Thailand means "land of the free", and throughout the country's 800-year history, the Thai people can boast the distinction of being the only country in Southeast Asia never to have been colonised.

Formerly known as Siam to foreigners who first came to this region as early as the 12th century, the country's name was changed to Thailand with the advent of a democratic government in 1939.

Long before the emergence of what is conventionally called the Thai kingdom during the 12th Century, the area known as the chao Phraya valley was inhabited by ancient civilisations that can be traced back to prehistoric times.

The Prehistoric Era

By far the most important archaeological discoveries confirming these ancient people were made in the tiny village of Ban Chiang near Udon Thani in the northeast. Systematic excavation of Ban Chiang began only two decades ago, revealing painted pottery, jewelry, bronze and iron tools. Settlement began about 3600 B.C. and lasted until about 250 B.C. The Ban Chiang people farmed rice, domesticated their animals, and were skilled potters.

But even before human beings roamed the northeastern plateau, the region was once home to a more ancient species of animal - the dinosaur (see picture). In 1984, fossils from plant-eating dinosaurs were found in Phu Wiang province, and was named Phuwiangosaurus sirindhornae, while a more recent fossil discovery unearthed the Siamotyrannus isanensis, a fierce meat-eating ancestor of the infamous Tyrannosaurus rex.

Over the centuries, the area was influenced by various cultures, from the Indians in the 3rd Century, the Mons between the 6th to the 11th centuries, and the Khmers who built the wondrous Angkor Wat and who also left their legacy in the form of numerous stone sanctuaries scattered across the Thai kingdom. Thailand's dominant culture is believed to have arrived with tribes who moved down from southern China almost a thousand years ago. They settled in what is now northern Thailand before expanding south to the rich plains and valleys, gradually asserting their independence from existing Khmer and Mon kingdoms.

The Sukhothai Era

By the 13th century, the Thais had begun to emerge as a dominant force in the region, slowly absorbing the weakened empires of the Mons and Khmers. By 1238, the first Thai kingdom, Sukhothai - called by its ruler "the dawn of happiness" - has been established. It is often considered the golden era of Thai history, an ideal Thai state in a land of plenty governed by paternal and benevolent kings, the most famous of whom was King Ramkamhaeng the Great.

Ramkamhaeng was noted as an administrator, legislator and statesman. He is credited with the invention of the Thai script. The Sukhothai period saw the Thais, for the first time, developing a distinctive civilisation with their own administrative institutions, art and architecture. Sukhothai Buddha images, characterised by refined facial features, lineal fluidity, and harmony of form, are considered to be the most beautiful and the most original of Thai artistic expression.

In 1350, the mightier state of Ayutthaya exerted its influence over gentile Sukhothai, and from a former vassal state, it usurped all administrative power, leaving Sukhothai a deserted kingdom.

The Ayutthaya Era

The Ayutthaya kings adopted Khmer cultural influences from the very beginning. No longer the paternal and accessible rulers that the kings of Sukhothai had been, Ayutthaya's sovereigns were absolute monarchs whose position was enhanced by trappings of royalty reflective of a Khmer devaraja (god-king). Brahmins officiated side by side with Buddhist monks at state ceremonies - a legacy which remains in modern Bangkok.

The 16th century was marked by the first arrival of Europeans and by continual conflict with the Burmese.

In 1569, Ayutthaya fell to Burmese forces that thoroughly sacked and plundered the city, and forcibly removed much of Ayutthaya's population to Burma. The Siamese kingdom, however, was reconsolidated by King Naresuan the Great. Under this great king, Ayutthaya prospered and became the thriving metropolis as described by 17th Century European visitors.

Europeans were primarily attracted to Siam as a door to the China trade. Ayutthaya and her ports became entrepots for goods travelling between Europe, India and the East Indies, and China and Japan. The height of European presence in Ayutthaya, especially the French, was undoubtedly during the reign of King Narai, who ruled 1656 to 1688. It was through the presence of these Europeans during King Narai's reign that gave the West most of its early knowledge of Siam. Some Western visitors compared Ayutthaya to Venice and called it "the most beautiful city in the East."

In 1767, a Burmese invasion succeeded in capturing Ayutthaya. In their hurry to withdraw from the conquered capital, the Burmese killed, looted and set fire to the whole city, thereby expunging four centuries of Thai civilisation. But despite their overwhelming victory, the Burmese didn't retain control of Siam for long. A young general named Phya Taksin gathered a small band of followers, broke through the Burmese encirclement and escaped to Chantaburi. Seven months after the fall of Ayutthaya, he and his forces sailed back to the capital and expelled the Burmese occupation garrison.

The Thonburi Era

General Taksin, as he is popularly known, decided to transfer the capital from Ayutthaya to a site nearer to the sea which would facilitate foreign trade, ensure the procurement of arms, and make defence and withdrawal easier in case of renewed Burmese attack. He established his new capital at Thonburi.

The rule of Taksin was not an easy one. The lack of central authority since the fall of Ayutthaya had led to the rapid disintegration of the kingdom, and Taksin's reign was spent reuniting the provinces.

The Rattanakosin Era

After Taksin's death, General Chakri became the first king of the Chakri dynasty, ruling from 1782-1809. His first action as king was to transfer his administrative headquarters across the river from Thonburi to Bangkok. There he set about to build his new palace according to the pattern of Ayutthaya. He assembled all surviving master craftsmen from the old city. The Grand Palace they built contained not only the residences of the king and the royal family, but also incorporated the government and judicial offices and, most importantly, the Royal Chapel where the revered Emerald Buddha was installed.

Rama I's successors, Rama II and Rama III, completed the consolidation of the Siamese kingdom and the revival of the arts and culture of Ayutthaya.

Rama II re-established relations with the West, suspended since the time of Narai, allowing the Portuguese to construct the first Western embassy in Bangkok. Rama III, ruled 1824-1851, continued to reopen Siam's doors to foreigners, successfully promoting trade with China. The ready availability of Chinese porcelain led him to decorate many of his temples, including Wat Arun, with porcelain fragments.

King Mongkut, Rama IV, who ruled 1851-1868, was the first Thai king to understand Western culture and technology, and his reign has been described as the "bridge spanning the new and the old."

Mongkut realised that traditional Thai values would not save his country from Western encroachment, and thus initiated the policy of modernisation that he believed would bring Siam in line with the West and reduce hostilities with foreigners.

Mongkut's son, Chulalongkorn, was only 15 when he ascended the throne. But he reigned over Siam as Rama V for 42 years - and transformed his country from a backward Asian land into a modern 20th century kingdom.

King Chulalongkorn's successor, Vajiravudh (1910-1925), was Oxford-educated and thoroughly Anglicised. His western-inspired reforms to modernise Siam considerably affected the structure of modern Thai society.

Prajadhipok (Rama VII) was personally concerned with improving the welfare of his subjects. He was aware of the rising demand for greater participation in government by a small foreign-educated faction, but felt that the Siamese were, on the whole not ready for democracy. In 1927, he publicly commented that the people must be first taught political consciousness before democracy could be effectively be introduced. However, a coup d'etat in 1932 ended the paternal but absolute rule of the king. the coup was staged by the People's Party, a military and civilian group masterminded by foreign-educated Thai, whose chief ideologist was Pridi Panomyong, a young lawyer trained in France.

The king accepted the provisional constitution by which he "ceased to rule but continued to reign." In December 1932, the king signed the Parliament Constitution which promised universal suffrage and general elections every four years. Upon the abdication of King Prajadhipok, Ananda Mahidol returned home to a tumultuous welcome in 1945. With his death just one year later, he was succeeded by his younger brother King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the present monarch.

"We will reign with dharma (righteousness), for the benefit and happiness of the Siamese people," was the coronation pledge of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. True enough, the king provides the stability and continuity lacking in the turbulent cycle of Thai politics and a young democracy. Tirelessly touring the land with Queen Sirikit to inspect and improve the welfare of the people, the King inspires universal reverence. As a constitutional monarch, he maintains neutrality at times of crisis.

- Information from Tourist Authority of Thailand Travel Manual

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