Archeological discoveries, around Ban Chiang village, allow to think that 5600 years ago, the eldest civilization of Bronze Age was flourishing in North Eastern Thailand. But this era is still very misunderstood and it is much later than real Thai history began.

Thai population hails from South Yangzi in China. At VIIIth century of our era, Thais went to Yunnan High valleys where they founded Nanzhao kingdom. Thaïs were then known by Chinese, Chams and Khmers as "Siamese". During this long period, current Thailand mountainous north was under a "mon" principality having Lamphun as a capital. Menam valley was under Dvaravati mon Kingdom. This kingdom had during VIth and VIIth century after J.-C., a prosperity period which allowed it to have the surrounding provinces as real trust territories.

From IXth century onwards, Khmers from Cambodia dominated Menam region, conquest of which was achieved by King Jayavarman at XIIth century's end. At the same time, Thai population, going down the big  rivers coming from Yunnan, settled little by little in the region. After Jayavarman's death (1238), two Thai princes took hold of the northern fringe of Menam basin, where they founded Sukhothai kingdom (this name means "dawn of happiness"- the first independent Thai kingdom. Yunnan conquest in 1253, which became part of China, accelerated Thaïs' migration towards south and their settling in the new kingdom and in small state cities in Lanna and Phayao.

The first Sukhothai's important King, Rama Khamheng, took hold of Khmer possessions in Lao and gained ground towards South West till Petchaburi ; in 1294, he conquered northern Malay peninsula. Imitating mongo social and military structures,  Thaïs put a term to Khmer hegemony on South eastern Asia, but giving a new proof of their adaptability, they adopted the vanquished brilliant culture. So, it is during Sukhothai era that Theravada Buddhism became the main religion and that appeared the first revelations of Thai art in different fields as painting, sculpture, architecture and literature At the same time, precisely in 1282 Rama Khamheng had a stele engraved to commemorate his reign's important facts and his kingdom's glory and therefore created the Thai letters, adapting Khmer script: " And those characters exist because the King created them in his heart." Never-to-be-forgotten date, the one of culture and national expression victory.

In 1350, a Southern Prince, Ramadhipati (1350/1369) founded a new dynasty and installed his capital on a Menam Island, d'Ayutthaya. In 1431 Thais took hold of Khmer capital, Angkor, and reduced the inhabitants to slavery. It is precisely at this time that began Sukhothai's power decline, to such a pitch that it became under Ayutthaya's suzerainty in 1438. Chiangmai mountainous principality was the one which resisted very strongly and demonstrated till 1595 his will of independence.

It is then the beginning of opening upon West but also of innumerable conflicts with its North Western neighbor, Burma.

So, during XVIth century, Ayuthia kings had to face Burmese danger. At the time of one of their raids, Burmese, commanded by King Bayin Naung (1551/1581) took hold of Ayuthia, imposing their authority on Menam during approximately fifteen years. However King Naresuen (1590/1605) re-established country independence and unity. He managed to pacify it from Northern provinces till Cambodia, the capital of which (Lovekl) he took hold of in 1594.

As far back as XVIth century, the country is recognized by Europeans and Naresuen throws open the kingdom to them. In the XVIIth century, Siam is an important eastern power, and its ambassadors carry out a mission to Versailles. (1684). Siam's king allows then commercial counters to French, English and Dutch. But he has to face Hue kingdom's claims upon Cambodia, and as in the past, the dangerous Burmese raids. Burmese again take hold of Ayuthia in 1767 ; Its defender a cross-bred Chinese called Phya Taksin, managed to escape to slaughter with few troops and took hold of Thonburi in the south and crushed Burmese settled on Ayuthia ruins. Phya Taksin proclaimed himself king and established a new capital on the location of a small village called Bangkok (from the name of an olive tree specie also called "astounding plum tree").

Within a few years he builds a new kingdom, taking hold of Vientiane and Luang Prabang, and then secures his trusteeship on Cambodia. He was murdered in 1782, at the end of a palace revolution and Chao Phya Chakri, one of his generals founded the present Chakri dynasty which carries on the work done by Phya Taksin.

Let's consider we reach then the beginning of modern Thailand.

Rama Ist (1782/1809), Rama IInd (1809/1824) et Rama IIIrd (1824/1851) considerably extended the territorial seating of their power, annexing western provinces of Cambodia and setting up a shared suzerainty on its eastern part with Vietnam. In addition to that, Siam imposed its trusteeship in the south to the Malay sultanates.

King Mongkut IV from Chakri dynasty (1851 - 1868) and Rama V (1868 - 1910), who will reign under Chulalongkong name, are the architects of kindom's modernization and administrative and economical structures Europeanization. During his reign slavery was abolished in Thailand. Chinese emigrants take then an active part in Siam's commercial and industrial growth. On the international side, Chakri cleverly takes advantage of the French English rivalry during the XIXth century, and force them to admit the necessity of an independent buffer state between colonial French and English possessions. However Rama VIth's autocracy (1910 - 1925) and economical problems during Rama VIIth's reign (1925 - 1935), to which can be added the political arbitrary demands of a long ago Europeanized military and administrative, lead to the coup d'État which will in 1932 force the king to accept a Constitution.

However, the new constitutional monarchy is not a real democracy. In 1938, militaries and nationalists, under General Pibul Songgram authority came into power; In 1939, Siam takes the name of "Thailand" (Prathet Thaï), proving the nationalist orientation of Pibul's government. He will be in alliance with Japan during the Second World War Thailand annexes then part of Malaysia, Burma and Cambodia.

At the end of Second World War, Thailand manages to maintain good relations with American victor, thanks to a double turning round. First of all, Pridi Phanomyong, one of the authors of the "coup d'État" in 1932, is called back to power after Japanese defeat, which allows Thailand to escape to enemy country status. When General Pibul Songgram disappears for a while from public life, Thailand hands back to Cambodia and Lao annexed territories with Japanese approval. In 1946 the unexplained King Rama VIIIth's death allows his brother Rama IX (present king of Thailand), to come to the throne and contributes to Pridi Phanomyong's overthrow in November 1947. Five months later, Pibul Songgram comes back to power and leads a politic in favor of USA in the cold war context: Thailand takes part to Korean War and is one of the founders of South Eastern treaty Organization (OTASE).

In the kingdom, Pibul Songgram's authoritarianism doesn't avoid palace revolutions: The "coup d'État" keep going on: Pibul Songgram is overthrown in 1957, and 17 attempts were made during the first fifty years of Rama IX's reign ! Civilians come only intermittently to power, as between 1973 and 1976, 1988 and 1991, or still since1995, even if riots are common in the kingdom's political life. Even during democratic periods, militaries are in evidence in political life and are part of the Parliament.

From 1960 onwards, despite of this political unsteadiness, Thailand makes huge improvements in economical matters and is one of the founders of the Southern Asian countries Association (ASEAN) in 1967.  Thailand also manages to quell the communist guerilla which appeared in 1962 in north eastern Thailand. At the same time Thailand became an allied of Southern Vietnam during the war against Northern Vietnam.

The end of Indochina wars places however Thailand in a difficult position : surrounded by often hostile and politically unstable states, Thailand  gets problems controlling the kingdom's borders, very often inhabited by minorities which are often culturally close to the neighboring country. Cambodian border particularly, is from the end of the 70's fringed with refugees camps (located in Cambodia), which are base locations for organizations fighting against Red Khmers, and then against Vietnamese. After these organizations left Cambodia, Thailand, which lusts after Battambang and Siem Reap provinces (given back to Cambodia in 1946), gives unofficial support to Red Khmers guerilla.

From 1995 onwards, in a climate of high economical growth and with the arrival to power of a civilian government, Thailand tries to draw nearer to its neighbors but still is in favor of all regional integration projects, particularly ASEAN. Thailand is still criticized for its ambiguous attitude towards drug traffic, which is flourishing in the north of the kingdom which is part of the Golden Triangle, known all over the world as one of the very first production zone for opium.

1997's crisis leads to Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh demission. Then Chuan Leekpai comes to power and is in charge applying the rigor plan negotiated with IMF (International Monetary Found).

A new democratic Constitution is promulgated on October 11th 1997.

For the time being it is the controversial Thaksin Shinawatra, TRT leader (Thai Rak Thai = Thais like Thais) who is in power. Elected on February 9th 2001, he is the 23rd Cabinet leader from constitutional monarchy advent in 1932.

Thaksin Shinawatra was born on July 26th 1949 in Chiang Mai province, in a middle-class family. He has got 3 children, one son and 2 daughters. He joined the police in 1973, and obtained a doctorate of criminal law in the USA. He resigned in 1987 and became a businessman.

He gained his fortune by getting the monopole of computer sales to State companies. After data processing, he launched out info telecoms. He founded then the Shinawatra group (mobile phone services and satellite communications). In 1990, Thai phone Authority gave him a 20 years exclusive grant to settle a mobile phone service.