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Thailand’s STORIED PAST

The founding of the Sukhothai (“Dawn of Happiness”) kingdom in 1238, after the expulsion of Khmer forces, was truly the dawning of a new era in the country’s history. Of all the kingdom’s rulers, King Ramkhamhaeng (1275–1317) is one of the most legendary. He made Theravada Buddhism the main religion and, using Mon, Khmer and south India models, created the first Thai alphabet.

Under his rule, trade routes were established through much of Asia, and the arts blossomed. King Ramkhamhaeng (a long road in Bangkok is named after him) also gave his blessing to the formation of the northern Thai kingdom known as Lanna (“A Million Ricefields”) in 1296, which was overrun by Burmese hordes in 1558. During the Sukhothai period, such still-running festivals as Loy Krathong, where tiny floats adorned with flowers and candles are floated on the waterways, also began.

For more than four centuries (beginning in 1350), and through 34 reigns, the kingdom of Ayutthaya prospered until it finally went down in flames—torched and vanquished by the Burmese in 1767. During its heyday, this island was the richest port in the region. From the chronicles written by European traders, missionaries and diplomats, the city, and its royal court and golden Buddha images, made London and Paris seem drab by comparison.

The war hero who eventually drove the Burmese out of Ayutthaya, and then moved the new Siamese capital to Thonburi, had himself crowned as King Taksin. Having to continually fight off the Burmese and modify the country’s political system took its toll on his mental health—to the point where he thought himself to be a Buddha-like figure, even if his violent behavior proved the opposite. He was forced to abdicate the throne in 1782. Later, fearing reprisals on his part, a group of generals stuffed him in a sack and pummeled him to death with sandalwood clubs, because royal blood cannot touch the earth.

The Rattanakosin period was a tumultuous time that saw the capital moved across the banks of the Chao Phraya River to Bangkok, and the coronation of the first king of the Chakri dynasty.

In 1932, a coup d’état (sans blood-letting), led to the development of a constitutional monarchy. Six years later, the name of the country was changed from Siam to Thailand. During World War II, the Japanese occupied parts of Thailand, perpetuating the atrocities involved with the construction of the infamous “Death Railway”.

In 1946, a young monarch named Ananda Mahidol ascended the throne only to be shot dead a year later by a killer who has escaped detection. Next in line to the throne was his brother, Bhumibol Adulyadej, who became the world’s longest reigning monarch in 1988. In 2011, there were countrywide tributes and events to mark the auspicious occasion of his 84th birthday.

After World War II, Thailand was ruled by a series of military strongmen who brooked no political opposition for the next few decades. Finally, in 1973, great masses of students began protesting for a real constitution and an end to dictatorships. A non-violent demonstration in October of that year turned the grounds of Thammasat University into a killing field when soldiers stormed in to break up the protest. The bloodbath in October of 1976 was considerably worse. These atrocities came full circle in 1992 during the “Black May” crisis, and once again during the “red shirt” protests on the streets of Bangkok in 2010 that left at least 91 people dead and thousands injured.

Much of Thailand’s modern history has been scarred by political infighting and tainted with cases of corruption. After a series of short-lived governments following the coup that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006, the country’s political situation remains shaky, even if it does have the second largest economy in Southeast Asia, and remains the undisputed leader in tourism.