The known early history of Thailand begins with the earliest major archaeological site at Ban Chiang. Dating of artifacts from this site is controversial, but there is a consensus that at least by 3600 BCE, inhabitants had developed bronze tools and had begun to cultivate wet rice, providing the impetus for social and political organisation.
Later, Malay, Mon, and Khmer civilisations flourished in the region prior to the domination of the Thais, most notably the kingdom of Srivijaya in the south, the Dvaravati kingdom in central Thailand, and the Khmer Empire based at Angkor.
The Thai are part of a larger ethno-linguistic group known as the Tai, a group which includes the Lao, the people of the Shan region of northeastern Burma, the Zhuang people of Guangxi Province in China and the Thổ people and Nùng people of northern Vietnam. Migrations from southern China to Southeast Asia took place primarily during the first millennium CE, most likely via northern Laos.
During the first millennium CE the Tai peoples were loosely organised in small entities known as muang. They were heavily influenced by the more advanced cultures around them: the Khmer to the east, and the Hindu cultures of India to the west. Most of the Tai were converted to a form of Hinduism, traces of which can still be seen in Thai religious practice today. Between the 6th and 9th centuries CE, Buddhism was introduced into the Tai-speaking lands, probably via Burma, and became the dominant religion. The Theravada Buddhism now practised in Thailand was introduced by missionaries from Sri Lanka in the 13th century.
Phongsawadannuea (Chronicle of the North) is a historical record of this period. The date of its first compilation is unknown, but its content stretches from 500 CE down to the early 11th century. The recent edition was compiled in early Rattanakosin period.
and 28 Related for: Early history of Thailand information
The known earlyhistoryofThailand begins with the earliest major archaeological site at Ban Chiang. Dating of artifacts from this site is controversial...
Southeast Asia over a period of centuries. The word Siam (Thai: สยาม RTGS: Sayam) may have originated from Pali (suvaṇṇabhūmi, "land of gold"), Sanskrit श्याम...
Thailand officially adopted a neutral position during World War II until the five hour-long Japanese invasion ofThailand on 8 December 1941, which led...
The historyof Jews in Thailand began in the 18th century with the arrival of Baghdadi Jewish families and Jewish peoples from Europe during Napoleonic...
support to display the Thai text in this article correctly. Thailand, officially the Kingdom ofThailand and historically known as Siam (the official name...
The earlyhistoryof Cambodia follows the prehistoric and protohistoric development of Cambodia as a country in mainland Southeast Asia. Thanks to archaeological...
The earlyhistoryof Singapore refers to its pre-colonial era before 1819, when the British East India Company led by Stamford Raffles established a trading...
The military historyofThailand encompasses a thousand years of armed struggle, from wars of independence from the powerful Khmer Empire, through to struggles...
economy ofThailand is dependent on exports, which accounted in 2021 for about 58 per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). Thailand itself...
classified according to six distinct periods of history; beginning with the 13th century. Previously, traditional Thai clothes were worn daily; however, they are...
The early modern period is a historical period that is part of the modern period based primarily on the historyof Europe and the broader concept of modernity...
Thai people (Thai: ชาวไทย; endonym), Chao Phraya Thai (Thai: ไทยลุ่มเจ้าพระยา; exonym and also academic), Central Thai people (Thai: คนภาคกลาง; exonym...
Chinese histories as the Kingdom of Funan and encompassed an area of modern Cambodia, and the coasts of southern Vietnam and southern Thailand since the...
Thai Chinese (also known as Chinese Thais, Sino-Thais), Thaisof Chinese origin (Thai: ชาวไทยเชื้อสายจีน; exonym and also domestically) are Chinese descendants...
The historyofThai money used as a medium of exchange and to settle accounts before the adoption ofThai baht coins and banknotes include novel designs...
Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF) (Thai: กองทัพไทย; RTGS: Kong Thap Thai) are the armed forces of the Kingdom ofThailand. The Highest Commander of the Royal...
Mishra (2010). The HistoryofThailand. Greenwood. p. 39. Baker, Chris; Phongpaichit, Pasuk (2017). A Historyof Ayutthaya: Siam in the Early Modern World....
Thai, or Central Thai (historically Siamese; Thai: ภาษาไทย), is a Tai language of the Kra–Dai language family spoken by the Central Thai, Mon people in...
Muay Thai (Thai: มวยไทย, RTGS: muai thai, pronounced [mūa̯j tʰāj] ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a Thai martial art and full-contact combat...
Prostitution in Thailand is not itself illegal, but public solicitation for prostitution is prohibited if it is carried out "openly and shamelessly" or...
now Thailand as early as the 3rd century BCE, in the time of the Indian Emperor Ashoka. Since then, Buddhism has played a significant role in Thai culture...
Education in Thailand is provided mainly by the Thai government through the Ministry of Education from pre-school to senior high school. A free basic education...
Thai culture. Thainess, which refers to the distinctive qualities that define the national identity ofThailand, is evident in the country's history,...
historyof Kedah can be traced from various sources, from the prehistoric period, most famously the archaeological site of Bujang Valley, the early maritime...
territorial losses ofThailand is a concept in Thai historiography, referring to conflicts during the Rattanakosin period ofThailand (or Siam as it was historically...