![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/07\/Thailand-on-the-Globe-300x300.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Tai peoples<\/a>\u00a0migrated from southwestern China to mainland Southeast Asia from the 11th century; the oldest known mention of their presence in the region by the\u00a0exonym<\/a>\u00a0Siamese<\/i>\u00a0dates to the 12th century. Various\u00a0Indianised kingdoms<\/a>\u00a0such as the\u00a0Mon kingdoms<\/a>,\u00a0Khmer Empire<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Malay states<\/a>\u00a0ruled the region, competing with Thai states such as the Kingdoms of\u00a0Ngoenyang<\/a>,\u00a0Sukhothai<\/a>,\u00a0Lan Na<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Ayutthaya<\/a>, which rivalled each other. Documented European contact began in 1511 with a\u00a0Portuguese<\/a>\u00a0diplomatic mission to Ayutthaya, which became a regional power by the end of the 15th century. Ayutthaya reached its peak during cosmopolitan\u00a0Narai<\/a>‘s reign, gradually declining thereafter until being ultimately destroyed in the\u00a01767 Burmese\u2013Siamese War<\/a>.\u00a0Taksin<\/a>\u00a0quickly reunified the fragmented territory and established the short-lived\u00a0Thonburi Kingdom<\/a>. He was succeeded in 1782 by\u00a0Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke<\/a>, the first monarch of the current\u00a0Chakri dynasty<\/a>.<\/p>\n Throughout the era of\u00a0Western imperialism in Asia<\/a>, Siam remained the only nation in the region to avoid being\u00a0colonized<\/a>\u00a0by foreign powers, although it was often forced to cede both territory and trade concessions in\u00a0unequal treaties<\/a>. The Siamese system of government was centralized and transformed into a modern unitary\u00a0absolute monarchy<\/a>\u00a0in the reign of\u00a0Chulalongkorn<\/a>. In\u00a0World War I<\/a>, Siam sided with\u00a0the allies<\/a>, a political decision to amend the unequal treaties. Following a bloodless\u00a0revolution in 1932<\/a>, it became a constitutional monarchy and changed its official name to Thailand, which was a\u00a0satellite of Japan<\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0World War II<\/a>. In the late 1950s, a military coup under Field Marshal\u00a0Sarit Thanarat<\/a>\u00a0revived the monarchy’s historically influential role in politics. Thailand became a\u00a0major ally<\/a>\u00a0of the\u00a0United States<\/a>, and played an\u00a0anti-communist role<\/a>\u00a0in the region as a member of the failed\u00a0SEATO<\/a>, but since 1975, had sought to improve relations with Communist China and Thailand’s neighbors. Apart from a\u00a0brief period of parliamentary democracy<\/a>\u00a0in the mid-1970s, Thailand has periodically alternated between democracy and military rule. Since the 2000s, it has been caught in a series of bitter political conflict between supporters and opponents of\u00a0Thaksin Shinawatra<\/a>, which culminated in two coups, most recently\u00a0in 2014<\/a>\u00a0and the establishment of its\u00a0current and 20th constitution<\/a>\u00a0and faces the\u00a0ongoing pro-democracry protests<\/a>.<\/p>\n Thailand is a\u00a0middle power<\/a>\u00a0in global affairs, and a founding member of\u00a0ASEAN<\/a>; ranking high in the\u00a0Human Development Index<\/a>. It has the\u00a0second-largest economy<\/a>\u00a0in Southeast Asia, and the\u00a020th-largest in the world<\/a>\u00a0by\u00a0PPP<\/a>. Thailand is classified as a\u00a0newly industrialized economy<\/a>; manufacturing, agriculture, and\u00a0tourism<\/a>\u00a0are leading sectors of the economy.<\/p>\n There is evidence of continuous human habitation in present-day Thailand from 20,000 years ago to the present day. The earliest evidence of rice growing is dated at 2,000 BCE. Bronze appeared circa 1,250\u20131,000 BCE.\u00a0The site of\u00a0Ban Chiang<\/a> in northeast Thailand currently ranks as the earliest known center of copper and bronze production in Southeast Asia. Iron appeared around 500 BCE. The\u00a0Kingdom of Funan<\/a> was the first and most powerful Southeast Asian kingdom at the time (2nd century BCE).\u00a0The\u00a0Mon people<\/a>\u00a0established the principalities of\u00a0Dvaravati<\/a>\u00a0and Kingdom of\u00a0Hariphunchai<\/a>\u00a0in the 6th century. The\u00a0Khmer people<\/a>\u00a0established the\u00a0Khmer empire<\/a>, centered in Angkor<\/a>, in the 9th century.\u00a0Tambralinga<\/a>, a Malay state controlling trade through the Malacca Strait, rose in the 10th century.\u00a0The Indochina peninsula was heavily influenced by the\u00a0culture and religions of India<\/a> from the time of the Kingdom of Funan to that of the Khmer Empire.<\/p>\n The\u00a0Thai people<\/a>\u00a0are of the\u00a0Tai ethnic group<\/a>, characterized by common linguistic roots.\u00a0Chinese chronicles first mention the Tai peoples in the 6th century BCE. While there are many assumptions regarding the origin of Tai peoples,\u00a0David K. Wyatt<\/a>, a historian of Thailand, argued that their ancestors which at the present inhabit Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, India, and China came from the\u00a0\u0110i\u1ec7n Bi\u00ean Ph\u1ee7<\/a> area between the 5th and the 8th century.\u00a0Thai people began migrating into present-day Thailand around the 11th century, which Mon and Khmer people occupied at the time.<\/sup> Thus Thai culture was influenced by Indian, Mon, and Khmer cultures.<\/p>\n According to French historian\u00a0George C\u0153d\u00e8s<\/a>, “The Thai first enter history of\u00a0Farther India<\/a>\u00a0in the eleventh century with the mention of\u00a0Syam<\/i>\u00a0slaves or prisoners of war in\u00a0Champa<\/a>\u00a0epigraphy”, and “in the twelfth century, the\u00a0bas-reliefs<\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0Angkor Wat<\/a>” where “a group of warriors” are described as\u00a0Syam<\/i>.<\/p>\n According to the most widely accepted version of its origin, the Ayutthaya Kingdom rose from the earlier, nearby <\/span>Lavo Kingdom<\/a>\u00a0and Suvarnabhumi with\u00a0<\/span>Uthong<\/a>\u00a0as its first king. Ayutthaya was a patchwork of self-governing principalities and tributary provinces owing allegiance to the King of Ayutthaya under the\u00a0<\/span>mandala system<\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0Its initial expansion was through conquest and political marriage. Before the end of the 15th century, Ayutthaya invaded the Khmer Empire three times and sacked its capital\u00a0<\/span>Angkor<\/a>.<\/span> Ayutthaya then became a regional power in place of the Khmer. Constant interference of Sukhothai effectively made it a vassal state of Ayutthaya and it was finally incorporated into the kingdom.\u00a0<\/span>Borommatrailokkanat<\/a>\u00a0brought about bureaucratic reforms which lasted into the 20th century and created a system of social hierarchy called\u00a0<\/span>sakdina<\/a><\/i>, where male commoners were conscripted as\u00a0<\/span>corv\u00e9e<\/a> labourers for six months a year.<\/span>\u00a0Ayutthaya was interested in the\u00a0<\/span>Malay peninsula<\/a>, but failed to conquer the\u00a0<\/span>Malacca Sultanate<\/a>\u00a0which was supported by the Chinese\u00a0<\/span>Ming Dynasty<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n European contact and trade started in the early-16th century, with the\u00a0envoy<\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0Portuguese<\/a>\u00a0duke\u00a0Afonso de Albuquerque<\/a>\u00a0in 1511, Portugal became an allied and ceded some soldiers to King Rama Thibodi II.<\/sup>\u00a0The Portuguese were followed in the 17th century by the French, Dutch, and English. Rivalry for supremacy over Chiang Mai and the Mon people pitted Ayutthaya against the Burmese Kingdom. Several wars with its ruling dynasty\u00a0Taungoo Dynasty<\/a>\u00a0starting in the 1540s in the reign of\u00a0Tabinshwehti<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Bayinnaung<\/a>\u00a0were ultimately ended with the\u00a0capture of the capital in 1570<\/a>.\u00a0Then was a brief period of vassalage to Burma until\u00a0Naresuan<\/a> proclaimed independence in 1584.<\/p>\n Ayutthaya then sought to improve relations with European powers for many successive reigns. The kingdom especially prospered during cosmopolitan\u00a0Narai<\/a>‘s reign (1656\u20131688) when some European travelers regarded Ayutthaya as an Asian great power, alongside China and India.\u00a0However, growing French influence later in his reign was met with nationalist sentiment and led eventually to the\u00a0Siamese revolution of 1688<\/a>. However, overall relations remained stable, with French missionaries still active in preaching Christianity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n After a bloody period of dynastic struggle, Ayutthaya entered into what has been called the Siamese “golden age<\/a>“, a relatively peaceful episode in the second quarter of the 18th century when\u00a0art<\/a>,\u00a0literature<\/a>, and learning flourished. There were seldom foreign wars, apart from conflict with the\u00a0Nguy\u1ec5n Lords<\/a>\u00a0for control of\u00a0Cambodia<\/a>\u00a0starting around 1715. The last fifty years of the kingdom witnessed bloody succession crises, where there were purges of court officials and able generals for many consecutive reigns. In 1765, a combined 40,000-strong force of Burmese armies\u00a0invaded it<\/a> from the north and west.\u00a0The Burmese under the new\u00a0Alaungpaya<\/a> dynasty quickly rose to become a new local power by 1759. After a 14-month siege, the capital city’s walls fell and the city was burned in April 1767.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Chao Tak then crowned himself as\u00a0Taksin<\/a>\u00a0and proclaimed\u00a0Thonburi<\/a> as temporary capital in the same year. He also quickly subdued the other warlords. His forces engaged in wars with Burma, Laos, and Cambodia, which successfully drove the Burmese out of Lan Na in 1775,\u00a0captured\u00a0Vientiane<\/a> in 1778\u00a0and tried to install a pro-Thai king in Cambodia in the 1770s. In his final years there was a coup, caused supposedly by his “insanity”, and eventually Taksin and his sons were executed by his longtime companion General\u00a0Chao Phraya Chakri<\/a>\u00a0(the future Rama I). He was the first king of the ruling\u00a0Chakri Dynasty<\/a>\u00a0and founder of the\u00a0Rattanakosin Kingdom<\/a>\u00a0on 6 April 1782.<\/p>\n Under\u00a0Rama I<\/a>\u00a0(1782\u20131809), Rattanakosin successfully defended against Burmese attacks and put an end to Burmese incursions. He also created suzerainty over large portions of Laos and Cambodia.<\/sup>\u00a0In 1821, Briton\u00a0John Crawfurd<\/a>\u00a0was sent to negotiate a new trade agreement with Siam \u2013 the first sign of an issue which was to dominate 19th century Siamese politics.<\/sup>\u00a0Bangkok signed the\u00a0Burney Treaty<\/a>\u00a0in 1826, after the British victory in the\u00a0First Anglo-Burmese War<\/a>.\u00a0Anouvong<\/a>\u00a0of Vientiane, who mistakenly held the belief that Britain was about to launch an invasion of Bangkok, started the\u00a0Lao rebellion<\/a> in 1826 which was suppressed.\u00a0Vientiane was destroyed and a large number of\u00a0Lao people<\/a>\u00a0was relocated to\u00a0Khorat Plateau<\/a> as a result.\u00a0Bangkok also waged\u00a0several wars<\/a>\u00a0with\u00a0Vietnam<\/a>, where Siam successfully regained hegemony over Cambodia.<\/p>\n From the late-19th century, Siam tried to rule the ethnic groups in the realm as colonies.\u00a0In the reign of\u00a0Mongkut<\/a> (1851\u20131868), who recognized the potential threat Western powers posed to Siam, his court contacted the\u00a0British government<\/a> directly to defuse tensions.\u00a0A British mission led by Sir\u00a0John Bowring<\/a>, Governor of\u00a0Hong Kong<\/a>, led to the signing of the\u00a0Bowring Treaty<\/a>, the first of many\u00a0unequal treaties<\/a> with Western countries. This, however, brought trade and economic development to Siam.<\/sup>\u00a0The unexpected death of Mongkut from\u00a0malaria<\/a>\u00a0led to the reign of underage\u00a0Prince Chulalongkorn<\/a>, with\u00a0Somdet Chaophraya Sri Suriwongse<\/a> (Chuang Bunnag) acting as regent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Chulalongkorn (r. 1868\u20131910) initiated centralization, set up a privy council, and abolished slavery<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0corv\u00e9e<\/a> system.\u00a0The\u00a0Front Palace crisis<\/a> of 1874 stalled attempts at further reforms. In the 1870s and 1880s, he incorporated the protectorates up north into the kingdom proper, which later expanded to the protectorates in the northeast and the south.\u00a0He established twelve\u00a0krom<\/i> in 1888, which were equivalent to present-day ministries.\u00a0The\u00a0crisis of 1893<\/a> erupted, caused by French demands for Laotian territory east of Mekong. Thailand is the only Southeast Asian nation never to have been colonized by a Western power,\u00a0in part because Britain and France agreed in 1896 to make the\u00a0Chao Phraya<\/a>\u00a0valley a\u00a0buffer state<\/a>. <\/sup>Not until the 20th century could Siam renegotiate every unequal treaty dating from the Bowring Treaty, including\u00a0extraterritoriality<\/a>. The advent of the\u00a0monthon<\/i> system marked the creation of the modern Thai nation-state. In 1905, there were unsuccessful rebellions in the ancient\u00a0Patani<\/a> area, Ubon Ratchathani, and Phrae in opposition to an attempt to blunt the power of local lords.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The\u00a0Palace Revolt of 1912<\/a> was a failed attempt by Western-educated military officers to overthrow the Siamese monarchy.\u00a0Vajiravudh<\/a> (r. 1910\u20131925) responded by propaganda for the entirety of his reign. He promoted the\u00a0idea of the Thai nation<\/a>.\u00a0In 1917, Siam joined the\u00a0First World War<\/a>\u00a0on the side of\u00a0the Allies<\/a> as there were concerns that the Allies might punish neutral countries and refuse to amend past unequal treaties.\u00a0In the aftermath Siam joined the\u00a0Paris Peace Conference<\/a>, and gained freedom of taxation and the revocation of extraterritoriality.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Later that decade, the army wing of Khana Ratsadon came to dominate Siamese politics.\u00a0Plaek Phibunsongkhram<\/a> who became premier in 1938, started political oppression and took an openly anti-royalist stance. His government adopted nationalism and\u00a0Westernization<\/a>,\u00a0anti-Chinese<\/a> and anti-French policies.\u00a0In 1939, there was a decree changing the name of the country from “Siam” to “Thailand”. In 1941, Thailand was in\u00a0a brief conflict<\/a>\u00a0with\u00a0Vichy France<\/a> resulting in Thailand gaining some Lao and Cambodian territories.\u00a0On 8 December 1941,\u00a0the Empire of Japan launched an invasion of Thailand<\/a>, and fighting broke out shortly before Phibun ordered an\u00a0armistice<\/a>. Japan was granted free passage, and on 21 December Thailand and Japan signed a military alliance with a secret protocol, wherein the Japanese government agreed to help Thailand regain lost territories. The Thai government declared war on the United States and the United Kingdom.\u00a0The\u00a0Free Thai Movement<\/a> was launched both in Thailand and abroad to oppose the government and Japanese occupation.\u00a0After the war ended in 1945, Thailand signed formal agreements to end the state of war with\u00a0the Allies<\/a>. Most Allied powers had not recognized Thailand’s declaration of war.<\/p>\n In June 1946, young King Ananda was found dead under mysterious circumstances. His younger brother\u00a0Bhumibol Adulyadej<\/a>\u00a0ascended to the throne. Thailand joined the\u00a0Southeast Asia Treaty Organization<\/a> (SEATO) to become an active ally of the United States in 1954.\u00a0Field Marshal\u00a0Sarit Thanarat<\/a> launched a coup in 1957, which removed Khana Ratsadon from politics. His rule (premiership 1959\u20131963) was autocratic; he built his legitimacy around the god-like status of the monarch and by channelling the government’s loyalty to the king. His government improved the country’s infrastructure and education.\u00a0After the United States joined the\u00a0Vietnam War<\/a> in 1961, there was a secret agreement wherein the U.S. promised to protect Thailand.<\/p>\n The period brought about increasing\u00a0modernization<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Westernization<\/a>\u00a0of Thai society. Rapid\u00a0urbanization<\/a>\u00a0occurred when the rural populace sought work in growing cities. Rural farmers gained\u00a0class consciousness<\/a>\u00a0and were sympathetic to the\u00a0Communist Party of Thailand<\/a>. Economic development and education enabled the rise of a middle class in Bangkok and other cities.\u00a0In October 1971, there was a\u00a0large demonstration<\/a>\u00a0against the dictatorship of\u00a0Thanom Kittikachorn<\/a> (premiership 1963\u20131973), which led to civilian casualties.\u00a0Bhumibol installed\u00a0Sanya Dharmasakti<\/a> (premiership 1973\u20131975) to replace him, making it the first time that the king intervened in Thai politics directly since 1932. The aftermath of the event marked a short-lived parliamentary democracy, often called the “era when democracy blossomed”.<\/p>\n Constant unrest and instability, as well as fear of a communist takeover after the\u00a0fall of Saigon<\/a>, made some ultra-right groups brand leftist students as communists.\u00a0This culminated in the\u00a0Thammasat University massacre<\/a> in October 1976. A coup d’\u00e9tat on that day brought Thailand a new ultra-right government, which cracked down on media outlets, officials, and intellectuals, and fueled the\u00a0communist insurgency<\/a>. Another coup the following year installed a more moderate government, which offered amnesty to communist fighters in 1978.<\/p>\n Fueled by\u00a0Indochina refugee crisis<\/a>,\u00a0Vietnamese border raids<\/a>\u00a0and economic hardships,\u00a0Prem Tinsulanonda<\/a> launched a successful coup and became the Prime Minister from 1980 to 1988. The communists abandoned the insurgency by 1983. Prem’s premiership was dubbed “semi-democracy” because the Parliament was composed of all elected House and all appointed Senate. The 1980s also saw increasing intervention in politics by the monarch, who rendered two coup attempts against Prem failed. Thailand had its first elected prime minister in 1988.<\/p>\n Suchinda Kraprayoon<\/a>, who was\u00a0the coup leader in 1991<\/a>\u00a0and said he would not seek to become prime minister, was nominated as one by the majority coalition government after the\u00a01992 general election<\/a>. This caused a popular demonstration in Bangkok, which ended with\u00a0a military crackdown<\/a>. Bhumibol intervened in the event and Suchinda then resigned.<\/p>\n The\u00a01997 Asian financial crisis<\/a> originated in Thailand and ended the country’s 40 years of uninterrupted economic growth.\u00a0Chuan Leekpai<\/a>‘s government took an\u00a0IMF<\/a> loan with unpopular provisions.\u00a0The populist\u00a0Thai Rak Thai<\/a>\u00a0party, led by prime minister\u00a0Thaksin Shinawatra<\/a>, governed from 2001 until 2006. His policies were successful in reducing rural poverty\u00a0and initiated\u00a0universal healthcare<\/a> in the country. A\u00a0South Thailand insurgency<\/a>\u00a0escalated starting from 2004. The\u00a02004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami<\/a>\u00a0hit the country, mostly in the south. Massive protests against Thaksin led by the\u00a0People’s Alliance for Democracy<\/a>\u00a0(PAD) started in his second term as prime minister and his tenure ended with\u00a0a coup d’\u00e9tat in 2006<\/a>. The junta installed a military government which lasted a year.<\/p>\n In 2007, a civilian government led by the Thaksin-allied\u00a0People’s Power Party<\/a>\u00a0(PPP) was\u00a0elected<\/a>.\u00a0Another protest led by PAD<\/a>\u00a0ended with the dissolution of PPP, and the\u00a0Democrat Party<\/a>\u00a0led a coalition government in its place. The pro-Thaksin\u00a0United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship<\/a>\u00a0(UDD) protested both\u00a0in 2009<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0in 2010<\/a>, the latter of which ended with\u00a0a violent military crackdown<\/a> causing more than 70 civilian deaths.<\/p>\n After\u00a0the general election of 2011<\/a>, the\u00a0populist<\/a>\u00a0Pheu Thai Party<\/a>\u00a0won a majority and\u00a0Yingluck Shinawatra<\/a>, Thaksin’s younger sister, became prime minister. The\u00a0People’s Democratic Reform Committee<\/a> organized\u00a0another anti-Shinawatra protest<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0after the ruling party proposed an amnesty bill which would benefit Thaksin.<\/sup>\u00a0Yingluck dissolved parliament and\u00a0a general election<\/a>\u00a0was scheduled, but was invalidated by the Constitution Court. The crisis ended with\u00a0another coup d’\u00e9tat in 2014<\/a>, the second coup in a decade.<\/p>\n Since then, the country has been led by the National Council for Peace and Order<\/a>, a military junta led by General\u00a0Prayut Chan-o-cha<\/a>. Civil and political rights were restricted, and the country saw a surge in\u00a0l\u00e8se-majest\u00e9<\/a> cases. Political opponents and dissenters were sent to “attitude adjustment” camps.\u00a0Bhumibol, the longest-reigning Thai king, died in 2016, and his son\u00a0Vajiralongkorn<\/a>\u00a0ascended to the throne. The referendum and adoption of Thailand’s current constitution happened under the junta’s rule.<\/sup>\u00a0The junta also bound future governments to a 20-year national strategy ‘road map’ it laid down, effectively locking the country into\u00a0military-guided democracy<\/a>.<\/sup>\u00a0In 2019, the junta agreed to schedule\u00a0a general election in March<\/a>.<\/sup>\u00a0Prayut continued his premiership with the support of\u00a0Palang Pracharath Party<\/a>-coalition in the House and junta-appointed Senate, amid allegations of election fraud.<\/sup>\u00a0The\u00a0ongoing pro-democracy protests<\/a>\u00a0were triggered by the impact of the current\u00a0COVID-19 pandemic<\/a> and enforcement of the lockdown Emergency Decree, which brought forward unprecedented demands to reform the monarchy\u00a0and the highest sense of\u00a0republicanism<\/a>\u00a0in the country.<\/p>\n Totalling 513,120 square kilometres (198,120\u00a0sq\u00a0mi), Thailand is the\u00a050th-largest country<\/a>\u00a0by total area. It is slightly smaller than\u00a0Yemen<\/a>\u00a0and slightly larger than\u00a0Spain<\/a>.<\/p>\n Thailand comprises several distinct geographic regions, partly corresponding to the provincial groups. The north of the country is the mountainous area of the\u00a0Thai highlands<\/a>, with the highest point being\u00a0Doi Inthanon<\/a>\u00a0in the\u00a0Thanon Thong Chai Range<\/a>\u00a0at 2,565 metres (8,415\u00a0ft) above sea level. The northeast,\u00a0Isan<\/a>, consists of the\u00a0Khorat Plateau<\/a>, bordered to the east by the\u00a0Mekong River<\/a>. The center of the country is dominated by the predominantly flat Chao Phraya<\/a>\u00a0river valley, which runs into the\u00a0Gulf of Thailand<\/a>.<\/p>\n Southern Thailand consists of the narrow\u00a0Kra Isthmus<\/a>\u00a0that widens into the\u00a0Malay Peninsula<\/a>. Politically, there are six geographical regions which differ from the others in population, basic resources, natural features, and level of social and economic development. The diversity of the regions is the most pronounced attribute of Thailand’s physical setting.<\/p>\n The Chao Phraya and the Mekong River are the indispensable water courses of rural Thailand. Industrial scale production of crops use both rivers and their tributaries. The Gulf of Thailand covers 320,000 square kilometers (124,000 sq mi) and is fed by the Chao Phraya,\u00a0Mae Klong<\/a>,\u00a0Bang Pakong<\/a>, and\u00a0Tapi<\/a> Rivers. It contributes to the tourism sector owing to its clear shallow waters along the coasts in the southern region and the Kra Isthmus. The eastern shore of the Gulf of Thailand is an industrial center of Thailand with the kingdom’s premier deepwater port in\u00a0Sattahip<\/a>\u00a0and its busiest commercial port,\u00a0Laem Chabang<\/a>.<\/p>\n The\u00a0Andaman Sea<\/a>\u00a0is a precious natural resource as it hosts popular and luxurious resorts.\u00a0Phuket<\/a>,\u00a0Krabi<\/a>,\u00a0Ranong<\/a>,\u00a0Phang Nga<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Trang<\/a>, and their islands, all lay along the coasts of the Andaman Sea and, despite the\u00a02004 tsunami<\/a>, they remain a tourist magnet.<\/p>\n The economy of Thailand is heavily export-dependent, with exports accounting for more than two-thirds of gross domestic product (GDP). Thailand exports over US$105 billion worth of goods and services annually.<\/sup>\u00a0Major exports include cars, computers, electrical appliances,\u00a0rice<\/a>, textiles and footwear, fishery products, rubber, and jewelry.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/07\/Bangkok-300x200.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>History:<\/h2>\n
Prehistory:<\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/a>Early States and Sukhothai Kingdom:<\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/c\/ce\/Phra_Achana_%28I%29.jpg\/163px-Phra_Achana_%28I%29.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/0\/0c\/Sukhothai_Historical_Park.jpg\/238px-Sukhothai_Historical_Park.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Ayutthaya Kingdom:<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/2\/28\/Southeast_Asian_history_-_Around_1540.png\/70px-Southeast_Asian_history_-_Around_1540.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/e\/ed\/%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B0%E0%B8%A8%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B5%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%A3%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%8A%E0%B8%8D%E0%B9%8C_0002.jpg\/164px-%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B0%E0%B8%A8%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B5%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%A3%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%8A%E0%B8%8D%E0%B9%8C_0002.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/1\/10\/SiameseEmbassyToLouisXIV1686NicolasLarmessin.jpg\/238px-SiameseEmbassyToLouisXIV1686NicolasLarmessin.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Thonburi Kingdom:<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/1\/19\/KingTaksin%27s_coronation.jpg\/220px-KingTaksin%27s_coronation.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Modernization and Centralization:<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/d\/d0\/Emerald_Buddha%2C_August_2012%2C_Bangkok_%28cropped%29.jpg\/238px-Emerald_Buddha%2C_August_2012%2C_Bangkok_%28cropped%29.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/3\/3f\/Map_of_Siam_%28territorial_cessions%29.svg\/97px-Map_of_Siam_%28territorial_cessions%29.svg.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/2\/2a\/King_and_Tsar.jpg\/137px-King_and_Tsar.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/span>Constitutional Monarchy, World War II and Cold War:<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/f\/f9\/%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%9B._%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%B9%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A1_%E0%B9%83%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%B5_2484.jpg\/220px-%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%9B._%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%9A%E0%B8%B9%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A1_%E0%B9%83%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%9B%E0%B8%B5_2484.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/b\/b1\/King_Rama_IX_being_presented_with_regalia_at_coronation.jpg\/150px-King_Rama_IX_being_presented_with_regalia_at_coronation.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Contemporary History:<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/2\/2b\/2010_09_19_red_shirt_protest_bkk_09.JPG\/220px-2010_09_19_red_shirt_protest_bkk_09.JPG\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/07\/King-Vajiralongkorn-265x300.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Geography:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/07\/Topographic-Map-of-Thailand-172x300.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Economy:<\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2021\/07\/Thailand-Export-Treemap.png\"){kind=link}