Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Lanna kingdom is recognised for its royal patronage of the Sinhalese tradition of
Theravada Buddhism that is now widely practised in Thailand and of the distinctive north-
ern Thai culture of the region. The Lanna kingdom didn't experience an extensive expan-
sion period as it was plagued by dynastic intrigues and wars with rival powers.
Sukhothai
During the 13th century, several principalities in the central plains united and wrested
control from the dying Khmer empire, making their new capital at Sukhothai (meaning
'Rising of Happiness'). Thais consider Sukhothai the first true Thai kingdom and the peri-
od is recognised as an artistic and cultural awakening.
The most revered of the Sukhothai kings was Ramkhamhaeng, who is credited for de-
veloping the modern Thai writing system, which is based on Indian, Mon and Khmer
scripts. He also established Theravada Buddhism as the official religion.
In its prime, the Sukhothai kingdom extended as far as Nakhon Si Thammarat in the
south, to the upper Mekong River Valley in Laos and to Bago (Pegu) in southern Burma.
For a short time (1448-86), the Sukhothai capital was moved to Phitsanulok, but by that
time another star was rising in Thailand, the kingdom of Ayuthaya.
FREE NOT TO SPEAK
Press intimidation in Thailand is made easier because of the country's lèse-majesté laws - causing offence against
the dignity of the monarchy - which carries a jail term of between three and 15 years. Often the media exercises
self-censorship with regard to the monarchy, mainly out of respect for the crown, but also out of fear of political
retribution.
Filing of lèse-majesté charges has increased since 2006 against media, academics and political figures. Even
average citizens are vulnerable: charges have been filed against a Thai Facebook user who posted a negative com-
ment about the king and an overseas Thai with US citizenship who posted translations of a banned book about the
king on his blog. The most recent high-profile conviction has been Sondhi Limthongkul, a former media tycoon
who led the charge against the then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra via the now defunct People's Alliance for
Democracy (aka Yellow Shirts). The court found that Sondhi told his supporters at a rally about remarks made by
the opposition Red Shirt leader; repeating these monarchy-defaming comments earned him a two-year prison sen-
tence. The original Red Shirt commentator received a 15-year sentence though she plans to petition for a royal
pardon after five years.
Ayuthaya
In the mid-14th century, the Ayuthaya kingdom began to dominate the Chao Phraya River
basin during the twilight of the Khmer period. It survived for 416 years, defining itself as
Siam's most important kingdom with an expansive sphere of influence (including much of
