1782-Present

By: William D.

- Beginning of the Chakri dynasty under King Rama I. The country started out as Siam. The capital is Bangkok.

Siam changes its name to Thailand ("Land of the Free").

King Ananda assassinated. - Military coup by the wartime, pro-

Japanese leader Phibun Songkhram. The military retain power until 1973.

Student riots in Bangkok bring about the fall of the military government. Free elections are held but the resulting governments lack stability.

Government collapses. Banharn Silpa-archa, of the Thai Nation party, elected prime minister.

Asian Financial Crisis. The baht falls sharply against the dollar,

leading to bankruptcies and unemployment.

Chuan Leekpai becomes prime minister.

War begins with two rebel groups of Thailand and Burma.

Burma closes boarder to Thailand. After battles subside, the boarder is

reopened in October.

Thousands of people are killed when a Tsunami hit the South West Coast of Thailand.

Thailand tries to fight Bird Flu, as new outbreaks surface.

Military leaders stage a bloodless coup while Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is at the UN General Assembly.

Retired General Surayud Chulanont is appointed as interim prime minister in October.

The First draft of a new constitution is approved by a committee appointed by the military administration.

In May, voters in a referendum approve a new, military-drafted constitution.

An elected parliament convenes for the first time since the military seized power in September 2006.

Return to civilian rule. Samak Sundaravej is sworn in as prime minister.

Sixteen killed and hundreds injured in Thailand's worst anti-government protests in 16 years.

Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat is forced from office by a Constitutional Court ruling that disbands the governing People Power Party for electoral fraud and bars its leaders from politics for five years.

Abhisit Vejjajiva becomes new Prime Minister.

"BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Country profiles | Timeline: Thailand." BBC NEWS | News Front Page. 03 Feb. 2009 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1243059.stm.

"Timeline: Thailand." AEGiS Site Map. 03 Feb. 2009 http://www.aegis.org/news/bbc/2001/BB010805.html