The kingdom of Thailand traces its history to the 13th-century kingdom of Sukhothai. Sukhothai reached its zenith under King Ramkhamhaeng, the inventor of the Thai script. During the 14th century, Sukhothai was eclipsed by the kingdom of Ayutthaya, a major regional trading center. Expanded by King Trailok, restored by King Naresuan, and reaching commercial heights under King Narai, Ayutthaya was sacked by the Burmese in 1767. King Taksin reunified the Siamese Kingdom through his conquests, laying the foundations for the current Chakri Dynasty. Read on to discover more about the kings of Thailand.1. RamkhamhaengStatue of King Ramkhamhaeng at Sukhothai Historical Park, Thailand, photograph by Jimmy Chen, 2017. Source: Jimmy ChenKing Ramkhamhaeng was the third ruler of the kingdom of Sukhothai, the earliest independent Thai state. Located in north-central Thailand, Sukhothai had been part of a Dvaravati kingdom centered on present-day Lopburi, which was, in turn, subject to cultural and political influence from the Khmer Empire in Cambodia. From the 9th century onwards, the area was settled by the Tai people (ancestors of modern Thai) from southern China. As the Lopburi Kingdom declined, the Tai took control of the city in the 11th century but were, in turn, subjugated by the Khmer.In 1238, a Tai chief named Bang Klang Hao rebelled against the Khmer and ruled over Sukhothai and nearby Si Satchanalai under the name Si Inthrathit. By the end of his reign in 1270, his realm encompassed the upper valley of the Chao Phraya River. Si Inthrathit was succeeded by his son Ban Mueang, who ruled for a decade. In 1280, Si Inthrathits youngest son became King Ramkhamhaeng.The name Ramkhamhaeng means Rama the Bold. The Kingdom of Sukhothai is believed to have reached its greatest territorial extent during his reign, though the kingdom resembled a network of city-states rather than a centralized entity. In 1287, Ramkhamhaeng formed an alliance with two kings in northern Thailand: Ngam Mueang of Phayao and King Mangrai of Lanna, the founder of the city of Chiang Mai.Ramkhamhaeng is best known in Thailand as the inventor of the Thai script, which was adapted from the Khmer script. The so-called Sukhothai script made its first appearance on the Ramkhamhaeng Stele, discovered at Sukhothai by the future King Mongkut in 1833 and dated to 1292. The inscription gives a brief account of the kings life and reign, including his military exploits and patronage of Buddhist monasteries.2. TrailokStatue of King Trailok. Source: Gavroche ThalandeThe power of the Kingdom of Sukhothai waned in the century after Ramkhamhaengs death in 1298. As the political center of gravity moved south, Ramkhamkhaengs descendants shifted their power base to Phitsanulok. During the second half of the 14th century, Sukhothai was eclipsed by Ayutthaya, which became wealthy through trade with China.Ayutthaya owed its name to Ayodhya in India, a city associated with both the Buddha and the Hindu god Rama (a manifestation of Vishnu), who plays a major role in Thai royal culture. Ayutthaya was officially founded in 1351 by a man named U Thong, known by his regnal name of Ramathibodi I. U Thong expanded his realm by marrying into the royal families of Suphanburi and Lopburi. A power struggle ensued after his death, and by the 15th century, the lords of Suphanburi gained control of the throne of Ayutthaya (Baker and Pasuk, p. 56).The kings of Ayutthaya formed close marriage ties with the rulers of Sukhothai, creating a political culture that combined elements from north and south. King Boromaracha II of Ayutthaya (r. 1424-1448) married a Sukhothai princess. When his brother-in-law, King Maha Thammaracha IV of Sukhothai, died in 1438, Boromaracha named his seven-year-old son, Prince Ramesuan, as viceroy of Sukhothai, marking the end of Sukhothais independence.Wat Phra Si Sanphet, one of the most iconic temples in Ayutthaya, Thailand. King Trailoks ashes are believed to be interred in one of the three chedis pictured, photograph by Jimmy Chen, 2017. Source: Jimmy ChenPrince Ramesuan succeeded his father in 1448 under the name King Trailokkanat (or Trailok). He was the first king of Ayutthaya to be descended from the royal house of Sukhothai. After Trailok reneged on a promise to appoint his cousin Prince Yuthisthira (a male line descendant of the house of Sukhothai) as viceroy in Phitsanulok, the latter escaped to Lanna and encouraged King Tilokarat to go to war against Ayutthaya.King Trailok spent much of his reign fighting against Lanna. In order to supervise military operations more effectively, he moved his capital to Phitsanulok in 1463 after appointing his eldest son as junior king in Ayutthaya. Many northern cities remained under the control of Lanna until Ayutthaya secured a crucial victory at Si Satchanalai in 1474, which is commemorated in the epic poem Yuan phai. Although hostilities continued for many decades, the victory ensured that Ayutthaya re-established its influence over the northern cities.Despite his absence from Ayutthaya, Trailok introduced important reforms to the Thai bureaucracy by establishing a hierarchy of towns and a corresponding hierarchy of governors or lords for the cities, who were expected to carry out civil and military functions (Chula, pp. 33-34). This system remained in place until King Chulalongkorns administrative reforms in the early 20th century. When Trailok died in 1488, Ayutthaya resumed its function as the primary capital, but Phitsanulok remained a secondary capital for the next century.3. NaresuanStatue of King Naresuan in Ayutthaya, Thailand, photograph by Jimmy Chen, 2027. Source: Jimmy ChenBy the middle of the 16th century, the kingdom of Burma to the west emerged as the main rival to Ayutthaya. A Burmese invasion in 1548 is considered the first of more than 20 Burmese-Siamese conflicts that continued until the early 19th century. The Burmese laid siege to Ayutthaya but were forced to withdraw. However, the war witnessed the dramatic sacrifice of Queen Suriyothai, who rode her elephant into harms way to save the life of her husband, King Maha Chakkraphat.The Burmese returned in 1563 and briefly occupied Ayutthaya, deposing Maha Chakkraphat and installing his son Mahinthra as a vassal in the process. When Mahinthra encouraged his father to resume the kingship in 1568, the Burmese invaded in 1569 and captured Ayutthaya again. The fall of Ayutthaya owed much to Maha Thammaracha of Phitsanulok, who defected to the Burmese. Both Chakkraphat and Mahinthra were killed, and the Burmese made Maha Thammaracha the new vassal king of Ayutthaya.Maha Thammaracha, a descendant of the House of Sukhothai, was granted considerable powers over the northern cities in 1548 after helping Maha Chakkraphat secure his throne. In a demonstration of his fealty to the Burmese kingdom, Maha Thammaracha was required to send his sons Naresuan and Ekathosarot to the Burmese court at Pegu as hostages in 1569 (or possibly earlier in 1563).The lines of history and legend become blurred in the figure of Naresuan. According to the Thai chronicles, the young princes received military training at Pegu and enjoyed cockfighting with the Burmese princes. By around 1570, in response to a plot to kill Naresuan, the Siamese princes escaped, and Naresuan established himself as viceroy at Phitsanulok.Equestrian Statue of King Naresuan in Ayutthaya, Thailand. photograph by Jimmy Chen, 2027. Source: Jimmy ChenDuring the 1570s, the young Naresuan distinguished himself in battle by defeating internal uprisings and invasions from Cambodia. In 1584, he made the fateful decision to declare independence from Burmas vassalage. This led the Burmese army to launch annual campaigns against Ayutthaya between 1584 and 1587. Naresuan evacuated the northern cities, strengthened Ayutthayas defenses, and recruited Portuguese and Japanese mercenaries who joined his army to attack the Burmese siege camps and force the enemy to retreat.When Naresuan became king in 1590, Phitsanulok was downgraded in status, and Ayutthaya became the sole capital. The conflict with Burma climaxed with the Battle of Nong Sarai near Suphanburi in January 1593. The battle is known in Thailand for a legendary elephant duel between Naresuan and the Burmese crown prince Mingyi Swa, his supposed childhood playmate. Despite being mounted on a smaller elephant, Naresuan emerged victorious and killed his adversary. Burmese chronicles and European accounts do not mention the elephant duel and indicate that Mingyi Swa was killed by a gunshot.In 1599, Naresuan led an invasion of Burma that saw Siamese armies reach the gates of Pegu. While he was unable to subdue the enemy capital, he secured the passes into Siam. Between 1602 and 1604, Naresuan established suzerainty over Cambodia, which lasted a decade. His death in 1605 during a campaign in Lanna brought an end to major hostilities. While Naresuan is venerated as a heroic figure in modern Thailand, contemporary Siamese chroniclers emphasized his cruelty and bloodlust as a conqueror (Baker and Pasuk, pp. 111-118).4. NaraiStatue of King Narai at Lopburi, Thailand, photograph by Jimmy Chen, 2018. Source: Jimmy ChenNaresuans brother and successor, King Ekathotsarot, preferred diplomacy and commerce to war and established trade links with the Portuguese, Dutch, and English. Lucrative trade was also conducted with the Chinese, Japanese, and Muslim Indian merchants. Ayutthaya thus became a major entrepot facilitating trade between Europe and Asia.In 1628, the ruling house of Ayutthaya was overthrown by an aristocrat named Prasat Thong with the assistance of the head of the Japanese trading colony. Prasat Thongs reign also witnessed the arrival of a small but influential body of Persians who assumed high office. The Persians played a key role in the accession of Prasat Thongs younger son Narai, who outmaneuvered a brother and an uncle in the power struggle after his fathers death in 1656.Persians, therefore, continued to occupy key government positions during Narais reign, and the king relied on Persian and Chinese merchants to resist the Dutch East India Companys demands for monopolies. In 1666, Narai ordered the construction of a new summer palace in Lopburi, his secondary capital, whose architectural features were inspired by Safavid Persia. Ayutthaya flourished during the reigns of Prasat Thong and Narai, and the citys wealth was exhibited in newly restored temples with golden Buddha images.A gate in King Narais Palace at Lopburi, photograph by Jimmy Chen. Source: Jimmy ChenEuropean influence at Narais court increased significantly in the late 1670s. The king was curious about European astronomy and had observatories built at Ayutthaya and Lopburi. The most famous European who served Narai was a Greek adventurer named Constantine Phaulkon, who spent much of his life working for the British East India Company. After being introduced to the king in the early 1680s, he quickly became Narais chief adviser with the title Chao Phraya Wichayen and used his influence to enrich himself.Phaulkon organized a Siamese embassy to the King Louis XIV of France which arrived in 1685. The ambassadors made a good impression, and a reciprocal French embassy arrived in 1687, conveying Jesuit scholars and a few hundred French soldiers to garrison a couple of forts near the mouth of the Chao Phraya River in what is now Bangkok. Phaulkons actions also provoked a brief conflict with his former East India Company masters.By the late 1680s, Narai was spending most of his year in Lopburi. His health was in steady decline, and during his final illness in 1688 a conservative nobleman named Phetracha launched a coup seeking to eliminate foreign influence at court. Phetracha seized the palace in May 1688, took Phaulkon captive, and executed him a few weeks later. Narai was too weak to protest, and Phetracha claimed the throne upon his death on July 11.5. TaksinStatue of King Taksin at Rajabhakti Park, Hua Hin, Thailand, photograph by Jimmy Chen, 2020. Source: Jimmy ChenThe kingdom of Ayutthaya was plagued with instability during the 18th century, inviting a Burmese invasion in late 1759. This first attempt was repulsed, but following a second invasion in 1765, the Burmese laid siege to Ayutthaya for 14 months and sacked the city on the night of April 7, 1767.A few months before the fall of Ayutthaya, a talented Thai-Chinese general named Taksin escaped from the city and began organizing an army. After establishing his base at Chanthaburi in southeastern Thailand, Taksin moved his headquarters to Thonburi on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, now a district of Bangkok. By early 1768, he managed to retake Ayutthaya from its small Burmese garrison. However, Taksin made no attempt to rebuild Ayutthaya; instead, he retained his headquarters at Thonburi, making him the first (and only) king of Thonburi.For the next seven years, Taksin personally led campaigns against the Burmese as they sought to reestablish their position in Siam. In the meantime, he brought together former Siamese territories in the north and south through a combination of force and diplomacy. From 1775 onwards, Taksin remained in Thonburi to focus on reviving the economy and restoring trade relations with China.Monument to Seven Kings of Thailand at Rajabhakti Park, Hua Hin, Thailand (Left to right: Ramkhamhaeng, Naresuan, Narai, Taksin, Rama I, Rama IV, Rama V), photograph by Jimmy Chen, 2020. Source: Jimmy ChenThe military campaigns were left to two brothers who had been given the titles of Chao Phraya Chakri and Chao Phraya Surasi. The brothers repulsed another Burmese invasion in 1776 and secured the submission of Laos before extending Thonburis influence into Cambodia.By the early 1780s, Taksin began behaving erratically, demanding to be worshiped as a Buddha and torturing members of his own family. This behavior inspired a revolt from an official named Phraya San, who quickly occupied Thonburi. Taksin offered no resistance and relinquished the throne. Upon learning of the news, Chao Phraya Chakri hurried back to Thonburi and took control of the government.While Taksin expressed his wish to become a monk, the official history states that Chao Phraya Chakri executed him and took the throne himself. According to an alternative theory, Chao Phraya Chakri granted Taksins wish, and the dethroned king lived out his life in obscurity as a monk in the southern city of Nakhon Si Thammarat. The new king, known to history as Phra Phutthayotfa or King Rama I, founded the city of Bangkok on the opposite bank of the Chao Phraya to Thonburi. Today, the Chakri Dynasty, founded by Rama I, continues to reign in Thailand under King Vajiralongkorn (Rama X).Reference List:Baker, C. and Pasuk P. (2017). A History of Ayutthaya: Siam in the Early Modern World.Chula C. (1967). Lords of Life: A History of the Kings of Thailand. Alvin Redman Ltd. (Original work published 1960.)