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Landmarks in time

A Timeline of Siam

The major periods, from the earliest cultures to contemporary Thailand, and the content linked to them. Dates are conventional and approximate.

  1. Prehistory & early cultures

    Period of : Ban Non Wat, Khok Phanom Di

    A person wearing a woven conical hat bends over in a flooded paddy field, transplanting young rice seedlings. From Rain-Fed Rice to the World Market: How Rice Cultivation Shaped Thai Society Understand · 13 min read Carved squatting figure with raised arms, tall headdress and large ear ornaments, supporting a cornice above. Dvaravati, the ‘First Mon Kingdom’ of the Central Plain: Rulers, Figures and Neighbours (6th–11th Century) Understand · 13 min read
  2. c. 600– 1100

    Dvaravati

    Period of : Nakhon Pathom, U Thong, Si Thep, Camadevi (Chamathewi), Lopburi (Lavo)

    Influenced by : Khmer Empire

    Falls under the theme : History, Kingdoms & the Making of Siam

    Associated with : Mon

    Pink sandstone Khmer sanctuary facade with a low gallery, central doorway and carved tower behind. Temples, roads and Angkorian power: the Khmer imprint on the lands of the future Siam Understand · 13 min read Carved squatting figure with raised arms, tall headdress and large ear ornaments, supporting a cornice above. Dvaravati, the ‘First Mon Kingdom’ of the Central Plain: Rulers, Figures and Neighbours (6th–11th Century) Understand · 13 min read
  3. 802– 1431

    Khmer Empire

    Period of : Jayavarman VII, Suryavarman I, Phimai, Phanom Rung, Lopburi (Lavo)

    Influenced : Sak Yant, Ramakien, Sukhothai, Dvaravati

    Bare-chested man covered in sacred tattoos, amulets round his neck, shouting with arm raised before a crowd. Sak yant: the history of a sacred Thai tattoo, between protective magic and ancestral art Understand · 13 min read Gilded bas-relief of a crowned king with outstretched arm, surrounded by courtiers, villagers and sailing junks. Sukhothai, ‘the dawn of happiness’: kings, rivals and the birth of a Tai kingdom Understand · 13 min read Pink sandstone Khmer sanctuary facade with a low gallery, central doorway and carved tower behind. Temples, roads and Angkorian power: the Khmer imprint on the lands of the future Siam Understand · 13 min read Theatre stage featuring a giant crowned demon head with open hands and a lit mouth, before a blue mountain backdrop. From the Ramayana to the Ramakien: how the Indian epic became Siamese Understand · 11 min read Carved squatting figure with raised arms, tall headdress and large ear ornaments, supporting a cornice above. Dvaravati, the ‘First Mon Kingdom’ of the Central Plain: Rulers, Figures and Neighbours (6th–11th Century) Understand · 13 min read
  4. 1238– 1438

    Sukhothai

    Period of : Sukhothai, Ram Khamhaeng, Li Thai (Maha Thammaracha I), Si Inthrathit

    Influenced by : Khmer Empire

    Falls under the theme : History, Kingdoms & the Making of Siam

    Associated with : Ayutthaya, Mueang

    The Thai word « ไทย » (Thai) in large blue letters made from a mosaic of coloured triangles. 'Thainess': the history of a national identity constructed, imposed and contested Understand · 14 min read Old, flaking mural showing four figures in northern dress, including an embracing couple whispering to each other. Lanna, Kingdom of the North: from Mangrai to Dara Rasmi, Chiang Mai between Ayutthaya, Burma and Bangkok Understand · 13 min read Gilded bas-relief of a crowned king with outstretched arm, surrounded by courtiers, villagers and sailing junks. Sukhothai, ‘the dawn of happiness’: kings, rivals and the birth of a Tai kingdom Understand · 13 min read Pink sandstone Khmer sanctuary facade with a low gallery, central doorway and carved tower behind. Temples, roads and Angkorian power: the Khmer imprint on the lands of the future Siam Understand · 13 min read A woman in a straw hat fires a colourful plastic water pistol, surrounded by flying water droplets. Thailand's Festivals and Celebrations: The Year's Calendar, Month by Month Discover · 26 min read
  5. 1292– 1775

    Lanna

    Period of : Tilokaraj, Mangrai

    Has as capital : Chiang Mai

    Associated with : Yi Peng

    Old, flaking mural showing four figures in northern dress, including an embracing couple whispering to each other. Lanna, Kingdom of the North: from Mangrai to Dara Rasmi, Chiang Mai between Ayutthaya, Burma and Bangkok Understand · 13 min read A woman in a straw hat fires a colourful plastic water pistol, surrounded by flying water droplets. Thailand's Festivals and Celebrations: The Year's Calendar, Month by Month Discover · 26 min read
  6. 1351– 1767

    Ayutthaya

    Period of : Lopburi (Lavo), Wat Bang Phra

    Associated with : Sukhothai

    Old, flaking mural showing four figures in northern dress, including an embracing couple whispering to each other. Lanna, Kingdom of the North: from Mangrai to Dara Rasmi, Chiang Mai between Ayutthaya, Burma and Bangkok Understand · 13 min read Church with a red dome and cream bell tower on a riverbank, longtail boat in front, tower blocks behind. Kudi Chin, on the Thonburi bank: the descendants of the Portuguese and the memory of a plural neighbourhood Understand · 13 min read A person wearing a woven conical hat bends over in a flooded paddy field, transplanting young rice seedlings. From Rain-Fed Rice to the World Market: How Rice Cultivation Shaped Thai Society Understand · 13 min read Bare-chested man covered in sacred tattoos, amulets round his neck, shouting with arm raised before a crowd. Sak yant: the history of a sacred Thai tattoo, between protective magic and ancestral art Understand · 13 min read Gilded bas-relief of a crowned king with outstretched arm, surrounded by courtiers, villagers and sailing junks. Sukhothai, ‘the dawn of happiness’: kings, rivals and the birth of a Tai kingdom Understand · 13 min read Pink sandstone Khmer sanctuary facade with a low gallery, central doorway and carved tower behind. Temples, roads and Angkorian power: the Khmer imprint on the lands of the future Siam Understand · 13 min read
  7. 1767– 1782

    Thonburi

    Period of : Kudi Chin

    Old, flaking mural showing four figures in northern dress, including an embracing couple whispering to each other. Lanna, Kingdom of the North: from Mangrai to Dara Rasmi, Chiang Mai between Ayutthaya, Burma and Bangkok Understand · 13 min read Church with a red dome and cream bell tower on a riverbank, longtail boat in front, tower blocks behind. Kudi Chin, on the Thonburi bank: the descendants of the Portuguese and the memory of a plural neighbourhood Understand · 13 min read Bronze statue of a seated king before a cream portico with towers, fronted by steps, a white balustrade and a paved forecourt. Rattanakosin Island, the historic heart of Bangkok: a capital shaped by water, contested by its memory Understand · 12 min read Theatre stage featuring a giant crowned demon head with open hands and a lit mouth, before a blue mountain backdrop. From the Ramayana to the Ramakien: how the Indian epic became Siamese Understand · 11 min read
  8. 1782– present

    Rattanakosin

    Period of : Sampheng, Wat Phra Kaew, Rama I, Rattanakosin Island, Royal Ploughing Ceremony, Mongkut (Rama IV), Kawila, Rama III (Nangklao)

    Painted portrait of King Rama III in gold-embroidered court dress holding a sword, before a window showing a chedi. Rama III and the Chinese Taste: The Origins of the Sino-Thai Style in Bangkok Understand · 12 min read Old, flaking mural showing four figures in northern dress, including an embracing couple whispering to each other. Lanna, Kingdom of the North: from Mangrai to Dara Rasmi, Chiang Mai between Ayutthaya, Burma and Bangkok Understand · 13 min read Church with a red dome and cream bell tower on a riverbank, longtail boat in front, tower blocks behind. Kudi Chin, on the Thonburi bank: the descendants of the Portuguese and the memory of a plural neighbourhood Understand · 13 min read A person wearing a woven conical hat bends over in a flooded paddy field, transplanting young rice seedlings. From Rain-Fed Rice to the World Market: How Rice Cultivation Shaped Thai Society Understand · 13 min read Bronze statue of a seated king before a cream portico with towers, fronted by steps, a white balustrade and a paved forecourt. Rattanakosin Island, the historic heart of Bangkok: a capital shaped by water, contested by its memory Understand · 12 min read Theatre stage featuring a giant crowned demon head with open hands and a lit mouth, before a blue mountain backdrop. From the Ramayana to the Ramakien: how the Indian epic became Siamese Understand · 11 min read
  9. 1851– 1932

    Modernisation of Siam

    Period of : Tha Rae, Yaowarat (Bangkok Chinatown), Rama VI (Vajiravudh), Franco-Siamese crisis of 1893, Bowring Treaty (1855), Dara Rasmi

    The Thai word « ไทย » (Thai) in large blue letters made from a mosaic of coloured triangles. 'Thainess': the history of a national identity constructed, imposed and contested Understand · 14 min read Old, flaking mural showing four figures in northern dress, including an embracing couple whispering to each other. Lanna, Kingdom of the North: from Mangrai to Dara Rasmi, Chiang Mai between Ayutthaya, Burma and Bangkok Understand · 13 min read A person wearing a woven conical hat bends over in a flooded paddy field, transplanting young rice seedlings. From Rain-Fed Rice to the World Market: How Rice Cultivation Shaped Thai Society Understand · 13 min read Long road bridge with golden arched lampposts, a white and gold column in the foreground and karst mountains behind. The Mekong between Thailand and Laos: a border drawn on a shared river Understand · 13 min read Large red Chinese gate with golden tiered roofs on a hedged roundabout, surrounded by buildings and shop signs. Yaowarat, from Sampheng market to the ‘dragon road’: how Bangkok’s Chinatown took shape Understand · 13 min read Low-angle view of a beige façade with crossed slatted latticework topped by a cross, beside a statue on a white column. Tha Rae, on the shore of Lake Nong Han: how Catholicism took root in Isan Understand · 13 min read
  10. 1932– present

    Contemporary Thailand

    Period of : Patpong, Xayaburi Dam

    Aerial view of a winding river through dense mangrove forest, with limestone karst towers on the horizon and two small boats. Thailand's mangroves: a forest between land and sea, from collapse to recovery Understand · 14 min read The Thai word « ไทย » (Thai) in large blue letters made from a mosaic of coloured triangles. 'Thainess': the history of a national identity constructed, imposed and contested Understand · 14 min read Costumed participants wearing large painted masks with long noses and tall headdresses, in multicoloured fringed clothing, on a street. Behind the Masks of Phi Ta Khon: What Dan Sai Really Celebrates Understand · 13 min read Red and yellow arched façade with a black door bearing coats of arms and the word MADRID, green wall above. Patpong, between spy legends, the Vietnam War and nightlife: what do we really know? Understand · 9 min read