Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1767
Ayutthaya is recaptured by the Burmese, who raze it
to the ground, take tens of thousands of prisoners and
abandon the city to the jungle.
1768
Phraya Taksin, a charismatic general, emerges out of
the lawless mess, and is crowned king at Thonburi, on the
opposite bank to modern-day Bangkok. He conquers all of
Ayutthaya's territories, plus Cambodia and Laos.
1782
Taksin is ousted in a coup led by his military
commander, Chao Phraya Chakri.
1782-1809
Chakri - reigning as Rama I - moves the
capital across the river to Bangkok and builds a new royal
palace in Ratanakosin.
1809
Rama I's son, Rama II, succeeds the throne, securing
the Chakri dynasty, still in place today.
1851-68
The reign of Rama IV, known as Mongkut. Signs
trade treaties with the British, French and the US. By
avoiding a close relationship with one power, he protects
Thailand from annexation.
1868
Mongkut's son, fifteen-year-old Chulalongkorn
(who had been educated by Mrs Anna Leonowens, subject
of
The King and I
), takes the throne as Rama V.
1893
Thailand comes under pressure from Western powers,
most notably during the Franco-Siamese Crisis when the
French send gunboats as far as Bangkok. Chulalongkorn
cedes Laos and parts of Cambodia to France.
June 24, 1932
Lawyer Pridi Phanomyong and an army
major, Luang Phibunsongkhram (Phibun), lead a coup.
Siam's absolute monarchy comes to an end as King Rama
VII is sidelined to a symbolic position.
1938
Phibun is elected prime minister. A year later he
renames the country Thailand.
December 8, 1941
The Japanese invade, and, after initially
resisting, Phibun's government allies with Japan. Pridi
secretly coordinates the resistance movement. More than
100,000 people (POWs and Asian labourers) die constructing
the notorious Death Railway linking Thailand and Burma.
January 1946
Pridi is elected prime minister.
June 9, 1946
Rama VII's successor, King Ananda, is shot
dead in his bed. Three palace servants are convicted, but
the murder has never been satisfactorily explained. He is
succeeded by King Bhumibol, the current king (Rama IX).
April 1948
Phibun becomes prime minister, and allies
with the US against the communist threat.
1957
Phibun narrowly wins a general election, but only by
vote-rigging and coercion. He is overthrown by army chief
General Sarit, who encourages the monarchy into a more
active role.
1963
Sarit dies and is succeeded by General Thanom. The
Thais, with US backing, conduct covert military operations in
Laos. By 1968, around 45,000 US military personnel are in
Thailand, and the economy swells with dollars. Prostitution
proliferates, especially in Bangkok's Patpong district.
October 1973
Bloody student demonstrations bring the
downfall of Thanom.
October 1976
Students demonstrate again, and
hundreds are beaten by police; the military take control
and suspend the constitution.
1980
General Prem Tinsulanonda becomes prime
minister, with broad popular and parliamentary support,
and rules with a unique mixture of dictatorship and
democracy. He stands down in 1988 to allow for a
democratic prime minister.
February 23, 1991
Prem's successor, Chatichai
Choonhavan, is overthrown in a coup. General Suchinda
becomes premier.
May 1992
Mass demonstrations against Suchinda are
brutally crushed, with hundreds killed or injured, but
Suchinda is forced to resign when King Bhumibol expresses
his disapproval.
1997
Foreign-exchange dealers mount speculative
attacks on the baht and the currency collapses, causing a
currency crisis across the region.
2001
One of Thailand's wealthiest men, telecoms tycoon
Thaksin Shinawatra, and his new party, Thai Rak Thai (Thai
Loves Thai), win the elections.
2004
Violence in the Islamic southern provinces escalates
sharply, with frequent attacks on police, soldiers, and also
Buddhist monks.
September 2006
Thaksin's government is overthrown in
a bloodless army coup.
December 2007
The pro-Thaksin People Power Party
wins parliamentary elections.
October 2008
Pro-royalist “Yellow Shirts” escalate their
protests, blockading Bangkok Airport.
December 2008
The Democrat Party's Abhisit Vejjajiva
becomes prime minister.
March 2010
Thousands of “Red Shirts” or pro-Thaksin
supporters seize a part of central Bangkok, demanding the
resignation of Abhisit, who sends in the troops in May,
resulting in 91 deaths.
May 2011
Thaksin's sister, Yingluck, wins a general
election and begins to work on a pardon for her brother,
who, convicted of corruption, has been living in exile.
January 2014
Royalist, nationalist protesters attempt to
shut Bangkok down and postpone elections indefinitely.
10
ARRIVAL
hailand has
land borders
with Myanmar
(Burma), Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia,
and all these countries have embassies in
Bangkok. Bangkok is a major transport
hub in Southeast Asia and there are
flights
in from all over the world. here
are also international airports at Phuket,
Chiang Mai, Ko Samui and Krabi with
flights from regional hubs, including
Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
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