Thailand officially referred to as the Kingdom of
Thailand, previously known as Siam, is a nation
at the centre of the Indochinese peninsula in
Southeast Asia. It occupies a total area of
roughly 513,000 km² and it is the 51st biggest
country in the world. 
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• Evidence of human occupation in Thailand dates
  all the way back to 40,000 years ago. There are
  stone artefacts that date to this period at Tham
  Lod Rock shelter in Mae Hong Son. Like other
  areas in Southeast Asia, Thailand was influenced
  a lot by the religions and cultures of India.
• This influence started with the Funan Kingdom in
  the 1st century CE to the Khmer Empire. In its
  earliest days, Thailand was ruled by the Khmer
  Empire, which had sturdy Hindu roots, and that
  influence is still present among Thais.

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Khmer Influence in Thailand
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• From the 9th to the 11th century the western and
  central regions of Thailand were occupied by a
  Mon civilization known as Dvaravati. The Mon
  shared a similar lineage as the Khmers who
  settled in southern Burma. Dvaravati influence
  was spread to regions such as Lawo (Lopburi),
  Phong Tuk, Khu Bua, and Nakhon Pathom.
• This was an Indian culture and Theravada Buddhism
  was the main religion in the region. Khmer
  influence was brought in the nature of religion,
  art and language.
• The Sanskrit dialect was entered into the
  Mon-Thai glossary during this period. This
  influence had an effect on many provinces
  especially in the north-east regions in cities
  such as Lopburi and Kanchanaburi.
• The Khmer people constructed stone temples in
  the northeast region of the country. Some of
  these temples have been reinstated to their
  earlier glory. Despite their influence, it is
  important to note that the Khmer did not have
  political control in the whole country and they
  governed the areas they settled in through
  governors and vassals.

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Khmer Influence in Thailand
The northern region of Thailand was at one time
occupied by the ancient Lanna Empire which spread
to Phayao, Lamphun, Lampang, and Chiang Mai. The
empire was tucked safely in a valley and Chiang
Rai - Phayao and Chiang Mai - Lamphun were the
main cities of the empire. Chiang Mai Lamphum,
also referred to as Haripunchai spread to
Lampang, also referred to as Kelang Nakhon.
Chiang Rai Phayao in that era was known as
Yonok. The first leader of the Lanna Empire was
King Mangrai who came to power in 1259. He
expanded the empire from the Laos borders to
Lamphum. Historical inscriptions suggest that
King Mangrai seized the Haripunchai region and
then built Chiang Mai as the capital of his
kingdom. This construction was witnessed by Phra
Ruang of Sukhothai and Phya Ngum Muang of Phayao
who were close friends with King Mangrai. The
kingdoms of these three kings were closely linked
and appeared to be a consolidated state. The
Lanna Empire flourished for more than 200 years
and its literature and art were at their peak,
especially in the 15th century during the tenure
of King Tilokoraj. After his death, the kingdom
went through a lot of internal conflicts and went
to wars with Sukhothais successors, which led to
the weakening of the empire.
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Bang Pa-In Palace, Ban Len, Thailand
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Thailand's Sukhothai Era

• Sukhothai means the Dawn of Happiness. This was
  the first truly independent kingdom in Thailand
  and it was established in 1238 by two Thai
  chiefs, Khun Pa Muang and Khun Bang Klang. In the
  1300s, the Sukhothai kingdom ruled the Chao Phya
  River basin, on the western Bay of Bengal and the
  whole Peninsula. This was a short-lived kingdom
  but it has a lot of cultural significance in the
  countrys history.  This era was the most
  prosperous period in the country.

• The kingdom expanded its boundaries of influence
  after independence. It stretched its boundary
  from Lampang to Vientiane, in present day Laos
  and in the south to the Malay Peninsula. This era
  led to the countrys slow expansion in the whole
  Phraya River basin and it established Theravada
  Buddhism as the main religion in Thailand. During
  this time, Thailand had strong relationships with
  the neighbouring states and it adopted elements
  from different civilizations it came into contact
  with.

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Thailand's Ayutthaya Era
The Ayutthaya kingdom was situated on a small
island, surrounded by three rivers. Its location
was very superior thus making it powerful very
first both economically and politically. The name
Ayutthaya was derived from Ayodhya which is an
Indian holy city. King Uthong was the first
ruler of this kingdom and he made two main
contributions to the history of Thailand. He
established and promoted Theravada Buddhism as
the Thailands official religion so as to
distinguish his kingdom from the neighbouring
Hindu Angkor Kingdom. He also compiled the
Dharmasastra. This is a legal code founded in
traditional Thai customs and Hindu sources. This
code was used as a tool of law in the country
until the 19th century.
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Thailand's Thonburi Era
Thonburi kingdom was established by Phraya Taksin
who was a Thai general. He was later crowned King
Taksin Maharaj. The kingdom was located on the
west bank of the Chao Phraya River opposite what
is presently the City of Bangkok. He named
himself king after he defeated the Burmese
invaders who had been at war with the Ayutthaya
kingdom. Thonburi was a small town but its
location made it a suitable seaport. Chinese-Thai
and Chinese traders engaged in maritime trade
with the neighbouring countries and a number of
European nations thus boosting the economy which
had suffered a lot during the war with Burma,
presently Myanmar.
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Thailand's Rattanakosin Era
This era was under the Chakris who were sworn in
on April 6, 1782, alongside the coronation of
King Buddha Yot Fa Chulalok or Rama I. The king
developed the governing house that has continued
to the present. Under his tenure, Thailand
covered parts of Burma, all regions of
present-day Laos, Kedah province in Malaysia and
Cambodia. He moved the capital city to Bangkok,
revived the countrys economy and restored what
remained of the Ayutthaya artistic heritage.
During this era, laws were created to improve the
rights of women and children. New road and
waterways were opened, and the first printing
press was established. Reforms were made in the
administrative legal, and tradition realms and
officials were allowed to sit on chairs during
royal meetings.
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