The Sukhothai kingdom was a prosperous and plentiful place for the country and its people, one where ‘rivers were full of fish and fields of rice’. It was also a time of relative peace, with good relationships with neighboring countries. During the Sukhothai period, it was believed that kings would keep bells outside of their palaces. If any subject had a grievance, he would ring the bell and the king would come to the gate and dispense justice accordingly. This leadership style was later to become known as ‘father governs children’ and is still relevant today, not only in the palace but also in the hierarchy of Thai companies and organizations.
Although its authenticity has subsequently been questioned, the Thai alphabet was created by King Ramkhamhaeng during this period, evidenced by the discovery of an inscribed tablet, the Ramkhamhaeng Stele. In the script, the king speaks of his benevolent leadership style. King Ramkhamhaeng’s ‘paternal rule’ and the culture and traditions of Sukhothai were later to take on further significance during the 1932 pro-democracy revolution, when scholars argued that it was the ‘Golden Age of Thailand’ that, in fact, had given birth to what was to become a peculiarly Thai style of democracy.
Ayutthaya The Ayutthaya kingdom (1350–1767) is perhaps the best-known ancient Thai kingdom as its capital is still resplendent with historical buildings and artifacts. This period of Thai history witnessed huge economic growth as well as the establishment of relations with foreign traders, especially the Portuguese. With great power came great change and during the Ayutthaya period Thai society became distinctly hierarchical, with the large majority of Thais working as slaves or serfs for landowners, nobles and officials. Unlike the paternalistic rule of the Sukhothai period, the kings of Ayutthaya had absolute power and were perceived as incarnations of gods.
The Ayutthaya period was integral in developing the Thai arts where all members of society, from court officials to artisans and scholars of Buddhist learning joined together to make and decorate the area’s temples and palaces.
But this period in Thai history was also fraught with wars and battles with Burma, which led to the ultimate sacking of the city in 1767 and subsequent destruction of a large number of records, palaces and temples. Despite this, for a long period during the Ayutthaya reign the kingdom was largely considered to be the strongest power in mainland Southeast Asia.
Lanna Much like the Sukhothai kingdom, the Lanna kingdom, which ruled from the 13th to 15th century in northern Thailand, had an incredible influence on Thai society and culture and is still nostalgically regarded.
The Lanna kingdom co-existed during the Sukhothai and Ayutthaya kingdoms, and at its height its power and influence were said to have rivaled Ayutthaya’s with whom it had repeated battles and skirmishes. It was during this period that Lanna’s culture and traditions of what is widely considered as the cultural capital of Thailand, Chiang Mai, were developed and firmly entrenched in Thai culture. Lanna architecture, woodcraft and masonry are easily identifiable and revered today. The kingdom eventually fell to the Burmese in 1558 but returned as a vassal state of Siam in the latter part of the 18th century.
Thonburi and Rattanakosin King Taksin the Great of Thonburi managed to reunite the country the following year, which gave birth to Thailand’s shortest reigning kingdom, the brief age of the Thonburi kingdom (1768–82). The capital of Siam was moved to Thonburi and located on the opposite side of the Chao Phraya River where Bangkok now stands. As a result of numerous internal political problems, King Taksin was reported to have succumbed to stress and was subsequently ordained as a monk, disappearing from sight.
Because of its more advantageous position, Bangkok was then chosen as the new capital city, and in 1782 King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (Rama I) took over and became the first Chakri (royal ruling house) king in the Rattanakosin kingdom—the dynasty that presently encompasses Thailand.
SIAMESE TWINS
Chang and Eng Bunker (1811–74), who were joined at the sternum, were perhaps the first two Siamese men known to the larger world. Commonly known as the ‘Siamese Twins’, they toured the world as an exhibit of interest before settling and marrying two sisters in North Carolina, USA. Owing to their Chinese ancestry, they were known as the ‘Chinese Twins’ in Siam.
King Rama V, widely considered one of the greatest kings of Siam.
King Rama IV, who provided the inspiration for the play and movie, The King and I.
ROYALTY IN THAILAND
The monarchy in Thailand is highly revered and staunchly protected by the lèse-majesté law. The current King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), is the world’s longest serving monarch and is dearly loved by the people of Thailand.
A testament to the Thai people’s love for the king and the royal family, past and present, is the sheer number of royal portraits in premises throughout the Thai social structure, including homes, factories, offices and roadside garages.
Whether Thai or not, you are expected to show the utmost respect for the Thai royal family, and on occasions that demand it, such as before movie screenings and football matches, stand for the Thai national anthem, which is also played at 8 am and 6 pm every day. In public places, such as busy train platforms or market places, where the anthem is often broadcast through loudspeakers, it is remarkable to see everybody come to a halt.
Color of Love According to both Thai and Khmer astrology, each day of the week is associated with a particular color. As King Bhumibol was born on a Monday, which is associated with yellow, the most loyal of royalists can be identified by their choice of yellow clothing on Mondays. Blue garb is also a popular color to wear on Fridays out of respect for Queen Sirikit’s birthday.
The King’s Predecessors Another much-respected member of the monarchy from the Chakri dynasty was King Rama IV or King Mongkut. Reigning from 1851 to 1868, he was known as the ‘Father of Science and Technology’ for embracing Western technologies and innovations, effectively beginning Thailand’s modernization process. He also hired English and American missionaries to teach the princes English, and Western mercenaries to train Siamese troops.
King Mongkut’s son, Chulalongkorn the Great, otherwise known as King Rama V (1868–1910), was also a hugely popular king. He is credited with abolishing the slave trade in Thailand, (depicted on the back of the B100 note), building railways, introducing electricity and through various reforms in the Thai feudal system and his influence in ‘modernizing Siam’, continuing to save the country from Western colonization.
The Man Who Brought Democracy
One Thai who has had immeasurable influence on modern Thailand is former prime minister Pridi Banomyong. He was one of the leaders of the 1932 Pro-Democracy Coup that saw the end of absolute monarchy and the adoption of the current and more popular constitutional monarchy. Pridi helped draft a new constitution and was, and still is, seen as a controversial figure in Thai history. He spent his remaining years in exile in France. After a generation overseas, his grandson, Ariya Banomyong, has returned to Thailand and is the current manager of Google in Thailand.
Making Siam ‘Civilized’
Another influential but controversial figure among Thais is Field Marshal Luang ‘Plaek’ (Strange) Phibunsongkhram, who is also a former prime minister of Thailand. Phibunsongkhram was charged with inculcating a sense of nationalism among Thai people during his time in the National Assembly and Thai military. Through various mandates, he ordered the Thais to learn the national anthem,