Thailand background

1. THAILAND

2.  Thailand’s population of 63 million is relatively
homogeneous
 Before 1932, Thailand was an absolute monarchy
 A violent collision between the military and pro-
democracy demonstrators on the streets of Bangkok
in 1992.
 The 1997 Asian economic started in Thailand
 Pressing problems include widening gaps between
urban and rural conditions, and between rice and
poor.

3. Early History
 In the 13th century, several kingdoms emerged across
the regions
 The Tais were the principal ancestors not only of
today’s Thais but also of the Lao peoples, the Shans
 The Tias were wet-rice farmers clusters in maung-one
or more villages under a chieftain
 The Tais probably adopted Theravada Buddhism from
Mon states

4.  Angkor provided lessons in administering
large, scattered populations and in a range of arts and
technologies-their attacks in 14th-15th centuries.
 13th century, the most celebrated early Tai states were
the Kingdom of Sokhothai.

5. AYUDHYA, 1351-1767
 In 1351, the establishment further south of the
kingdom of Ayudhya-known as Siam, which survived
until 1767.
 It founded by U Thong
 Thai-ness was also being constructed out of
Mon, Khmer, Chinese and other peoples.
 Ayudha became one of Southeast Asia’s great trading
ports.
 Male subject pay many months of service each year to
the state.

9.  Ayudha’s social structures proved remarkably strong and
enduring.
 They had defeated Angkor and wage war on other
rivals, and claim an empire sometimes encompassing
much of modern Laos, the Tai kingdom of Lan Na, and the
states of Malay peninsula.
 1568, the Burmese king Bayinnaung laid siege to
Ayudha, haivng extended his military power over the north
as fas as Laos.
 Ayudha city fell in 1569 and was destroyed

11.  Over the next decades, Narasuan managed to
reconstitute the kingdom and clawed back much of
Ayudha’s tributary empire. By 17th, Ayudha was again
a major power.
 Ayudha was a wealthy trade centre where
Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, French, Malay and other
Asian traders.
 However, it had to challenge with Burma again in
1766 and one year later, the city fell into the hands of
Burma.
 The city was burned

12. The Rise of Bangkok Empire
 Taksin declared himself king and founded a new
capital at Thonburi in 1767.
 In 1782, a tax revolt evolved into a coup and Tasik
was deposed and executed, and then the coup leader
offered ChaophrayaChakri, Rama I, the throne in
1782.
 Because of his military skills and great administrative
and intellectual abilities, Thai empire became larger
than any Ayudha had controlled.

15.  King Rama I built constructed his capital in
Bangkok, founded in 1782.
 Rama I gathered about him talented
officials, jurists, scholars and artists.
 Their achievements included the reconstruction and
reform of the sangha hierarchy, production of new text
of the Buddhist scriptures, the complete revision of the
kingdom’s laws, and the translation of numerous
works.

16. Bangkok and the West
 In the 1830s and 1840, Bangkok saw Vietnam as their
chief foreign threat rather than Western power.
 In Bangkok, a group of royal and noble young men
were studying the West keenly, led by Prince
Mongkut.
 When he as a monk, Mongkut spent his energies to
reform Thai Buddhism, studying Western
languages, Western science and mathematics.
 Then he became king, Mongkut was in a position to
re-orientate Bangkok positively towards the West

17.  King Mongkut avoided other fundamental reformed. His
son Chulalongkorn (Rama V, 1868-1910) came to replace
him.
 King Chulalongkorn abolished slavery, ended forced labors
for the states, a major reform in the government, cabinet
government, and provincial administration.
 However, Western empires stripped the former Thai
empire.
 His death in 1910 laid the foundations of a modern
military, improving communications, law reform, and
Western-style education.

19. The Eclipse of the
Monarchy, 1910-1932
 The emergent of Thai nationalism was strengthened in the
reign of King Rama VI, 1910-25.
 It was his who introduced the trinity of “Nation, Religion and
King”
 King Prajadhipok (Rama VII, 1925-35) succeeded the
throne and the national income slumped.
 On 24 June 1932, plotters in the military and bureaucracy
staged a bloodless coup, obliged king to surrender the
monarchy’s absolute powers and accept constitutional
status.

20. The Rise of Military
Government, 1932-1948
 The military was best-organized, most cohesive modern
institution.
 PhibunSongkhram and his supporters were attracted to
other political models-fascist Italy, Germany, Japan.
 Phibun changed his country’s name from Siam to Thailand
in 1939.
 Phibun sent forces in November 1940 to invade Laos and
Cambodia.
 Facing to an Allied victory, he quietly resigned the prime
minister-ship.

21. Strongman Era, 1948-1973
 Washington wanted strong, anti-Communist, Thailand
joined in American-led strategies for containment of Asian
communism.
 In the 1950s, US aided Thailand with great social and
economic development.
 Phibun mounted another anti-Chinese campaign, and also
attempted to impose cultural uniformity in Malay-Muslims of
the far south.
 In 1955, Phibun promised elections, and then his party was
accused of massive fraud during 1957 election. Sarit stage
a coup in September 1957, driving Phibun into exile.

22.  King BhumibolAdulydej (Rama IX, 1946-present) attended
public ceremonies, toured the provinces and patronized
development projects.
 The public was shocked when Thanom proclaimed
reversed direction in 1971, dissolving the parliament and
banning political parties.
 In October 1973, student protests against political
depression.
 The demonstrators were successful when the army
withheld its support from Thanom, who fled into exile.

23. Between Autocracy and
Democracy, 1973-1992
 In 1976, the military resumed power and permitted to right-
wing organization to torture and kill student radicals
gathered at Thammasat University in Bangkok.
 General KriangsakChomanandassued the prime ministers-
ship in 1977, promising a new constitution and elections in
1979.
 PremTinsulanonda 1979-1988
 ChatichaiChoonhavan 1988-1991
 GenealSochindaKraprayoon 1991-1992
 Chuan Leekpai 1992-1995; 1997-2001
 ThaksinShinawatra 2001-2006

24. Thailand in Prospect
 The military’s political influence remain strong
 Corruption is a specter (ghost) which hang over both
civilian and military politics.
 The present King maintained broad national respect.
 Thai society has remained stable when compared with
neighboring countries.
 Thailand achieved average growth rates of around 7
to 8 per cent; has played as a key regional financial
centre; population 63 million in 2005.

25.  Poverty became an issue at the forefront of national
concern, traffic jams in Bangkok, money politics.
 Rural infrastructure remains inadequate to attract
much business and industrial away from the capital.
 AIDS has become the country’s most pressing health
issue; drug problem; the three Malay-Muslim
dominated southern states.