Nan-Chao Period  |  Sukhothai Period  |  Ayutthaya Period

The Nan-Chao Period (650 - 1253)

    National culture is inevitably a product of a country 's traditions since ancient times. Therefore, it would be advisable to briefly examine the nature of Thai diplomatic relations during the Nan-Chao Period, before the Thai people settled in Thailand.

    Thailand is a nation of warriors with a military style of government, yet she has always sought to maintain friendly relations with her neighbours. Consequently, during the Nan-Chao Period, envoys were dispatched to China and Tibet. Treaties of friendship were also occasionally signed, such as those with China in 1198 B.E. (650 A.D.), 1288 B.E. (745 A.D.), and 1330 B.E. (787 A.D.) as well as with Tibet in 1293 B.E. (750 A.D.) and 1363 B.E. (820 A.D.). Artisans were brought from China to develop various crafts in Nan-Chao, such as weaving. This demonstrates that the Thai nation has never existed in isolation, and has always sought to maintain contacts and engage in trade with foreign countries for economic benefits.

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The Sukhothai Period (1238 - 1438)

    The Thais migrated to the Chao Phya River basin over 1000 years ago. Around the year 857, Prince Phrom founded the city of Fang (Sawankhalok) and Thais gradually migrated there over time. After Kublai Khan conquered Nan-Chao in 1253, an even larger number of Thais began to migrate to Fang.

    At that time, the basin of the Chao Phya River was settled by the Laws, Mons and Khmers, who were under the influence of Indian culture. They had embraced Buddhism as their religion Since the days of King Asoka (274 - 236 B.C.) and had also adapted Brahman customs and traditions.

    The Thai people, being a nation of warriors, moved south to the Chao Phya River basin and established their supremacy in the area. They adapted the Indian culture, which was prevalent in the area, to correspond with their own traditions. The Buddhism they practised was Hinayana (or Theravada), which was a pure form of the religion. Buddhism was well suited to the nature of Thais since it preached the virtues of being independent and responsible for one 's own deeds. It also taught individuals to respect one 's fellow human beings and to have compassion towards others. In this regard, Buddhism was well-suited to the Thai style of administration, which favoured a paternalistic form of government with everyone part of the same family. Brahman customs and traditions, on the other hand, granted absolute, divine power to the rulers. Accordingly, it did not correspond with the Thai nature and initially was not accepted. However, the Thais gradually integrated with the Mons and Khmers, the original inhabitants of the area, until they were assimilated as one people.

    Administration during that period was city-oriented, that is, it centred around the capital, which exercised control over the provincial towns. There also existed a number of vassal states, whose duty it was to send royal tribute to the capital as a sign of loyalty.

    In 1238, King Inthrathit (1238 - 1270 s) conquered the town of Sukhothai from the Cambodians and founded the Thai Kingdom.

    In 1275, King Ramkhamhaeng, (1275 - 1317) the hero who had once defeated Khun Samchon, the ruler of Chot, in a battle with both combatants mounted on elephants, ascended to the throne and proceeded to expand the boundaries of the Thai Kingdom far and wide.

    Among his accomplishments, King Ramkhamhaeng succeeded in consolidating the Thai Kingdom by extending Thai suzerainty over other cities as his power and as geographical factors permitted. In terms of geography, rivers offer a natural route of communication, Therefore, in cases in which they are used as boundaries, this would be merely for the purpose of providing a clearly delimited boundary line. Mountains, on the other hand, are obstacles; therefore, they form a natural boundary which is even more clearly delimited.

    The expansion of the Thai Kingdom started along the banks of the Chao Phya River and eventually reached the Mekong River basin. During a time when sailboats were still used for navigation, passage to the Indian Ocean was heavily dependent on the monsoon winds. It was therefore easier to travel by land through Tenasserim and Mergui than to journey by sea around the Malay Peninsula. For this reason, Mergui became an important trading post for advancing the economic prosperity of the Thai Kingdom. Expansion in that direction was therefore natural, especially since the local inhabitants in that area were Mon, a people who got along well with the Thais. Southward expansion towards the Malay Peninsula was also deemed appropriate. Beyond the Mekong River basin, however, were the Banthat Yuan mountains, or Annamese Cordilleras. The Yuan, or Annamese, had a culture akin to that of the Chinese. Expansion beyond the Banthat Yuan mountains was therefore considered unnecessary.

    King Ramkhamhaeng expanded the boundaries of the Thai Kingdom all the way to Luang Prabang and Vientiane on the Mekong River. In the northeast, Phayao and Chiengmai were under Thai suzerainty but were allowed to remain free, and friendly relations were maintained with the two city-states. In the central region, Lopburi and Ayutthaya remained independent as evidence by the fact that Law Hok Kok (Lawo) had dispatched an embassy to China in 1289. To the west, the boundaries of the Thai Kingdom were extended to the Indian Ocean and encompassed Tavoy and Tenasserim (including Mergui). To the south, the Kingdom 's boundaries reached Malacca.

    King Ramkhamhaeng conducted diplomacy in a prudent manner, maintaining cordial relations with Phya Mengrai and Phya Ngammuang, both of whom were Thai rulers. Although some differences existed among them, especially between King Ramkhamhaeng and Phya Ngammuang, this did not lead to armed conflict, and it was usually left to Phya Mengrai to act as mediator.

    In 1282, China sent an envoy to conclude a treaty of friendship with Sukhothai. King Ramkhamhaeng himself also travelled twice to China in 1294 and 1300. On the latter occasion, he brought back with him skilled artisans from China to produce the pottery known as Sangkhalok or Sawankhalok, which was later exported to other countries and which has remained renowned till the present day.

    There was also intercourse between Sukhothai and Ceylon in the realm of religion. A number of Thais entered the monkhood in Ceylon and brought back that country 's sect of Buddhism. The Phra Buddhasihing Buddha image was also obtained from Ceylon.

    It is therefore apparent that King Ramkhamhaeng 's diplomatic pursuits contributed to the progress of the Thai Kingdom, not only in terms of foreign relations but also in the area of religion (with Ceylon) and trade (with China).

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The Ayutthaya Period (1350 - 1767)

    In order to consolidate the strength of the Thai nation, it is necessary to promote the spiritual as well as economic standing of the people. Since the Thai people relied mainly on farming for a living and since foreign trade was basically conducted by sea, it naturally followed that the most prosperous area should be centred around the Chao Phya River basin. Meanwhile, the city of U-thong gradually built up its power and a new capital was eventually established at Ayutthaya in 1350.

    The Thai people in U-thong had more contact with the Khmer than the Thais in Sukhothai. As the Kingdom expanded, it became necessary to tighten the regulations for governing the realm. Subsequently, Thai culture during the Ayutthaya Period embraced many elements of Khmer culture, which in turn was based on Brahman beliefs. One example of this was the adoption of the concept of a divine ruler. Moreover, in the process of consolidating the Thai Kingdom, it was inevitable that contact should be made and conflicts should arise with other powerful states in neighbouring areas, such as Cambodia and Burma.

    Cambodia came under Thai rule in 1352. Since then, Cambodia repeatedly took advantage of the Thai Kingdom 's conflicts with Burma to stage periodic rebellions, prompting the Thais to take swift action to maintain their suzerainty over Cambodia. This persisted until the French expanded into Indochina.

    Burma initially attempted to conquer Tavoy and Tenasserim, but the Thais always managed to regain the two towns until Ayutthaya fell in 1767. The Burmese had earlier conquered Chiengmai in 1556. This brought Ayutthaya and Burma to war, resulting in the Thai Kingdom 's loss of independence on two occasions - in 1569 and 1767. However, two of the Kingdom 's greatest heroes - King Naresuan (1590 - 1605), on the first occasion, and King Taksin (1767 -1782) together with Phra Buddhayodfa [Rama I (1782 - 1809) ] on the second - managed swiftly to win back freedom.

    Diplomacy, therefore, was used as a tool to accompany war as the opportunity permitted. A similar practice was used in Europe during the same period, based on what the French called raison d' Etat, that is, the national interests of each party. One point which should be mentioned here as an illustration of Thai culture is the request from the Burmese king, Burengnong (or Bayinnaung) for two white elephants from the Thai king, Mahachakrapat (1549 - 1569). There was much debate as to whether the request should be granted, with the majority in favour since the Kingdom had a considerable number of white elephants in its possession; moreover, the Thais were not yet ready to go to war with Burma. Others argued, however, that complying with the request would only signify Thai subservience to Burma and would not be befitting for Thai dignity. They therefore advocated that the request be rejected, a proposal which won the approval of King Mahachakrapat.

    Even before the Portuguese came into contact with the Thais, the Thai Kingdom had dispatched diplomatic missions to foster friendly relations with other countries outside the Southeast Asian peninsula. Envoys were sent, for example, to China during the reign of King Boromraja I (1370 - 1388) and King Intharaja (1409 - 1424), prompting the Chinese to commence trade with the Thai Kingdom. However, such missions were aimed only at forging cordial ties between the two kingdoms and were accompanied by the costomary gifts. They were not in any way meant as a sign of subservience since the Thais continued to treasure their independence, as did the Europeans who first came in contact with the Thais over 400 years ago.