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The history of the territory of the nowadays Thailand can be summarised into three main areas. The first as the time before and in Sukhothai, the second as the time of Ayuthaya and the third as after Ayuthaya or Rattanakosin/Bangkok including Thonburi. |
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| Timeline | |
Period One The first period started in the metal ages with the foundation of Ban Chiang, near nowadays Ubon Ratchathani. It included the ancient kingdoms on Thailand's soil and concluded with the kingdom of Sukhothai. |
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Event |
Time |
| Spirit Caves, near Pang Ma Pha in Mae Hong Son province | 11000 - 5000 BC |
| First settlement in Ban Chiang, near Ubon Ratchathani, probably one of the 'cradles of civilization' | 3600 - 1000 BC |
| Settlement at Ban Non Wat | 2100 BC |
| Copper site of Non Pa Wai, one of the largest Asian copper works sites | 1500 BC |
| Bronze Age settlement at Non Nok Tha | 1500 - 1000 BC |
| Copper Age settlement at Ban Na Di, near Udon Thani | 1313 - 903 BC |
| Ban Prasat pottery created at Prasat Hin Phanom Wan | 1000 BC |
| Jewelry, bronze and iron tools and pottery from Noen U-Loke | 1000 - 1 BC |
| Early Mon villages in the central plains and northern higlands and Khmer settlements in the Mekhon village | 900 BC |
| Pottery and bracelets show that Phimai was settled | 500 BC |
| Development of a complex society at Ban Chaibadan | 300 - 200 BC |
| Moated settlement at Non Muang Kao | 1 - 600 AD |
| First stone inscriptions in Mon language | 600 AD |
| Lopburi found under the name Lawo | 600 AD |
| Malay Empire of the Srivijaya with center in Indonesian Sumatra dominates wide areas of Southern and Central Thailand | 200 - 1400 AD |
| Mon Empire of Dvaravati with capital in Nakhon Pathom | 500 - 1100 AD |
| Mon Harinpunchai Empire with capital in Lamphun | 750 - 1292 AD |
| Khmer sanctuary at Sadokkokthom, near Aranyaprathet | 800 - 900 AD |
| Petchaburi found | 800 AD |
| Suphanburi found | 877 - 882 AD |
| Development of Prasat Hin Phanom Wan to an important position within the Khmer Empire | 900 - 1000 AD |
| Phichit found | 1058 AD |
| Phayao found and Phayao kingdom established | 1096 AD |
| Domination of large parts of Thailand by the Angkor Empire | 1130 - 1238 AD |
| Khmer hospital site built at Prang Ku by king Javavarman VII | 1200 - 1300 AD |
| Pho Khun Pha Muang and later King Indrathit, Pho Khun Bang Klang Hao, take over Sukhothai, declare their independence from Angkor Empire and establish a Thai ruled kingdom | 1238 AD |
| Sri Indrathit becomes king of Sukhothai | 1249 AD |
| King mengrai the Great founds the Lanna Kingdom | 1259 AD |
| King Ramkhamhaeng the Great asends to the thron of Sukhothai as third king | 1278 AD |
| King Ramkhamhaeng invents the first Thai alphabet as a sign of the nation's independence | 1283 AD |
| Creation of the most important stone inscription of Sukhothai which displays the history of the city | 1292 AD |
| King mengrai of the Lanna annexes the haripunchai Kingdom | 1292 AD |
| The Lanna take over Tak from Sukhothai | 1321 AD |
Period Two - Ayuthaya The second period started before Ayuthaya took over the rule over main parts of Siam. It finished with the downfall of Ayuthaya after 417 years dominance to the Burmese armies. |
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| King Ramathibodi I (King Uthong) founds the city of Ayuthaya as capital of his empire | 1350 AD |
| Theravada Buddhism is introduced as the main religion | 1360 AD |
| First reign of the Uthon dynasty | 1350 - 1370 AD |
| First reign of the Suphannaphum dynasty | 1370 - 1388 AD |
| Ayuthaya absorbs the Sukhothai kingdom | 1376 AD |
| Second reign of the Uthong dynasty | 1388 - 1409 AD |
| Second reign of the Suphannaphum dynasty | 1409 - 1569 AD |
| King Borommatrailokanat moves the capital temporarily to Phitsanulok to strengthen the control of the city after it had been attacked by the Lanna | 1463 AD |
| First contacts with Europeans as portugues traders come to the country and arrange a first trading agreement | 1511 AD |
| Battle against Burma, in which the wife of the reigning Thai king Chakrapat, Suryothai, is killed by the frontline commander of the Burmese king Tabinshweti, Phra Jao Prae Tado Thammaraja, before the gates of Ayuthaya | 1548 AD |
| Ayuthaya kingdom is overrun by the Burmese | 1569 AD |
| Reign of the Sukhothai dynasty | 1569 - 1629 AD |
| Phra Naresuan returns from Burma to Thailand and declares independence | 1584 AD |
| King Naresuan the Great ascends to the throne | 1590 AD |
| Trading agreement with the Dutch which gives them a priviliged position in the rice trade | 1592 AD |
| Reign of the Prasat Thong dynasty | 1630 - 1688 AD |
| The town of Chiang Mai declares independence from the Brumese | 1630 AD |
| Dutch are temporarily declared persona non grata after Holland had threatened Ayuthaya with war. | 1639 AD |
| King Narai the Great succeeds the throne | 1656 AD |
| Constantin Phaulcon arrives in Siam to become the first foreigner being advisor to a Thai king | 1678 AD |
| The first Catholic delegation, Jesuits from the order of Loyola, establishes itself in Siam | 1685 AD |
| Reign of the Ban Phlu Luang dynasty | 1688 - 1767 AD |
| Chiang Mai is taken back by the Burmese | 1764 AD |
| Ayuthaya fells to the Burmese | 8th April 1767 |
Period Three - Thonburi/Rattanakosin/Bangkok It did not take Thailand a long time to be liberated after the fall of Ayuthaya. The next king, Thaksin the Great, found a new capital at Thonburi which was later moved to nowadays Bangkok. |
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| King Thaksin the Great liberates Thailand, unites it for the first time and establishes a new capital at Thonburi | 1767 AD |
| King Thaksin the Great builds Phra Racha Wang Derm | 1768 AD |
| King Thaksin subdues Cambodia | 1771 AD |
| King Thaksin takes chiang Mai and finally permanently unites Thailand and Lanna | 1776 AD |
| The Emerald Buddha is brought to Thonburi after Vientiane was taken by the Thais | 1779 AD |
| Death of king thaksin the Great | 1782 AD |
| Reign of King Rama I | 1782 - 1809 AD |
| King Rama I invades Luang Prabang and makes most of Laos a part of Thailand | 1792 AD |
| Reign of King Rama II. Phuttaloetta Naphalai | 1809 - 1824 AD |
| A British Indian mission demands from Siam to open up for more free trade | 1821 AD |
| Reign of King Rama III, Nangklao | 1824 - 1851 AD |
| Thailand signs the first trade treaty with a European power, the British | 1826 AD |
| Siam succeeds in a war with Vietnam over the rule over Cambodia | 1842 - 1845 AD |
| King Rama II declines a demand of British and Ameriucan missions to lift all restrictions on trade, a western style government and immunity from their citizen from Siamese law | 1850 AD |
| Reign of King Rama IV, Mongkut | 1851 - 1868 AD |
| The Bowring agreement between Britain and Siam is signed | 1855 AD |
| Reign of King Rama V, Chulalongkorn | 1868 - 1910 AD |
| After a visit of his foreign minister, Prince Devrawongse, King Rama V decides to establish a Cabinet government, an audit office and am education department | 1887 AD |
| The French take over the regions east of the Mrkong after the British failed in their protection of Siam and Siam loses further the regions of the north-east of Burma, the Shan speaking regions, to the British | 1893 AD |
| The French take over regions on the western bank of the Mekong, western Cambodia, southern Laos | 1906 - 1907 AD |
| The British demand large parts of Burma as a compensation for protection of Siam against the French | 1909 AD |
| Reign of King Rama VI, Vajiravudh | 1910 - 1925 AD |
| Chulalongkorn University is found | 1916 AD |
| Siam declares war on Germany and joines the allied faction of World War I | 1917 AD |
| The United States grant Siam full rights in their trade regulations back | 1920 AD |
| Britain and France take back their regulations on trade restrictions for Siam and Siam gets finally full sovereignty in their trade back | 1925 AD |
| Reign of King Rama VII, Prajadhipok | 1925 - 1935 AD |
| A coup d'etat causes the end of the bsolute monarchy in Siam | June 24, 1932 AD |
| Prince Bovoradej attempts a revolution against the new constitutional government but is defeated and leaves for Indochina for exile | 1933 AD |
| Thammasat University is found | June 27, 1934 AD |
| The government forces King Prajadhipok to abduct and chooses Prince Ananda Mahidol as new king | March 2, 1935 AD |
| Reign of King Rama VIII | 1935 - 1946 AD |
| Elected local and provincial governments are introduced and direct elections held for the National Assembly | 1937 AD |
| The election of Major General Phibun as prime minister causes military domination of the country | 1938 AD |
| Prime minister Phibun, as a fascistic admirer of Mussolini, lets political opponents being executed to manifest his power | 1939 AD |
| Pibun changes the name of the country to Thailand, meaning 'land of the free' | 1939 AD |
| A law is issued that prohibits to ridicule people who promote national customs | 1941 AD |
| Thailand and Vichy France fight for areas around the Mekhong River and Thailand wins some areas of Laos and Cambodia back | 1941 AD |
| The United States cut of their petroleum supply for Thailand reacting on Phibun's ambitions to promote himself as the true national leader | April 1941 AD |
| Japan invades the south of the country | December 8, 1941 AD |
| Phibun decides for a military alliance with the Japanese | 1942 AD |
| Thailand declares war with the United States and Britain but the declaration against the USA is considered illegal by the ambassador in Washington and so never officially delivered | January 1942 |
| Allied air forces raid Bangkok several time with bombing strikes | 1944 AD |
| Seni Pramoj, the previous thai ambassador in Washington, becomes prime minister of Thailand after the war | 1945 AD |
| Pridi becomes first really elected prime minister of the county | 1946 AD |
Reign of King Rama IX, Bhumiphol Adulyadey |
1946 - present |
| Pridi agrees to hand back the French territories taken in the war and in exchange for admission to the United Nations, dropping of all wartime claims against Thaland and a package of American aid. | 1947 AD |
| The army makes it possible that Phibun returns as prime minister | April 1948 AD |
| Phibun lets again execute political opponents | 1949 AD |
| Opponents of Phibun try counter coup attempts but are not successful all three times | 1948 - 1951 AD |
| The foundation of the SEATO (South East Asian Trade Organization) makes Thailand an ally of the US | 1954 AD |
| A bloodless coup d'etat finishes Phibun's regime and Thanom become temporarily prime minister until 1958 AD | September 17, 1957 AD |
| Sarit as prime minister | 1958 - 1963 AD |
| Sarit suspends the current constitution | |
| Thailand starts to support US interests in Indochina and allows US airbases on its soil | 1961 AD |
| Thanom becomes prime minsiter for a scond time | 1963 AD |
| Thailand reaches a population of 30 million | 1965 AD |
| Thailand finally arranges a new constitution | 1968 AD |
| First student demonstrations against the government | 1968 AD |
| Ramkhamhaeng University students are expelled after criticising the government | June 1973 AD |
| Students are asrrested on charges of conspiracy to overthrow the government | October 1973 AD |
| Student demonstrations end in the police shooting at the demonstrants to remain order, King Bhumiphol in this situation saves a lot of students' lives as he opens Chitlada Palace gates and provides shelter | October 14, 1973 AD |
| Thanin becomes prime minister after a military coup d'etat | October 6, 1976 AD |
| Krianfsak becomes prime minister after a military coup d'etat | October 1977 AD |
| Deng Xiaoping declares to end all chinese support for Thai communists | 1979 AD |
| Prem becomes prime minister | 1980 AD |
| Seperatists, calling themselves Young Turks, temporarily succeed in a coup d'etat but Prem regains quickly his position | April 1981 AD |
| Prem's power manifests with broad support from the population after free elections for the national Assembly | April 1983 AD |
| Chatichai becomes prime minister after free elections | 1988 AD |
| Typhoon Gay causes heavy damage in mainly Chumphon and Ranong province | November 1989 AD |
| Generals Suchinda and Sunthorn and other generals of the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy stage a coup against the corrupt government | February 1991 AD |
| Lauda Air Flight 004 crashes over Uthai thani Province | May 26, 1991 AD |
| Anand becomes prime minister established by the military | 1991 AD |
| Suchinda becomes prime minister after free elections | March 1992 AD |
| Mass demonstrations against Suchinda, led by Chamlong which are ended by the King calling Chamlong and Suchinda to a broadcasted speech and Suchinda's resignation | May 1992 AD |
| Anand becomes interim prime minister | May 1992 AD |
| Chuan becomes prime minister after free elections | September 1992 AD |
| Banharn becomes prime minister | 1995 AD |
| Banharn has to call in early elections after corruption charges and Chavalit becomes free elected prime minister | 1996 AD |
| Chavalit is co-responsible that the Asian Financial Crisis affects also Thailand | June 1997 AD |
| Chavalit resigns and Chuan returns to power | November 1997 AD |
| Thaksin becomes elected prime minister | 2001 AD |
| Conflict with Cambodia in which the Thai embassy in Pnom Penh is burned down after a Thai actress had declared Ankor Wat was stole from Thailand | January 2003 AD |
| Controversial 'War against drugs' starts in which more than 2,000 people are killed, inofficial numbers reach 10,000 victims | February 2003 AD |
| Muslim revolts in the South start | January 2004 AD |
| Thailand is shaken by the Tsunami | December 26, 2004 AD |
| Thaksin becomes re-elected prime minister | February 2005 AD |
| Start of ralleys against Thaksin as he is accused of corruption and immorality | December 2005 AD |
Thaksin is accused by broad masses of the population of having not declared taxes for a 73,000 million baht deal |
January 2006 AD |
| The whole country is celebrating the 60th anniversary of HRM throne acession | May 9, 2006 AD |
Bloodless coup d'etat against the Thaksin government, supported by broad masses of the population
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September 19, 2006 AD
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