History of Thailand

Thailand was originally known as Siam and it has been populated from the times immemorial. The origins date back to about 4,500 years and they seem to have originated in north western Szechuan and later moved downwards from China to Thailand. Here they split into two major portions. One group settled in the north in the kingdom of "Lan Na" and the other moved south and became the kingdom of "Sukhotai"

There are innumerable disputes over the origin of the Thais. Some say that they were originally Austronesians instead of Mongoloids but whatever the case might be by the end of the 13th Century the Thais were well settled in the South East of Asia.

The Khmer influence

The western and the central area of Thailand was occupied by the Mon civilization from the 9th to the 11th century. This gradually spread to the central area and it influenced art, religion and language. It was during the period of Khmer that Sanskrit entered the Mon-Thai vocabulary. There were stone temples built at Phantom Rung and Phimai according to the Khmer but it did not spread to the entire region.

The Lanna period

The kingdom of Lan Ha flourished over a span of 200 years. In the middle of the 15th Century its arts and literature reached the pinnacle and this was during the King Tilokoraj period. After he died Lan Na weakened due to internal conflicts caused by the successors of the Sukhothai.

Sukhothai

This was the first Thai Kingdom and it was founded by Khun Pha Muang and Khun Bang Klang Thao (Si Inthrathit) in 1238. This period is considered to be the Golden Age in Thai culture as it was during this time that the territories spread and the modern Thai alphabet was developed.
Ayutthaya Period

This was the capital of the Thai kingdom that was founded in 1350 by U-Thong King. It is an island formed by the three rivers the Pasak, the Chao Phraya and the Loburi. It was an ideal place for settlement due to its economical and geographical advantages. A Portuguese Embassy was established in the area followed by the Spaniards.

The Modern times

After the Ayutthaya period came the Ratanakosin period and it was under the rule of Rama IX that the name of the country was changed to Thailand which means "free". Throughout the centuries the land has witnessed a lot of bloodshed especially during the World War II to emerge into its present condition.

Accommodation in Thailand
Accommodation in Bangkok	Accommodation in Pattaya
Accommodation in Phuket	Accommodation in Koh Samui
Accommodation in Chiang Mai	Accommodation in Koh Chang