Thailand Destinations

Bangkok is Thailand's capital city. It is the travel hub for the whole Southeast Asian region. Read more on Bangkok	Chiang Mai “Rose of the North” for its abundance of flowers that thrive in the cooler mountain climate. Chiang Mai is blessed with stunning natural beauty and unique indigenous cultural identity. Read more on Chiang Mai	Krabi is one of most attractive destinations in Southern Thailand. Krabi's beaches are some of the best to be found anywhere. Read more on Krabi
Koh Samui is one of Thailand's most popular holiday destinations. It is Thailand's third largest island and is still a place of relatively untouched beauty. Read more on Koh Samui	Phuket island is one of the most popular travel destinations in Southeast Asia. It has more than 20 scenic white beaches, crystal clear blue waters, color reefs rich with sea life. Read more on Phuket island	Nestled in a deep valley hemmed in by high mountain ranges, Mae Hong Son has long been isolated from the outside world. Read more on Nestled.

Historically, the modern Thai trace much of their ancestry to a population that originated in southern China and migrated into Thailand and other parts of southeast Asia during the early 1st millennium CE. The earliest mention of the Thai, as farmers in south China, comes from Chinese records dating back to the sixth century BCE. These early Thai emanated out of the Yunnan region and dispersed into the general area of what is today Thailand.

These Thai peoples arrived in various waves and displaced the earlier Mon and Khmer populations as they settled the region with a large group settling in Thailand during the Sung period of China roughly around 960 CE. Cousins of the Thai, the Lao split off from the early Tai-Kadai peoples and moved into Southeast Asia, mainly Laos, while another kindred people the Shan made their way into Myanmar.

The founding of the Sukhothai kingdom culminated in the emergence of the first Thai nation-state founded in 1238. Various conflicts in the Chinese-dominated region of Nanchao facilitated increased migration of the Thai, especially mercenaries fleeing from the Mongol conquest of China, and helped establish the Thai as a regional power. Successful wars with the Mon helped to establish the kingdom of Lan Na as the Thai increased their hold upon Thailand. The early Thai brought their Buddhist and Chinese traditions, but also assimilated the Indo-Chinese culture of Southeast Asia. (See Thai Chinese for more details)

A new city-state known as Ayutthaya, named after the Indian city of Ayodhya, was founded by Ramathibodi (a descendent of Chiang Mai) and emerged as the center of the growing Thai Empire starting in 1350. Though much inspired by Indian culture, the Thai maintained a staunch Theravada Buddhist faith that they protected from the declining Hindus of the region. Conquests of the Ayutthaya Empire led to greater Thai settlements as the Khmer were severely weaked after 1444 following their defeat at Angkor. During this period, the Thai developed a feudal system as various vassal states paid homage to the Thai kings. Even as Thai power expanded at the expense of the Mon and Khmer, the Thai Ayutthaya faced setbacks at the hands of the Malay at Malacca and were checked by the Toungoo of Burma.

Though sporadic wars continued with the Burmese and other neighbors, Chinese wars with Burma and European intervention elsewhere in Southeast Asia allowed the Thai to develop an independent course by trading with the Europeans as well as playing the major powers against each other in order to remain independent.

Residents of Phra Pradaeng release fish during their Songkran festival, which they celebrate one week later than the rest of the country.

The Chakkri dynasty under Rama I held the Burmese at bay, while Rama II and Rama III helped to shape much of Thai society, but also led to Thai setbacks as the Europeans moved into areas surrounding modern Thailand and curtailed any claims the Thai had over Cambodia, in dispute with Burma and Vietnam. The Thai learned from European traders and diplomats, while maintaining an independent course. Chinese, Malay, and British influences helped to further shape the Thai people who often assimilated foreign ideas, but managed to preserve much of their native culture and resisted the European colonization that engulfed their neighbors.