History

Over a period of several centuries, Thai people migrated from southwestern China to mainland Southeast Asia.  A 12th-century inscription at the world-famous Angkor Wat in Siem, Reap Cambodia displays the earliest mention of Thai people using the world Siamese, meaning “brown people”.  It is believed that the word Siamese is derived from Sanskrit and that, from this word, the country came to be known as Siam by the western world.

In the 16th century, Portugal gave the first account of the country.  The Portuguese conquered Malacca, at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula in 1511, where they encountered people on an expedition from Siam (Thailand) by the king of Ayutthaya (the original capital of Thailand).  Following this encounter, the Portuguese sent a diplomatic mission to Ayutthaya.  It was a century later that the British Empire first sent their merchants to the kingdom with a letter from King James I.

The Mon, the Khmer Empire, Malay states, and Sumatra ruled the region before the Thai people began to establish their own states, among them: the Kingdom of Chiang Mai and the Ayutthaya Kingdom.  So many different independent states and ruling powers led to a relatively constant power struggle that lasted many years.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, European colonial powers caused a threat to the region, but Thailand was the only Southeast Asian country to bypass colonial rule.  France and England saw Thailand as a neutral territory which would separate their respective colonies in order to avoid conflict.

Absolute monarchy continued in Thailand until 1932 when the military took control of the country.  Military rule lasted for 60 years before a democratic system was implemented in the country.  In 2014 the military staged a coup d’état and once again took control of the governing system in Thailand.

Culture

Thailand is rich in culture with many traditions stemming from the ethnic Thai people as well as from Buddhism.  Many beliefs, customs, and traditions in Thailand come directly from Buddhist principles.  While Buddhism is the most widely-practiced religion in Thailand, Hinduism has also had many influences on the culture and can be seen in Thai art, literature, and customs.  Cultures of surrounding countries and indigenous belief systems have also played a huge role in contributing to Thai culture, traditions, and customs.  So many different influences from so many different places have led to a population with a strong sense of cultural identity; something that the Thai government has worked tirelessly to preserve since the mid-20th century.

Although this national identity is still strong and present in Thailand, local culture and traditions have experienced a revival since the 1980s and have begun to play a more important role in Thai life.

Some of the influences of Theraveda Buddhism are seen in the tendency towards composure in Thai people.  Respect and self control are seen as important personality traits in Thailand.  Any public display of emotion can be seen as negative.  It is important for Thai people to maintain a positive attitude and always keep a smile on their face.

Respect for elders and social superiors is also important in Thai culture.  Therefore, teachers, doctors, public figures, elderly people, and monks are treated with the utmost respect.

Family is another very important aspect of Thai culture.  Often, many generations within one family will all live under the same roof and contribute equally to the family income as well as responsibilities within the household.

While Thai society is dominated by males, women are deeply respected.  In recent years, women have been given more freedom to move away from traditional household roles and into the professional world.  Equal rights for women have become a cornerstone of Thailand’s legal system as well as Thai values.