Thailand; key historical events
Page last
modified 2/2/2021
For events of World War Two in
Pacific, S E Asia, see China-Japan-Korea
13/10/2016, King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand died, aged
88, after a 70-year reign. He was succeeded by Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn,
after a period of mourning.
17/8/2015, A terrorist bomb
exploded at the Erawan Buddhist shrine in central Bangkok, killing over 20 and
injuring more than 120. No-one immediately claimed responsibility for the
attack.
1/2/2014, Violent protests in
Bangkok.
11/4/2009, Civil
unrest in Thailand; state of emergency declared.
2/9/2008, Unrest continued in Bangkok; Prime Minister Sundaravej declared a State of
Emergency.
19/9/2006, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra of Thailand declared a State of Emergency as the Thai
Army staged a bloodless military coup. Thaksin
was overthrown and went into exile.
5/1/2004, Thailand declared a State of Emergency as Muslim insurgency in the southern provinces,
Narathiwat, Pattani and Yaia increased.
2001, Thai Rak Thai, led by Thaksin Shinawatra, won a large majority in
elections.
2000, Bangkok was
reported to be sinking at up to 5 cm a year. The city is built on what was a
swamp, and there has been considerable removal of ground water.
2/7/1997. The Thai Baht abruptly fell 25% overnight, as the
East Asian Crisis got underway. This financial crisis precipitated the fall of
the Chaovalit Government. Chuan Leekpai,
Prime Minister, now led the Democratic
Party in government.
1996, Chaovalit
Yongchaiyuth of the New Aim
Party won elections.
1995, The Thai Nation Party won elections.
10/5/1993, An
explosion at a doll factory in Bangkok, Thailand killed 187.
1992, General Suchinda became Prime Minister.
However following demonstratuions against him, the Thai King forced Suchinda
to step down and Anand became PM again.
23/2/1991, Thai Prime
Minister Prem Tinsulanonda was ousted in a bloodless coup by the
military. General
Suchinda Kraprayoon took power. Civilian Anand Panyarachun was installed
as caretaker Prime Minister.
17/11/1990, A mass
grave, believed to be from World War Two, was discovered near the infamous Bridge over the River Kwai, Thailand.
1988, The Right wing Thai Nation Party took power, with General
Chatichai Choonhaven as leader.
1980, General Prem Tinsulanonda became Prime
Minister. Democracy in Thailand was partially restored.
21/7/1977, Cambodia
and Thailand fought in a border war.
1/2/1977, Khmer
Rouge incursion into Thailand killed 30.
1976, Military government took power in Thailand.
1971, The Thai Army suspended the Constitution.
1968, Thailand gained a new Constitution, with an elected
parliament.
1965, Thailand allowed the US Navy to use its naval bases during
the Vietnam War.
8/12/1963, Sarit
Dhanarajata, Prime Minister of Thailand, died.
20/10/1958, Military coup in Thailand.
17/9/1957, Military coup in Thailand, The Constitution was suspended, and Prime
Minister Pibul
Songgram fled, and was replaced by Pote Sarasin, Secretary-General
of SEATO.
29/5/1954, Thailand complained to the United nations Security Council that the
activities of the Communists
in south east Asia threatened its security.
28/7/1952, King
Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand was born.
1951, The US gave considerable aid to
Thailand, seeing it as a loyal ally in the Cold War. Infrastructure was
improved and the military strengthened;
11/5/1949. Siam again changed its name to Thailand.
1947, A military coup restored former dictator Phiburi
to power.
13/10/1946, Thailand
accepted a UN ruling that it return the provinces of Indo-China that it had
acquired in 1941 as an ally of Japan.
9/6/1946, King Rama VIII
was assassinated, aged 21, after an 11-year reign. His brother Phumiphon
Aduldet now reigned as Rama IX, after 5/5/1950 when he left school in
Switzerland.
1945, Exiled King Anaada returned to Thailand.
1944, Pro-Japanese Prime Minister and pre-war military dictator Phibun
was voted out of office.
21/12/1941, Siam
(Thailand) signed a treaty with Japan permitting the entry and transit of
Japanese troops. This facilitated the Japanese invasion of Burma.
1939, Siam changed its name to Thailand, but reverted to Siam again in 1946.
2/3/1935, King Rama VII
of Siam abdicated after a 10-year reign during which absolute royal power was
abolished. He was succeeded by his 10-year-old nephew who ruled ass Rama VIII
(Ananda Mahidol) until he was assassinated in 1946.
20/6/1933, Army coup
in Siam (Thailand).
24/6/1932, Radicals
captured King
Rama VII and held him prisoner until he agreed to reforms and the
creation of a Senate, and a Parliament elected by universal suffrage.
1925, King Prajadhipok began a period of absolute
rule.
1918, The image of the sacred White Elephant was removed from the
flag of Siam.
23/10/1910, Vajiravudh
(1881-1925) was crowned Rama VI, King of Thailand. He succeeded Rama V
Chulalongkorn (1853-1910) who ruled 1873-1910.
8/4/1907, Britain
and France confirmed the independence of Siam (Thailand).
However Thailand ceded western Khmer (Cambodia) and southern Laos to France.
1902, Thailand annexed the Sultanate of Pattani, on its southern
border with Malaysia. The Muslim Malays of Pattani launched a resistance
movement against Thai Buddhist rule.
15/1/1896. Britain
and France signed an agreement on their spheres of influence in S.E. Asia. Both
countries guaranteed the independence of Siam
(Thailand).
3/10/1893. Siam
(Thailand) gave up all its territory east of the Mekong Rover, and recognised
Laos as a French
protectorate.
11/11/1868, Phra Paramindr
Maha Chulalongkorn was crowned King of King of Siam,
1/10/1868, Mongkut (Rama IV), King of
Siam, died aged 64. In his 17-year reign he made considerable reforms, with
Western help. His decision to roll back centuries of isolation was taken during
his travels as a Buddhist monk for 27 years. In 1863 France had forced him to relinquish his vassal state of
Cambodia, which became a French protectorate.
11/8/1863, A French
Protectorate was established in Cambodia, after continued attacks by Thai and
Vietnamese forces.
1855,
King Mongkut siged the Bowring Trade Treaty with Britain. This guaranteed the independence
of Siam from European colonisation.
21/9/1853, Phra Paramindr
Maha Chulalongkorn, King of Siam, eldest son of King Maha Mongkut,
was born (died 1910).
1/4/1851, Rama IV (Mongkut)
(1804-68) took the Thai throne.
1826,
King Rama III resisted UK demands made by the
Burney Mission,
6/4/1782, Chao P’ya
Chakri founded the Chakri
Dynasty in Siam (endurng until 1932), ruling as King Rama I, reigning until
1809. He made Bangkok the capital.
11/7/1688, Narai,
King of Siam, died.
1767,
Burmese forces occupied Thailand, this time permanently ending Ayutthaya rule.
1680, The French established trading posts in Siam.
1569, Burmese forces conquered Thailand, defeating the Ayutthaya
and ruling the country for 15 years.
1350, The Thai kingdom of .Ayutthaya succeeded the Sukhotai
State.
1296, Chiang Mai founded as capital of the Lan Na Kingdom.
501, Rise of the Mon State of Dvaravati in what is now Thailand.