central Thailand around AD 1000, an area already inhabited by two main Austro-Asiatic groups speaking Mon and Khmer. Present-day Thais are the product of the assimilation and fusion of these three groups.
In recent years, some Thai scholars, including historian Charnvit Kasetsiri, have called on the country to revert to its original name, Siam. Although the widespread practice of Theravada Buddhism has promoted racial harmony, Charnvit points out that it was only when the country became known as Thailand—’a land for Tais’—that its 50 other ethnic groups currently residing alongside the Tais, including Yuan, Lao, Malayu, Karen, Hmong, Chinese and, most recently, farang (people of European descent), were discriminated against and dissuaded from expressing their customs, dress and language in favor of a unified Thai existence or Thai-ness. Charnvit believes that a return to the name Siam would be the first step in signaling that not only the country’s past but also its present is made up of many different ethnicities and ideologies, and is the only way to bring about reconciliation of its mosaic of peoples and cultures.
Field Marshal Plaek was subsequently forced out of office and put on trial for war crimes, but was acquitted owing to strong Thai public support. In 1947, he led a coup and once again became prime minister. The following year Siam, for the second and final time, became Thailand.
THAILAND’S FOUR KINGDOMS
Thailand has gone through a myriad of changes and been exposed to numerous influences throughout its history. The existence of a number of separate, distinct and often co-existing Thai kingdoms has been largely responsible for the formation of the multifaceted Thailand we know today.
Sukhothai The Sukhothai kingdom of Thailand (1238–1448) is considered to be the ‘Golden Age of Thailand’. As the first independent Thai state following the decline of the Khmer empire in the early 13th century, it is also believed to signal the beginning of modern Thai history.
The Sukhothai kingdom was a prosperous and plentiful place for the country and its people, one where ‘rivers were full of fish and fields of rice’. It was also a time of relative peace, with good relationships with neighboring countries. During the Sukhothai period, it was believed that kings would keep bells outside of their palaces. If any subject had a grievance, he would ring the bell and the king would come to the gate and dispense justice accordingly. This leadership style was later to become known as ‘father governs children’ and is still relevant today, not only in the palace but also in the hierarchy of Thai companies and organizations.
Although its authenticity has subsequently been questioned, the Thai alphabet was created by King Ramkhamhaeng during this period, evidenced by the discovery of an inscribed tablet, the Ramkhamhaeng Stele. In the script, the king speaks of his benevolent leadership style. King Ramkhamhaeng’s ‘paternal rule’ and the culture and traditions of Sukhothai were later to take on further significance during the 1932 pro-democracy revolution, when scholars argued that it was the ‘Golden Age of Thailand’ that, in fact, had given birth to what was to become a peculiarly Thai style of democracy.
Ayutthaya The Ayutthaya kingdom (1350–1767) is perhaps the best-known ancient Thai kingdom as its capital is still resplendent with historical buildings and artifacts. This period of Thai history witnessed huge economic growth as well as the establishment of relations with foreign traders, especially the Portuguese. With great power came great change and during the Ayutthaya period Thai society became distinctly hierarchical, with the large majority of Thais working as slaves or serfs for landowners, nobles and officials. Unlike the paternalistic rule of the Sukhothai period, the kings of Ayutthaya had absolute power and were perceived as incarnations of gods.
The Ayutthaya period was integral in developing the Thai arts where all members of society, from court officials to artisans and scholars of Buddhist learning joined together to make and decorate the area’s temples and palaces.
But this period in Thai history was also fraught with wars and battles with Burma, which led to the ultimate sacking of the city in 1767 and subsequent destruction of a large number of records, palaces and temples. Despite this, for a long period during the Ayutthaya reign the kingdom was largely considered to be the strongest power in mainland Southeast Asia.
Lanna Much like the Sukhothai kingdom, the Lanna kingdom, which ruled from the 13th to 15th century in northern Thailand, had an incredible influence on Thai society and culture and is still nostalgically regarded.
The Lanna kingdom co-existed during the Sukhothai and Ayutthaya kingdoms, and at its height its power and influence were said to have rivaled Ayutthaya’s with whom it had repeated battles and skirmishes. It was during this period that Lanna’s culture and traditions of what is widely considered as the cultural capital of Thailand, Chiang Mai, were developed and firmly entrenched in Thai culture. Lanna architecture, woodcraft and masonry are easily identifiable and revered today. The kingdom eventually fell to the Burmese in 1558 but returned as a vassal state of Siam in the latter part of the 18th century.
Thonburi and Rattanakosin King Taksin the Great of Thonburi managed to reunite the country the following year, which gave birth to Thailand’s shortest reigning kingdom, the brief age of the Thonburi kingdom (1768–82). The capital of Siam was moved to Thonburi and located on the opposite side of the Chao Phraya River where Bangkok now stands. As a result of numerous internal political problems, King Taksin was reported to have succumbed to stress and was subsequently ordained as a monk, disappearing from sight.
Because of its more advantageous position, Bangkok was then chosen as the new capital city, and in 1782 King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (Rama I) took over and became the first Chakri (royal ruling house) king in the Rattanakosin kingdom—the dynasty that presently encompasses Thailand.
SIAMESE TWINS
Chang and Eng Bunker (1811–74), who were joined at the sternum, were perhaps the first two Siamese men known to the larger world. Commonly known as the ‘Siamese Twins’, they toured the world as an exhibit of interest before settling and marrying two sisters in North Carolina, USA. Owing to their Chinese ancestry, they were known as the ‘Chinese Twins’ in Siam.
King Rama V, widely considered one of the greatest kings of Siam.
King Rama IV, who provided the inspiration for the play and movie, The King and I.
ROYALTY IN THAILAND
The monarchy in Thailand is highly revered and staunchly protected by the lèse-majesté law. The current King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), is the world’s longest serving monarch and is dearly loved by the people of Thailand.
A testament to the Thai people’s love for the king and the royal family, past and present, is the sheer number of royal portraits in premises throughout the Thai social structure, including homes, factories, offices and roadside garages.
Whether Thai or not, you are expected to show the utmost respect for the Thai royal family, and on occasions that demand it, such as before movie screenings and football matches, stand for the Thai national anthem, which is also played at 8 am and 6 pm every day. In public places,
