Chronology

Chronology

Dates	Period	Arts and Literature	Politics	Images
1238-1350	Sukhothai	King Ramkhamhaeng developed the first Thai alphabet based on the consolidation of various forms of Khmer alphabets. Developed in 1283, the Thai alphabet developed by the king has remained practically unchanged all the way up to present day.	King Ramkhamhaeng was the most popular king from this era. He was most noted for increasing the realm of Sukhothai by more than ten times. He was also credited with reopening relations with China which led to major cultural influences, particularly in the skill of pottery.
1350-1767	Ayutthaya	During this time, Thailand experienced the first arrival of Europeans to visit the country which coincided with the dynasty's ushering of Thailand into one of its grandest times. During this time, and despite constant Burmese attacks, Ayutthaya became known as one of the world's most "magnificent" cities and a "remarkable royal court", especially to Europeans, which opened Thailand up to a great influx of culture and began Thailand's reputation of being a land of accepting and accommodating people.	Ayutthaya was situated at the convergence of three rivers, which greatly enhanced Thailand's presence in trade and aided in extending its influence throughout Asia and Europe. Though attacked and destroyed by Burmese invaders twice, Thailand never fell under control of another country; a feat the country still boasts today.
1767-1932	Chakri Monarchy	With the establishment of an absolute monarchy, formality and civilization is stressed to the Thai people. In this regard, the Wai Khru ritual becomes an important part of all Thai children's lives as the practice is widely implemented in schools to honor the parents and teachers of the children. Last names were also introduced during this era in Thai history. Until this point, Thai people had always gone by a single name, a practice Rama VI found uncivilized.	The Chakri Dynasty was an absolute monarchy that could be said to have ushered in the modern state of Thailand, particularly its seemingly always unstable government. The capital was moved to Thonburi, across a river from Bangkok.
1932-Present	Contemporary Thailand	The name of the country was officially changed from Siam to Thailand. Though many of its people had always called the country Thailand, it had adopted the name Siam for some time because that is how it was known in the Western nations, which was probably a result of mistranslation to begin with.	A coup d'etat overthrew the Chakri dynasty and replaced it with a constitutional monarchy, originally ruled over by Rama VIII. Thailand begins a time of rapid rise and decline both in government and economic terms. Currently, Thailand is a democracy, though corruption abounds.

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